There
is an unwritten hierarchy that exists here in the hospital, on the outdoor
patio, in the recreation area, in the hallways, on the elevators.
Its
as if royalty has arrived. The pathway
clears, people stand aside, offer their chairs, their shade, their plug in the
wall for the IV pole to be connected.
An
aura of reverence and respect takes over, with a slight bow of everyone’s head,
a hushed silence, nervous energy building.
But
its not the nurses, or nurse practitioners, who have arrived. Its not the doctors or surgeons that are
causing such a stir. It’s a child,
hooked up to lifesaving IVs, and their parent with exhausted eyes.
They
are the absolute top of this unnatural pyramid-
the most feared; the most revered.
All of us would do anything we could to help at that moment, to offer
comfort and care, but there’s so little we can do.
