Nightcaps At the Hospital

This unit is for things that are neurological or psychiatric, so that patients here have varying degrees of psychosis. Jason is unique. He is sort of the quiet drunk. He can't speak so barring the occasional attempt at trying to sit up he is relatively low maintenance these days. Then there are others. The Asian man who screams all night and punches the nurses. The older woman who begs the nurses not to leave her alone. Then the brain surgery patient who sometimes remembers what year we are in and sometimes rambles about bizarre things. When you are around them too long you feel for them. HIPPAA prevents you from knowing too much but when you come back from the bathroom and the bed is empty you wonder what happened even if you can't ask. I have my zombie apocalypse contingency plan of where and how I would hide Jason safely, but I wonder for the others. The ones who never have visitors and are in dire straits and the ones who beg the nurses not to leave their side. We need to learn how to take better care of our people, our friends and our families. Hospitals can do but so much. That love component has to come into play. Everyone says the same thing:  the recovery process is so much better and faster when family and friends pitch in. I can't imagine NOT being here for Jason. I know not everyone can but somebody for at least a little bit can come for every person here can't they? You can't have no one. Not in this place. Lives depend on the component of love.