In sickness as in health, he's my "high-maintenance" boy.
Always with his long list of "to-do's", checking, checking, checking.
As if life were a training course, as if there were going to be a test.
Leaving a room, leaving a town, leaving a country, it didn't matter.
Checking the doors, checking the phone bill, checking the will and testament.
And so to this. Knows where this hose leads, where that cord has to go.
Which one is the epidural, which the catheter, which the bag, which the food.
How to get the hoses through the sleeve of the robe, the power cord wound and clipped.
All for the 7 minute walk down the hall, dodging patients just arriving from surgery,
the young cleaning guy who gives me my crossword puzzle answer -
It's "Dan" - oh yah, he was with the Miami Dolphins - a great QuarterBack,
Our "be right back" evening nurse, the meal cart piled high with inedibles.
I know he's already checking his "to-do" list for re-entry -
to the hospital bed that never sleeps.
I so admire you and Merv. You because you are very creative and encouraging of others' creativity. And Merv because he is so resourceful and brave! I laughed at the part where Merv checks everything. Brad is exactly the same way. Sometimes I sneak a "give Char a hug" into his to-do list and remind him to slow down and put things in perspective. They are driven to conquer the tasks at hand and we are there to soften the edges and make all those tasks worthwhile.
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