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15 things to do in your dad's hospital room

This is meant to be a related piece to "15 Things You Find in Your Dad's Hospice Room" and "15 Things You Find When You Clean Out Your Dad’s Apartment".

  1. Tell yourself you can panic later (you'll likely never find the time to, but it'll help)
  2. Wear a mask because he's immunocompromised (and besides, you've been out trying to live a life which means you could've caught something)
  3. Turn on the Olympics because he can't use a remote anymore and no one has helped him (besides, it's always on these days and he at least used to enjoy it)
  4. Practice your sanitized answers to his questions (he won't remember them, but no need to alarm him about in his life, your life, or the world for even a moment)
  5. Try not to be in the way of the nurses (you'll fail)
  6. Sit on the bed because there is no where else to (and realize your arm is resting against his urine jug)
  7. Worry that his bed should be alarmed when he gets up to go to the bathroom (he makes it there on his own, but needs help on the return journey)
  8. Hope a doctor will have time to talk to you before you can't stand it anymore (they won't)
  9. Call your out-of-town brother and baby nephew so they can see your dad (your dad will forget about your nephew as soon as the baby goes out of frame, but for a few moments you'll hope it matters)
  10. Sit in silence after the call ends (he'll break it eventually by asking after your brother)
  11. Think over all the ways he got here (and ponder if you contributed to his downward spiral)
  12. Pick at your cuticles so you have something else to focus on (they may bleed)
  13. Count all the layers of blood you can see (I got up to four)
  14. Try to be in the moment because you don't know how many you have left with him (I failed)
  15. Leave and wonder if it'll be the last time

(Prompt by me)

"Hospital bed" by Lars Plougmann. Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic.

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