The Cherrywood Suite

It was my first day as a hospice volunteer. The social work director had invited me to sit in while she discussed the benefits of hospice palliative care to a couple wrestling with the decision on whether to place their older loved one in hospice. Just as the social worker got started a nurse interrupted.

The couple shared a raised eyebrow at the unexpected commotion.

The social work director turned to us and said, apologetically, "I'll be right back." Prior to her employment with hospice, the social worker had enjoyed a long career in the teaching profession. She had worn many hats, from English teacher to high school principal. And I suppose that there are times when the experiences at one endeavor lead to the use of past remedies in new situations. As she marched down to room 2C, otherwise known as the Cherrywood Suite, the couple and I quietly trailed behind.

Mr. Barnes could be heard hurling expletives to the staff struggling to control the situation.  "What's going on?" the social work director demanded.

As he sat on the edge of his hospital bed, in his floral gown worn backwards, Mr. Barnes growled back and shouted, "I'm gettin' my fat ass outta this god-damn bed and goin' home to my fuckin’ wife."

The social work director, with hands on hips, channeling her past public school persona, barked back without hesitation.

"If you get out of that god-damn bed, your fat ass is going to fall on the fucking floor, capish?"

Mr. Barnes noticed that he and his administrative adversary had an audience. With eyes widened, mouth shut, he eased his pale legs back into bed—with an awkward smile and a glance over the social worker's shoulders. His unexpected cooperation and sheepish grin was like a coded message immediately understood by the old school principal.

"Oh, oh," she whispered.

As the new volunteer on the floor I volunteered a smile and nodded my head towards the couple as though nothing unusual had occurred.  They looked at each other and held hands.

"What do you think?" the wife asked her husband.

There was a moment of silence outside the Cherrywood Suite until he finally replied, "Your mother's gonna love it here."