The Odd Pair

I can remember, before Covid started. I had admitted a patient who really, not much was wrong with him, or not that I could tell. He just pretty much gave up on life and I’m assuming, he decided that he wasn’t going to walk again. He refused therapy and really refused to get out of bed. His roommate that he was assigned to was a very gruff guy. He was a smoker and had this long beard. He was very foul and wasn’t a very nice guy. And he also demanded to get up every hour and well, that always didn’t happen due to us having to take 2-3 people to lift him into his chair.

So most of the time he was in a really irritated mood. Now these two men did not get along at all and their room was the farthest from the nurses station. They were the odd pair. It was like watching that movie, what was it called? Oh yea, “Grumpy Old Men”. Not sure if you had seen it, but these patients were on a war path any time they saw each other, just like that movie. I mean when they got into a fight or argument you had better duck because something was going to be thrown at you, if you happened to get in the cross fires.

I can remember sitting at my desk and hear banging, I’d walk down to the end of that hall and they would be in there cussing and throwing plates, forks, and butter knives. And, I would break them up saying, “Guys! Stop acting like you’re spoiled brats, and throwing your food around. This is a medical facility not a day care!” Then they would cuss me out, probably because I was laughing as I said it and they were too serious about wanting to kill each other.

It got to where they were fighting every other day. It was getting old, sorry for the pun. Then Covid happened and the smoker, well, smokers didn’t fair well with Covid being as they were older and had multiple diagnosis. He lasted maybe two months after Covid started. Which was a lot longer than most. His room mate that didn’t want therapy, survived covid and he is still around or last I heard. Last time I saw him he said, “I sure do miss my first room mate, do you remember him.” I said, “Really! I always thought you two hated each other?” He said, “Yea, but we had fun.” And I said, “ I guess that’s what’s life’s about, The Fun!”

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