I know the secrets, too

Maha so eloquently described the secrets in the ER in a recent post and it got me thinking about the unspoken stories at the Hotel.

The secrets aren't secrets to everyone mind you, but they lie hidden. The cancer diagnosis no one wants to talk about, yet the specialist charts it in his/her notes. The criminal past of a patient, which includes violence against certain types of staff members. The homelessness, violence, love children, suicide attempts, and madness lurks everywhere you look.

In addition, it's not just the patients with the secrets. It's the staff, too. The relative of a nurse who was forced to go back to work to defend her husband in a criminal trial in which all of her significant assets were seized. The nurse who has an inappropriate relationship with a patient or two or three. The nurse who can't tell the boss he/she has a chronic illness, because he/she is afraid to lose his/her job. The nurse who is an alcoholic, and calls out a lot around the holidays, especially those involving parties or family gatherings.

I wish some would see the light of day, and others, I don't. I shudder at doctors giving a cancer diagnosis like it's just a day in the park, when the prognosis is grim.  I wonder if the criminal patient will hurt me if I'm left alone in the right environment. I wonder if the nurse who's involved with the patient will suffer repercussions at home. And finally, with the nurses with illnesses of their own, I wonder what will have to happen for them to get the help they need, as the boss sits idly.

We can only wait and see...stay tuned!