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Seconds ticked agonizingly by as they waited to see if the dahed and closed his eyes for aup at the clock on the wall, he said with regret, "Calling time of death: nine forty-seven am"

"Want me to handle the faet him closed back up I’loves and tossed them dejectedly into the hazardous materials trash can and then relass doors of the trau the scene "Do we have a nauy’s driver’s license "Aaron Chap hallway before pushing open the button on the ency area In a roo rooe sons sat in hushed silence As he opened the door, he said a silent prayer for strength This was the most difficult aspect of his job While he relished in the long hours of saving lives and diagnosing illnesses, this part drained him both emotionally and physically

"Mrs Chapman?"

The woman, who appeared to be in her late thirties or early forties, rose fro in "Yes?"

He held out his hand for her to shake "I’ned your husband’s case"

She bobbed her head and took a step forward "How is he?"

"Your husband experienced a severe myocardial infarction" At her blank look, he replied, "A heart attack"

"Oh h cholesterol, but he’s been running every day I was only tenthe boys off at school, and I told the Of course, I wondered why he wouldn’t call instead of the hospital…" Realizing she was ra, her voice cut off Her hand hovered over her throat "But he’s okay now?"

Pesh shook his head "I’e to the heart We were never able to revive hiht in"

The woman’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates "No, no, NO! Surely there is so we could to save hi multiple atteinally did, but he did not respond to our atteh to Pesh’s soul She collapsed back against her sons, who now had tears in their eyes Stoic on the outside, Pesh stood by her side as she sobbed uncontrollably Most doctors when playing the Grim Reaper would deliver the bad news and then retreat Pesh believed that part of a patient’s care also er going off in his pocket It was only when his naed over the intercom that he took a step forward He placed a hand on the ’s shoulder "If you would like to be with him until the funeral home arrives, you can followher, she followed Pesh out of the rooot to the exaain touched her shoulder "I’m so very sorry for your loss"

"Thank you," her son mumbled when his mother was unable to speak Instead, she rushed forward to bury her head against her husband’s chest Her body shook with her sobs

Pesh nodded and then finally turned away With detere--sonosis After his input, this patient would pull through It was the true embodiment of the dichotomy of his job