6 15 I am woken up by the mobile ringing by my side.
A tense voice of a male: "Doctor could you please come over....my mom seems to have collapsed"
"Yea, will be there in 15 mins"
"Thanks doctor"
On arrival, the old lady is cold...dead maybe for about an hour. Though the son knows it, he wants to confirm it.
The air around is still and there is a pregnant pause. "Yes, she has passed away", I say with much solemnity. Tears stream down the man's face. He is about 57. A death is a death, old or young though the grief felt when a young soul passes away is incomparable.
"Doctor, can I inform my relatives?"
"Yes, please do"
He calls his brother and he breaks down into a sob. Eeerie moments... heart rending. I stand near the wall waiting for the man to compose himself so that I can fill out the DC (death certificate).
I have this strange habit of not writing a DC in the pen I use to write prescriptions. I ask if any of the relatives of the deceased person has a cheap pen that can be thrown away after writing...if yes..then I chuck it away after writing. Small sentiments. What's life without those?
I hand over the DC and leave the place conveying my condolences. Came home and had a cup of coffee. The day starts on a bad note. There is an Amman Temple near my house but have never visited it in the three months that I shifted here. Went there and spent some time. Pretty peaceful place.
Shortly thereafter another call. This time someone has a swelling of the legs and she has come down from the US. As I finish attending the patient, another call, another panicky male voice: "Sir, my grandmom has wheezing and now she seems to have collapsed....umm... she isnt responding...could you please come over.
There in a jiffy, but by then they have brought the old lady downstairs by the elevator to rush her to the nearest hospital in Adyar...No pulse...Pupils fixed and dilated. 'Everything' was over in a matter of few minutes said the grandson.
"Doctor, is there any point in taking her to the hospital?"
"No, I dont see any."
"Ok sir thanks for coming, we would need the DC...could I collect it in an hour's time?"
"Yea...sure"
The grandson came in another hour and I wrote out a DC for his beloved grandmom. Again I ask him if he has a pen he can afford to throw away. Yes he does.
A lady asked me exactly a month ago when I went through the same ritual of asking for a cheaper pen: "Doctor, why is that you seem to follow such a sentiment, arent doctors beyond all those?"
"No we arent...what makes you think we are any different from you wrt death?"
"Sorry if I sound inquisitive...what do you normally feel when you see death and pain"
"Seeing Death, humbles a person...categorically explains to him the brevity of life and the uselessness of narrow mindedness."
"Guess you are right sir."
So my dear folks...I neednt reiterate that in the short span that we inhabit this planet, lets strive to be kind and good to everyone and make this a better place for us and for generations to come.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
