Well as my luck would have it, he was my patient for nearly every admission. Oh how I dreaded to face the tyrant Jack. One day he requested a pain shot. As my luck running that day, the shot was IM and not IV. I went into the room with a smile as usual. I gave him the shot where he dictated. He said " You SOB that hurt. Get the H out of here. Well this nurse saw red and the words came tumbling out of my mouth like a busted sack of potatoes.

I told him that I did not appreciate being called names and that he was insulting to me and to my mother. I told him that he was some hateful patient that no one wanted to take care of. His insults and name calling has driven everyone away. I told him it would be a cold day in H before I would step foot in his room again.

I walked out to the room and just knew that he probably calling adminstration and my job was gone or on a very tight rope. Some 15 minutes later his light came on. I instructed the aide to answer it. She came back and said he wanted to see me. Oh how I dreaded going into the lion's den.

I went in. He looked at me with tears in his eyes. Jack said "I am so sorry for the things I said to you and the other nurses. I promise to be a good person from now on." He then made me cry when he said " May I hug you?" After that day old Jack and I were the best of friends. He asked for me to be assigned as his nurse on every admission after that episode.

He still grumbled at the other staff but not me. Jack passed on a few years later and as his time was running out, he mellowed and became the best of the best patients.

Always my prize patient. He was just human who was mad because he would never get better as each day he was at his best. I bet he went to Heaven and told God to look out for that nurse tha that set him straight on attitudes and love of one another. I hope to meet my friend some day.