I had not been working too many months when this happened. I was working as an aide then. We had a death. Back then we took the body to the morgue after being pronounced dead by the doctor. If the funeral home is miles away that is where we took them. This time a member of the family was coming to the hospital to see his or her's departed family member. We placed the deceased on a stretcher and placed him in a small work room across from the side of the nurse's station. We still had the policy that someone had to stay with the body until the funeral home came for them or move them down stairs.

The only one free to sit with him was a young black orderly. Just as we were leaving to do our other duties, the deceased's hand slid out from under the sheet and swung at the side of the stretcher.

ZOOM! The orderly ran out of the room and down the stairs (did not wait for an elevator) and out of the hospital. He never returned to work after that. I guess he is still running.