Doing the right thing

The last three days of work were very hard; I had little Feisl die and then sent Iman home to die with his family and on the third day when I came in, I was given yet another pediatric patient.  This patient was significantly different.  He was 15 and had a gunshot wound to his shoulder which severed the artery and broke his arm.  What made this child different was the fact he had just pushed the button that set off a bomb and killed five service members; the one surviving was in the bay next door to his room.

I thought about this boy and decided yes, he did a horrible thing but he was still my patient.  The other members of the battalion kept trying to go in his room and I made it pretty clear they needed to stay out.  I let his guards also know there was to be no one in the room other than hospital staff, unless I said so.

This boy was frightened.  The story is his father set the bomb and told him to push the button.  It isn't any different than the U.S. father in teaching his child to hate.  I took care of this boy with my heart.  I bathed him, redressed his wounds and washed his hair.  I found a laceration in the back of his head that required staples and we took care of that.  I was angered by other members of the hospital staff who were full of hate.  I can totally understand their feelings, but I wish they would remember he is a child who hans't completely mentally developed. 

While I was caring for him, he asked his guards "Why is she being so nice to me?"  I replied "I don't like what you did, but you are my patient and I will take care of you."  Maybe I am wearing rose colored glasses but I'd like to think I made a difference to this child.  Maybe the next time someone asks him to blow up Americans, he'll remember the kindness he was shown and refuse.