There are good people

The E.R. Tech (CNF)
By GC SMITH

The guy treated me with kid gloves, gently swabbing the gash on my forehead, staunching the blood flow. “We’ll get a Doctor in here in a minute.”

“Stitches,” I asked.

“Oh, I couldn’t say. The Doctor will have to decide that. He’ll get back here in a minute. I expect he’ll send you for a CAT scan. That's a nasty clout on the head.” He continued to swab blood, his ministrations surprisingly gentle. Finally he said, "I have to get to other patients. Here , press this against the wound." He handed me a thick gauze pad.

The Doctor’s “in a minute” stretched out and the E.R. tech looked in on me from time to time, checking to ensure I was no longer bleeding. Exchanging pleasantries.

In all I spent nearly five hours in the hospital and walked out with assurance that my skull wasn’t fractured and with seven stitches in my forehead. I was lucky, the twenty pound hunk of wood that fell from several feet above my head could have caused real damage. As it was I didn’t even have a headache.

While the Doctor was suturing I commented that the emergency tech who cleaned my wound was a helluva nice guy and competent. The Doc laughed. "Oh, Dudley, he’s a retired CFO and VP from Phizer International. He got bored doing nothing and decided to get back in the medical business, this time “hands on” he says. He’s the best E.R. tech this hospital has ever seen. Doesn't care if the emergency is a minor one like yours or mangled victims from a car wreck. Everyone he touches gets first rate treatment. We need a hundred Dudleys."

Wow, what an endorsement! The world would a much better place with a few more Dudleys.