Time to move on

When I turned fifty a few years ago I still wondered what to be when I grew up, Oh, I had a profession then. It was that of a Graphic Designer,You know a job that pays the bills. Three nights a week I worked as a paramedic with the Big River Ambulance district in the rural country side of Missouri. I guess that I loved this profession far more than any I have tried, and I would like to relate a story to you.

In our district we have a nursing home, not a retirement center mind you but a nursing home. It was the early hours of the morning before birds had awaken, but not quite dawn maybe three or four in the morning, that we got the call. One of the residents at the nursing home had passed away and we were to confirm this with a EKG strip and a small amount of paper work.
Oh, I've been their many times before at this hour, as we walk down these quiet, dreary motionless halls and there is only the death sounds of sleep, for we have come as the reaper for the end of another life. As we quietly enter the room only our shadows play across the floor, our eyes search the dark gray room for our patient. The beds all along the wall with tiny motionless forms underneath blanched white sheets.
We can't seem to find our patient there are no visual signs of life. We are lead to the bed side of a small frail aged lady, feet drawn up in a fetal position.

Their by her bed the personal effects, a old wedding photo, she made a beautiful bride, and a family photo of better times. I was told in the bed next to her was her husband. Will he miss her? Will he know? As we run our EKG strip for our paper work, I feel a light touch at my back, and again I feel it ever so light as I turn a small frail shape hand beckons to me. I bend down to hear her whisper. "What are you doing" " We are taking your friend home" I said and with that I went about my duties. Again their was that slight tug at my shirt, and with effort and somewhat stronger voice she said "take me home".

On our return to base their was the usual small talk, but I was bothered with the old lady that reached out to me and her request. About two hours later as the morning sun was just breaking the sky, we were called out again to that same place, and we took the lady home.