Gonna try to be brief because I need to get to work in an hour and won't be home until late tonight.
Wednesday, we had a patient admitted to the floor. His son (somewhere in his 40's or 50's) continued to wander around the floor, looking in patient rooms, shadowing the nurse, etc. We finally got him settled down and staying in the room with his mom and dad, but then he kept calling out, requesting to see the nurse, the doctor, medicines for his father, etc. No problem...just needed to ask him to be patient while the pharmacy sent the meds and the docs wrote orders. Then he asked for his father to be moved to a larger room. A few hours later, after another discharge -- wish granted.
Thursday, for most of the day, they were settled in. Tests went regularly, rounds went regulary, everything went smooth, patient was comfortable, family was comfortable. The son even went home to get a shower and change clothes.
Thursday night, something changed. He threatened the night staff with a gun that he brought to the unit. Three security guards were called, the gun was confiscated, and he was taken to the ER for observation. For some reason that I can't fathom, he was released.
Friday, he visited his father on the unit. For the most part, he stayed with his father and was very quiet. I saw him once towards the end of the shift. I turned around a corner just as he was walking down the hall. I barely got to acknowledge his "Hey" and I never even made eye contact with him. He was looking down and, from what I saw in my peripheral vision, he barely glanced up. I, on the other hand, was on a mission down the hall and hardly got a chance to look at him since he was passing just as I turned the corner. I remember knowing it was him, saying "Hello," and continuing rapidly down the hall. I never turned and really looked at him. For that, I feel terrible. I don't know if I could have changed anything or noticed anything. I don't know if he was on his way home at that time or if he was just walking around and still visiting with his father or what. Hindsight is 20/20 vision and all that jazz....
Yesterday, I received a call from the Harris Co. ME investigator. The son was found in their garage with a shotgun blast to the head. We called the chaplain to come up and talk with the mother. The father hasn't been told yet.
A lot of us were pretty shocked by it all...in addition to the thought of what *could* have happened. You hear a lot about rage killings where people go in and shoot several people before taking their own lives. This could have been one of those times.
I'm praying that the mother can find some peace in this time. She was so distraught, saying "I don't know how I can go on...first (husband's name), now this."
