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visitor’s
list.”
    Adam took several deep
breaths as he approached Gail’s room. The curtains were open, which
gave the doctor’s and nurse’s the ability to see into her room. The
sight of her broken body made Adam ill. Lydia choked back a sob
as she entered her room. A quick scan of the monitors showed Gail’s
blood pressure and pulse are slightly elevated . Her skin felt
clammy and warm. She had two IV’s in her arm. Her leg was in
a temporary cast, and her ribs taped. Looking over the bed to his
wife, Adam once again felt the tears flow down his face. Lydia
lowered her head and kissed her daughter’s hand. Whispering, she
said, “Gail honey, mommy, and daddy are here.”
    Adam felt the reassuring touch of his
mother’s hands on his shoulders. “Whatever is wrong, we will help
our little angel.”
    Leaning in to kiss her
forehead, he whispered, “Mommy, gran, gramps and Bobby are here
sweetheart, and everything will be ok. We all love you so much and will be waiting here for you when you wake up.”

    Father Mallard volunteered at the
hospital twice a week and I want to continue the visitation. It
would be an excellent opportunity to reach out to some of my
parishioners. Sunday afternoon would be my first visitation, and
honestly, I embrace the opportunity of helping those less
fortunate. Father Mallard and I discussed his routine, and he gave
me a notebook with patient names and room numbers. Visiting with
the waiting family members will be my first stop. It startles me
when I see my entire family in the emergency waiting room. “What’s
happened? Why are all of you here?”
    I stand next to my mother
while Adam fills me in on what has happened to Gail. When Adam
tells me what room she is in, I ask everyone, “Come with me,
please.” My heart aches as I look down at my beautiful niece. She
looks fragile, and honestly, like a little girl. It’s hard seeing anyone injured, but it is especially difficult
when it is a family member. We may not be close, but she is still
my brother’s child. I stand next to Gail’s bed and anoint her with
holy water. With a trembling hand, I gently run my hand over the
top of her head. I recite the prayer for the sick, anoint my niece
with holy water and bent down to kiss Gail’s forehead.
    A few minutes later, a
nurse approached Adam. “We do not have enough AB Negative on
reserve. We have contacted HUP requesting five pints of whole blood . We need at least two pints of whole blood before we
can operate.”
    The look on Adams' face concerns me. He glances at Lydia and leaves the room. I
look over to Lydia and she is crying. It troubles me seeing her
upset and I offer my assistance. I turn to the nurse and say, “I am
AB Negative.. I would be more than happy to donate blood for my
niece.”
    “Thank you, Father Brady.
As soon as we run a cross-match, we can operate on Gail. The
remaining reserve should be here within the next two hour. The
cross-match should only take ten minutes. We have a machine that speeds up the process. If you would please follow
me, I will take care of you.”
    I follow the nurse to an empty room and
sit on the gurney. The nurse follows me into the room.
    “If you would lie down Father, I will
start the IV. If you feel dizzy or nauseous, please tell me.” She
places a stress ball in my hand. “Squeeze this while you are hooked
up to the IV. It will help to speed up the donation. There is juice
on the table should you feel thirsty.”
    I lie
on the gurney as the nurse hovers over me. The process does not take long, and my mind is focusing on the
ball in my hand. Thirty minutes later, the nurse has collected two
pints of blood. It makes me a little sick seeing my blood in a bag.
A few crackers and grape juice take away nausea.

    Thirty minutes later, David asked to
speak to Adam. “I don’t know how to say this Adam. We ran the
necessary donor tests on Father Brady’s blood. Adam, as you know,
the machine that we use is foolproof. Gail and