Noisy, noisy death

In the past two weeks, I have dealt with the death of many patients. I am working in the MICU. And the MICU is the place where many come to struggle with death and then finally give in. It is strange to do the death exam. There is no beating heart, there is no whoosh of breaths. And you would think that this would be a silent affair. But it never is. I listen to the silence and it is loud. There is a whirling and swirling of emptiness that is not quiet at all. And of course then there is the family ranging from flocks of 25 to 30 or the wails of the spouse of 25 to 30 years that cannot be acknowleged in the state of Texas because he is also a he.