Clara; Nurse & crisis negotiator extraordinaire

Nothing makes me more nervous, than getting a call from a patient after hours. Usually, there is some type of medical issue they are seeking advice about. However, one hot, August Saturday afternoon, I received a call from the wife of my patient. She was frantic, and I started to think the worst. I finally calmed her down, and she told me her husband wasn't acting right. I reassured her, I was on my way. Stroke? Heart Attack? Infection? What could be wrong. As I raced to the front door, she greeted me with a tear stained face. "Where is he?" I asked. She pointed to the garage. The knot in my stomach just got bigger. I moved as fast as I could through the house into the garage. And there he was. Sitting in the drivers side of his new Buick. Now, I am confused. I looked at his wife, and asked what was going on. She then preceded to explain to me, they had a big argument. He wanted fish for dinner, and she already had pork chops in the oven. Really????? He became so upset, he stormed outside to the garage, and locked himself in the car. He had been there for an hour before she called me, refusing to get out of the car. So, when she told me he wasn't acting right, she simply meant misbehaving? not getting along with others?? Apparently so. I knocked on the window. He ignored me, and looked away. It was 90 degrees outside. He could really get in trouble. I yelled through the window to open the door, and he shook his head no. After 15 minutes of attempting to get him out, he still refused. Now what? Well, no other choice.. 911 can I help you?? Yes, you can, I'm a home care nurse, and my patient is upset and locked himself in his car, and has been there over an hour. After a few minutes, police and EMS arrived. He continued to refuse to get out. I stood there in disbelief. As the police finally told him get out, or they would break his window, he slowly opened the door. As he got out of the car, he looked at the officer and said, " If you would've broke my window, I wouldn't be able to go buy my fish dinner..." I saw this patient for several months after this, but this incident was never discussed.