Possessed

We have a patient that we just can't get rid of. We're really not doing much for him. A board and care could meet his needs just fine, but no place will take him. (See that stack of plastic bags I'm leaning on? That's part of his chart.)

As much as we would love to, we can't drop him off on a street corner somewhere and his parents refuse to take him back. We do understand how his parents feel and we don't blame them one bit. If we could, we would toss his sorry ass over the balcony and let me tell you, there would be no shortage of employees willing to help.

Different units have been taking turns with him. It's not our turn yet, but we got him back anyway. The reason why he upsets everyone so much is because he won't stop screaming. It's like he's possessed by the devil. Sometimes he sounds like a tom cat looking for some action. Other times it's more like a calf separated from its mother. Sometimes it sounds like we have him on a rack and are slowly torturing him to death. He is absolutely driving us crazy because he won't shut up. Even with his door closed, it's so bad that we fantasize about killing him. I don't know how the patients are going to get any rest. I don't know how we are going to get through the next couple of months until our turn is over.

And, he is not confused. He screams because he feels like it. Every test known to mankind has been done on him, several times. Physically, there is no explanation for his behavior. The shrinks have studied him too. He may have a personality disorder, but he's not exactly mentally ill.

I wish that they would let us play loud music to drown him out. Either that or we could start drinking margaritas like water. If he was found on the ground, eight floors down, I wonder if they would believe that he jumped? :)