Enough is enough.

Visitation at the funeral home on Thursday.
Funeral on Friday.
Internment Saturday.

Then, Chaplain On Call Saturday evening, and yes, I get paged. Unexpected death during surgery.

While I'm on the way to the hospital, I get paged again. Code brought in through the ER, this time. I explain that there was a prior call, and that I will be delayed.

While I'm praying with Grieving Family #1, the overhead page sounds off. The patient in the ER has expired.

Move as gracefully as I can from Grieving Family #1 (waiting for out of town relatives) to Grieving Family #2.

While in the ER, the overhead echoes again. A new one, this time-- a Code up in Oncology.

Finish with Grieving Family #2. Stop up to check on Grieving Family #1, whose relatives have arrived and who are now ready to fill out necessary paperwork and go home.

Oncology patient has been stabilized, and is moved to ICU. I meet the family there, who want nothing to do with me (the chaplain being the spectre of death, you know). At this point, I am not entirely regretful. I notify the nurses where to find the family, once the patient is settled in her room. They will be asked to consider a DNR order.

I trot off to finish the Pastoral Care paperwork. Go home. Try to sleep.

I am holding fast to the Sunday promise of resurrection, because I've had just about all the death I can stomach for now.