Mercy and Compassion

One of my ICU nurses was Barbara. In ICU the nurse never leaves the bedside. They are constantly recording events on a computer and monitoring vital signs. Barbara came to my side and asked, “What is your pain level?” The answer is expected to be between 0 and 10, with 10 being the highest. I replied, “Zero”. She looked a little concerned then she went back to the computer. Awhile later she returned and asked again, “What is your pain level?” I replied, “Zero”. She looked more concerned than before and a bit upset, then she went back to the computer. A while later she returned and asked again, “What is your pain level?” and added, “There is no reason to soldier any pain”. This time her expression was different, as I looked at her face, the words mercy and compassion jumped into my mind. I responded with “One” even though I felt almost no pain. She replied “No problem, we will manage it before it gets worse.” I truly felt an example of mercy and compassion.