P is for Palliative Care
There was a box in the corner of the room that contained Maru's worst nightmare. The nine little glass vials, each carefully labeled and nestled in soft cloth might look innocent enough but for the little mechanic each vial represented the end of a life.
Maru had seen in person or heard over the radio enough deaths of wildland firefighters to know what a good death looked like. And after witnessing enough bad ones, Maru was determined that he would do everything in his power to prevent someone he cared so deeply about from experiencing that…
He knew that philosophy was a controversial one. There were many mechanics that believed strongly that as long as a vehicle was in the field, the mechanic should never stop fighting…from Maru's experience though, none of those overly optimistic mechanics ever had to respond to an aircraft crash. If Cabbie tore his belly open on a ridge, no amount of care that Maru could offer would make his life worth living. If Windlifter went down in front of an rapidly approaching fire, there was literally no way for the team to rescue him. If a smokejumper got caught in a firestorm and melted to the ground, the very act of cutting them away from the rocks would kill them.
In all of these cases Maru believed the only form of meaningful treatment he could offer his teammates…his friends…was the ability to ease their suffering as the end drew near. In order to do this, every spring Maru carefully measured a special blend pain medications and sedatives for every member of the team. He worked carefully, calculating just how much he needed gentle ease a given team member into coma from which Maru knew they would never wake. He sealed each dose prepared vials so that they would be ready at a moments notice, and once that years box was ready, he disposed of the previous year's vials.
Then the little box sat in the corner of Maru's hanger…a constant reminder of Maru's worst nightmare…a constant reminder of just how thin the line between life and death was. The little box sat in the corner and every single day Maru prayed that all those preparations would be forever wasted.
Term- Palliative Care- Palliative care is a medical specialty that focuses on pain management and anxiety reduction. While it is often most associated with end of life care, palliative care is an important part of treating chronic illnesses such as cancer. Palliative care often uses a combination of medication, diet, comforting items, and social services such as a chaplain and/or therapist.