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The strongest sounds disturb the quietness of the hospital cardiac care unit. The man across the hall coughs. The nurse's shoes squeak as they hasten from one patient to the next-- in response to the beep of a call bell. The same sound as that emitted by a backing truck signals that a heart monitor lead has come off its connector. The voices of the staff echo loudly from the busy nurse's station. A non-sleeping patient is still twisting the TV dial at 2:30 a.m. trying to find some entertainment to help her pass the long night. Knocks on the door precede the entrances of blood-takers and thermometer-checkers. The blood pressure cuff stays attached all the time and works automatically every two hours giving off a sound like a cat purring. But the sound which stands out loudest of all is the sound of caring. It comes through the tender touch of the one who bathes, through the efficient response of a worker to the worst of tasks, through the kindliness of personnel to families, |