A free non-fiction short story about a med call I received as a fire rescue captain one time. It was a particular;y difficult one for me that I still think about years later. Lying about a patient's condition is only done to instill hope in them. Survival rates for elderly heart attack victims are extremely low. Just getting a pulse, no matter how weak, is considered a victory for 1st responders after working on a patient for sometimes up to an hour. CPR is very intense and although there's little movement during the procedure, a responder feels quite beaten after. Please read this and you'll be closer to understanding that emergency work is not just a job.