Asthmatics Anonymous part I

"It's always bad" Darren bent forward, hands braced on his knees, wheezed several breaths then continued, "The medicine never works." Not only was Darren's breathing wheezy and ragged, but
from the head down to his toes he looked unkempt, dirty, contagious even. His hair was greasy and uncombed, his face had at least a weeks growth. His clothes were covered with stains from at least several meals. Even his shoes had holes where his big toes were peering through.

"What medicine have you been taking?" I asked. He handed his ventolin (asthma) inhaler to me. "It's empty" he gasped "Ran out last week." I took a deep breath and sat down on his bed, a voice inside my head saying 'be patient, be patient' with the poor lad. "Ah, so your asthma has been bad for the last week?" I asked. He nodded his head. "And you haven't had any medicine in that time?" He nodded his head again. "Ah, can I ask why you didn't see someone sooner?" Darren kept his head bowed, unwilling to, or perhaps too exhausted to make eye contact "It's useless. Asthma medicine doesn't work for me." I placed a nebuliser mask over Darren's face, a mask containing the exact ingredients that he claimed didn't work.

Three nebulisers later and Darren's wheeze was much less audible and his breathing more relaxed. He was no longer sitting on the edge of the bed, hands on knees. He was able to sit back on the bed, although still in an upright position. A small victory, at least in the physical sense.

"I thought you said the medicine didn't work?" I kept my voice emotionless, as non-judgmental as possible. "The inhalers, they never work, I want what's in the nebuliser" he was able to look me when he spoke. "It's the same medicine" I replied "But you don't look like you've been looking after yourself. How much do you smoke a day?" His clothes reeked of smoke. "I didn't come here to be lectured. You don't know me, so don't judge me." Oh dear, to think I'm trying to be sympathetic, to think that this is his reaction to my nice side, how will he react when he sees my bad side?