JV and Me in the ICU

JV and I were in the ICU one night. We were on call. He was an internal medicine resident, and I was a general surgery resident. In those days, if a patient needed a cut down to get access to a vein, a general surgery resident did it. There was a big Tennessee football game that night. JV and I were both big fans. He may have been a bit more radical that I, but it was close.

Anyway, he had called me to come and do a cut down on an elderly man who was "low sick". The old guy needed a cut down, so I got the nurse to get me a tray for one. JV had a small portable radio with the Tennessee game playing. It was a particularly important game, and things were really tight with suspense. JV and I were both enthralled. The nurse brought the tray, but we kept listening.

The old patient was awake and could hear and see what was going on. Suddenly, he sat up and said, "Are you boys going to listen to that damn ballgame or try to get me well?" We both cracked up and got busy doing what we were supposed to do.