When I was in the hospital, I learned that when doctors want to tell you something, they will tell you at 4:00 A.M., when they start rounds and you are sleeping, and if it’s really bad, they will send the person with the shortest lab coat. Seniority works in white coats, from the longest (read: fanciest head doctor) to the shortest (read: the greenest and most anxious doctor in the universe). So when I first heard how long I had to live, I drew the short coat.
