In the surgical intensive care waiting room at St. John’s Hospital in Tulsa, there is a story to go with every occupied chair. They may be very happy or very sad stories, but there are few in between. Friends and relatives of patients either in surgery or just brought in for emergency treatment wait for news or a chance to visit. They can do nothing but sit and wait while only a few rooms away, the lives of loved ones hang in the balance. The fifteen minute visiting periods are allowed every 24 hours. The chief nurse decides when patients are well enough to be seen, so visitors may wait for hours or even days for only a few minutes with their loved one. The hospital’s limited number of guest rooms are reserved for relatives of patients in long-term care, so this room is the only option to stay close to patients who may be in critical or even terminal condition.