Painful

It is painful to hear my mom asking the same questions that really cannot be answered.

What is going to happen?

Will it hurt too much?

How will I die?

What will happen to my husband?

Is it okay?

I'm extremely thankful for our family friend/physician. He listens and answers, not as some sort of medical demi-god, but as a friend, a voice of experience, and a conservative medical perspective. Mom felt better after we talked to him, but I always wonder what she really heard. And what her questions really were.