Knowing the “right” thing to say to someone in a moment of tragedy is never easy. Neither is achieving the balance between letting someone express their emotions and comforting them. But this is what I have seen doctors do time and time again in the Emergency Room and other departments within the hospital. As a volunteer advocate for survivors of interpersonal violence in the ER, I have seen tragic cases that are difficult to grasp because of the sheer amount of cruelty and suffering they describe. The second case I was a part of, in particular, was the most memorable clinical experience I have had. In this case, a woman walked from deep within Queens to an upper Manhattan hospital (a trip that would have taken most of the day). When she arrived,
