A somewhat horrifying evening

I am totally knackered and trying not quite successfully to be awake. And it is way past the normal times that one should begin to be fully alert. Last evening at work, I had a pleasant and serene first half of my shift. I had three patients who were doing well, and was awaiting the arrival of a post op patient. I even had time to read a bit of Sherlock Holmes online. One of my patients was a little old lady, quite demented, but very adorable nonetheless. When I brought in a huge bag of IV fluid, I said, “Here’s your dinner!” She replied, “Oh, isn’t it cute!” “Just like you,” I told her. “You are cute too, dear,” she cutely said.
At seven o'clock, everything changed. I got a patient who was angry, angry, angry. He wanted to leave AMA, and the smart nurse would have just said, “Ciao,” and had a pleasanter evening. However, I tried to deal with his many issues, and that was wearing. Very wearing. Then my surgery patient arrived and with her, her husband who was schnockered (part of why I am now knackered.) He seemed like a very nice guy who was concerned about his wife, but he could barely navigate across the room, let alone drive home, as he planned. I had to be firm (a trait not really in my nature) and tell him he either had to stay the night with his wife, and I would get him a cot, or take a cab home, and I would give him a voucher for the cab. All this took time to set up, and as he really felt quite capable of driving, time to convince him that he was actually not capable of driving. His wife wisely did not enter into the discussion. Then someone had to take him to the cab and make sure he actually got into it rather than sneakily making a detour to his car. Minutes before the night nurse was about to take over the care of the cute but demented lady, I heard her (the lady, not the nurse) cursing and carrying on. I carefully pretended not to hear anything or to notice the transformation from bunny rabbit to wolverine. This ruse worked, and so I was only an hour late in leaving. And what does this picture have to do with all that? This is the lovely little creature who was awaiting my belated return home with loving wiggles, comforting cuddles and doggie caresses, making it all sort of okay.