What's that patient's name again? The one whose privacy I'm about to violate.

We're in a patient's room.  All of us-- attending, fellow, intern, nurse, social worker, about 8 of us, with the patient, his wife, his kids--

Attending: "Yeah, so, we have a whole treatment plan set up.  Your situation is actually very similar to the guy down the hall-- what's his name?"

[no response]

Attending: "[Intern], what's that guy's name?  The one with the same cancer-- 65, short, bald, what's his name?"

Intern: "Uh, I'm not sure...?"

Attending: "Oh, come on, you know.  He has the wife, with the neurological thing..."

Social Worker: "I'm not sure we should be talking about the other patients..."

Attending: "No, just tell me his name.  Now it's going to drive me nuts."

Nurse: "Wouldn't it be a violation of HIPAA?"

Attending: "Come on, HIPAA doesn't apply to things like this.  What's the patient's name?  With the chemotherapy that didn't work.  Who we're trying to give a few more months to.  He was a dentist, his son is a travel agent-- what is his name?"

Fellow: "I think maybe we should move on."

Attending: "Fine, well, anyway, my college roommate Bob Schlabotnick had what you have, and he's fine now-- under my care-- so I'm hopeful we'll get you there too.  He also has herpes, can you believe that?  Someone my age."

Fellow: "Okay, let's move along."

Attending: "Dave.  Dave Ramirez.  That's his name.  Originally from Detroit.  He's in room 2604, you can compare notes.  Feeling a lot of the same things you are, a lot of the same emotions."

Nurse: "I'm gonna go check on something else."

Attending: "See if you can find Ramirez's file on your way out.  I had it in my hand, but I don't know what I did with it.  Must have left it in another patient's room.  See if you can grab it.  Thanks."