Drive them and wait in the car park
The journey to and from a hospital appointment is often harder than the appointment, and is done alone.
The BeingKind editorsPublished How this is written
Why it lands
Bad news is usually delivered to someone who then has to drive themselves home. Hospital transport is inadequate, taxis are expensive, and asking a friend feels like an imposition for something that takes half a day. Waiting outside rather than coming in gives the person privacy for the appointment and company for the part that actually breaks people, which is the car afterwards.
How
Offer the whole thing, including the waiting: “I'll drive you and sit in the car park with a book. Come out when you're ready.” Afterwards, ask nothing — let them start. Have somewhere to go that is not straight home, and offer it without insisting.
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