Sit in the waiting room with someone
Waiting rooms are where people rehearse the worst version of the news. Company changes the hour entirely.
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Why it lands
The wait before a scan result or a procedure is a specific kind of time — nothing to do, nothing to decide, and a mind that will fill the gap with the worst available scenario. Distraction from another person is genuinely effective here in a way it is not for grief. You do not need to say anything useful; you need to be a reason the hour is not silent.
How
Offer to come and wait rather than to be told afterwards. Bring something to do together — cards, a crossword, gossip about someone else entirely. Take your cue from them on whether to talk about why you are there.
Answer if you want. It changes which ideas are shown first.
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