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Genre Short Story 'A Small, Good Thing'

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Genre Short Story 'A Small, Good Thing'
Carver, Raymond
A Small, Good Thing

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Genre Short Story (29 pp.)
Keywords Art of Medicine, Caregivers, Catastrophe, Communication, Death and Dying, Empathy, Grief, Hospitalization, Illness and the Family, Medical Mistakes, Mourning, Parenthood, Professionalism
Summary This story concerns the death of a child and failures of communication. Scotty, an eight year old, is hit by a car on his birthday. His mother had ordered a birthday cake but "there were no pleasantries between" her and the baker. Scotty is hospitalized, unconscious, and the cake is forgotten. Dr. Francis reassures the anxious parents that all will be well when the boy wakes up.

The baker
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