My first job today was to a couple who had a suicide pact.
Not much older than myself, both suffered from physical and mental problems and had saved up pills from their prescriptions to do the deed.
Some time last night, the man apparently got tired of waiting, so he consumed the stash. All of it, both his and hers. Then he went back to bed.
The woman was woken up this morning by the unconscious man having a seizure, then after calling for an ambulance, found the stash to be missing.
She was both distraught and angry that he had attempted suicide without telling her and without leaving her the means to follow him.
The fact is though that the pills he took didn't kill him, they just put him in a coma. A coma, broken only by tonic clonic seizures, from which he may never emerge.
I have no idea how long he will remain in a vegetative state. He may die or he may recover, but if he does come out of the coma then there is a high probability he will be brain damaged and have other serious medical problems.
The woman may have been put off the idea, but I suspect she will soon attempt to shuffle off her own mortal coil. I'd be very surprised if she chooses the same method though.
With a little research on the internet or in the library they'd have known that their selected pills would not work and that this would be the outcome.
The sad thing is that they have a young teenage son.
He suggested to me that to wake his father up all I need do is tell him that his car has been stolen "cos that's the only thing he cares about".
Then he took the dog for a walk like it was just another day.
