'IT doesn't look too good. I don't think he's going to make it.'

This was my family's very first interaction with my father's primary care physician. There was no 'How are you?' or even a simple 'Hello.' While I understand that her role requires giving honest reports with no fluff, it felt as though she did not care to empathize with my family. Instead, we felt like we had received a straightforward slap that injected my already anxious mother, sisters and me with even more panic, pain, and an overwhelming decrease in hope.