The referral came in as self-submitted, which was unusual. Most of Vael's cases were referred by family: family who were believers and did not know what to offer, or family who were not and simply wanted someone there. Some came from care staff. Self-submissions were rare. The man had written, in the notes field: no belief, no interest in acquiring any, please send whoever handles that.
She had been doing this work for fifteen years. It was difficult to explain to people who had not done it. She sat with those who were dying without faith. She did not argue. She did not suggest. She did not attempt to generate the thing she could see they did not have. She offered the same attention that ministers of faith offered their own, without the instrument of faith. When people asked what the point of it was, she had tried several answers and kept returning to the simplest one: they are going somewhere and they deserve company on the way.
The man was eighty-one. He was awake when she arrived. She asked, as she always did, whether he had reconsidered his position. He said: no. She asked whether he wanted to. He said: no.
She waited.
He said: I have something I want to say before I go. I don't know who it should go to. I thought a minister was a person you said things to.
She said: yes.
She sat down and asked him what he wanted to say.