I found this heartbreaking but It also made me wonder. I have heard, I don't know if this is accurate, that the Chinese are less quick to prevent someone committing suicide because if they do this they are regarded as responsable for that person for the rest of their life. I used to find that odd, but it makes a sort of sense, if someone seriously wants to kill themselves it is presumably because they find their current life unlivable for some reason. If they are "rescued" and then returned to that unliveable life have they been done a favour? Is not the policewoman by making a connection with this man and then walking off and never seeing him again also betraying him in a human way (she is making a professional connection he is making a human one). All the people he deals with in hospital might be caring, but they have a whole infrastructure round them which he lacks. I say this as somebody who has suffered severe depression and can certainly understand suicidal feelings, although I have not had the terrible experiences it appears your patient has had. I make have one suicide attempt when I was much younger, and was puzzeled and upset that I had been found (due to what can only be considered the clairvoyant feeling of a relative who was away and felt that they urgently needed to come and see me) and was fortunate to have been young enough to start over. My question is really is there anything you think could actually help this man to live (as compared to returning to a sort of hell with a patched up body)? I would also like to say that I really enjoy your blog, and appreciate your stoical humour.