Kay and Ron’s Friendship

This Is Going to Hurt

This flow follows a long friendship as work repeatedly prevents Kay from showing up for its defining occasions.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Old Friends Old Friends from "This Is Going to Hurt". Old Friends Shared histories Adam Kay and Ron remain close enough to compare the pressures of their working lives and celebrate professional exams together.

Old Friends from "This Is Going to Hurt". Old Friends Shared histories Adam Kay and Ron remain close enough to compare the pressures of their working lives and celebrate professional exams together.

Old Friends Shared histories Adam Kay and Ron remain close enough to compare the pressures of their working lives and celebrate professional exams together. Their different careers provide a measure of what each has sacrificed. Unequal conditions Ron has study leave and paid exam costs, while Kay studies after work and pays his own fees. Their friendship becomes a space where the unfairness of medical training is visible.

The Missed Stag Event The Missed Stag Event from "This Is Going to Hurt". The Missed Stag Event A shift takes precedence Kay cancels at the last minute because a colleague cannot cover his shift.

The Missed Stag Event from "This Is Going to Hurt". The Missed Stag Event A shift takes precedence Kay cancels at the last minute because a colleague cannot cover his shift.

The Missed Stag Event A shift takes precedence Kay cancels at the last minute because a colleague cannot cover his shift. He loses the money spent on Ron’s stag event and feels guilty about letting him down. Apology and delay He sends Ron an unaffordable bottle of whisky and promises to meet after night shifts. The friendship is maintained through gestures that cannot replace his presence.

A Difficult Diagnosis A Difficult Diagnosis from "This Is Going to Hurt". A Difficult Diagnosis Medical knowledge at home Ron asks Kay about his father’s weight loss and severe pain.

A Difficult Diagnosis from "This Is Going to Hurt". A Difficult Diagnosis Medical knowledge at home Ron asks Kay about his father’s weight loss and severe pain.

A Difficult Diagnosis Medical knowledge at home Ron asks Kay about his father’s weight loss and severe pain. Kay privately suspects a cancer with little chance of cure but gives his friend more reassuring words. The cost of closeness Kay knows he would not offer a patient false hope, yet cannot speak as frankly to someone he loves. Their friendship exposes why doctors are advised not to treat family and friends informally.

The Funeral Missed The Funeral Missed from "This Is Going to Hurt". The Funeral Missed Absence accumulates Kay misses Ron’s father’s funeral because of work, following earlier absences from major celebrations.

The Funeral Missed from "This Is Going to Hurt". The Funeral Missed Absence accumulates Kay misses Ron’s father’s funeral because of work, following earlier absences from major celebrations.

The Funeral Missed Absence accumulates Kay misses Ron’s father’s funeral because of work, following earlier absences from major celebrations. Each event becomes evidence that professional obligations have crowded out friendship. Resentment takes shape Ron sees the missed occasions as choices Kay could have changed. Kay sees a job that does not stop and a rota he cannot control; neither interpretation restores the lost time.

The Friendship at Risk The Friendship at Risk from "This Is Going to Hurt". The Friendship at Risk A direct accusation Ron says he no longer understands why he should keep trying to stay in touch.

The Friendship at Risk from "This Is Going to Hurt". The Friendship at Risk A direct accusation Ron says he no longer understands why he should keep trying to stay in touch.

The Friendship at Risk A direct accusation Ron says he no longer understands why he should keep trying to stay in touch. He lists the stag event, wedding, funeral, and christening that Kay missed. Love and limitation Kay insists that he loves Ron and admits he has been a poor friend, but defends the unending demands of his job. His lie about the christening hints at how complicated guilt has become.

April 2007

23 July 2005

18 November 2008

By July 2010

27 July 2010