so we shut it off and sat facing each other , legs crossed at the knees , and she told me about her past three days in er , how they kept coming , the bodies stacking up on gurneys like cordwood in a winter cabin , and the noise level reaching the pitch of a heavy metal concert , and an old woman who 'd been knocked over in a purse-snatching and banged her head against the sidewalk holding grace 's wrists as silent tears leaked from both eyes and she died just like that .