Quiet vs. Peaceful

My mother has been in Greenwich Hospital post-surgery for the past week. When I went up to visit her on Sunday evening, I noticed that most of the rooms that were full throughout the week were now empty-bedded and softly lit, awaiting new patients.

"It's so quiet," I remarked to the night nurse.

"Don't ever say that a hospital floor is quiet," the nurse reprimanded me. "That's when all hell breaks loose. Better to say, 'It's peaceful.'"

"Just like never saying 'Macbeth' in a theater?" I asked.

"Exactly," said the nurse as she handed me a cup of ice to bring in to my mother.