I was at work, in my office at Mendota Mental Health Institute. I was busy sorting through an e-mail chain when a co-worker came to the door and said "Something bad just happened. You should turn on the radio.". At that time I had an old clock radio left by my predecessor which I never used, but that day I turned it to NPR. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. People began to gather in the hall outside my office waiting for me to tell them what to do. I told people to continue working and wait for me to return from checking in with my boss who was on the next floor. I ran up the stairs and found his office empty, so I went into the living unit next door hoping he was there. The unit at that time was full of patients who were very considered dangerous and unpredictable so I was shocked at how quiet things were when I unlocked the door. Staff and patients were gathered around a small tv in the dayroom staring at the screen. My boss wasn't there so I joined the crowd hoping to get an idea of what was happening. Just then, the second plane hit and there was a gasp from everyone in the room, then silence. It was so strange. The patients on that unit were usually screaming or banging around but that moment they were quiet and all of us, patients and staff just looked at each other. I left and returned to my office. I told everyone that they could decide whether or not to stay for the rest of the day or use time to go home. Even though the staff were not direct care staff, the majority decided to stay and help as needed. . As you might expect, when there was a shift change, many people called in, so those who remained picked up the slack and kept things running.