Visiting the Emergency Room

Last night I took a friend of mine to a local hospital ER on the advice of his GP. It seems he was in horrible pain from what turned out to be a kidney stone ( those of you who have had the "pleasure" can relate I'm sure.) Anyway he was hurting and I offered to accompany him because I can't think of anything more depressing than being in an ER all alone and in pain.
He signed in and told them that on a scale of 1-10 his pain was a good 7 , they were appropriately sympathetic and then told him to "have a seat in the waiting room". Well we sat there for well over 2 hours which involved a "recheck" by the intake staff who ; I was told have to do that if a patient has been there over an hour...I suppose that avoids patients turning up missing or deteriorating to much worse condition than when they arrived.
During the course of our wait my friend used the rest room and when returned he said he felt much better. We both were relieved, now believing that it was a kidney stone and although painful not life threatening.
Finally they took him back to the examination area and I followed. They put him in a cubicle and pulled the curtain around him and a PA came in and took a brief history ( including how he was now feeling better) and asked for a urine specimen. While he ( my friend) was gone I heard her tell a colleague that he probably had passed the stone and the laughing comment was made " see if you leave them out there long enough ( in the waiting room)they heal themselves" What????
The specimen showed that indeed it was a kidney stone and he was prescribed an antibiotic and sent home.
I know the health care system needs help and I also know that dark humor is necessary when you work in a high stress situation like an ER but frankly I'd rather have been somewhere else with my friend than waiting for him to "heal himself " in the waiting room.