abouttoboardhertrainintowork.Shewasnotreadyfor
the news, either.
“Howcoulditbe?”sheasked.“Arewecertainhecan’t
return to how he was yesterday?”
“Itseemsunlikely,”Isaid.Infewfamiliesdoeseveryone
seesuchsituationsthesame.Iarrivedthequickestatthe
ideathatmyfatherwascomingtotheend,andIworried
most aboutthemistake ofprolonginghissuffering too
long. I saw the opportunity for a peaceful end as a
blessing.Buttomysister,andevenmoremymother,it
didn’tseemcertainatallthathewasattheend,andthe
mistakethatloomedlargesttothemwasthepossibilityof
failingtopreservehislifelongenough.Weagreednotto
let thehospital do anything furtherto resuscitatehim,
whilehopingagainsthopethathe’dhangonlongenough
formysister andmetogettheretoseehim.Weboth
searched for flights as they moved him to a private
hospital room.
Later that afternoon, my mother called as I sat at an
airport departure gate.
“He’sawake!”shesaid,overthemoon.He’drecognized
her. Hewassharp enoughto evenask whathis blood
pressurewas.Ifeltabashedforbelievingthathewouldn’t
come to. No matter how much one has seen, nature
refusespredictability.Morethanthis,though,whatIkept
thinkingwas:I’mgoingtobethere.Hemayevenbeall
right for a while longer.
Hewasalivejustfourmoredays,asitturnedout.WhenI
arrived athis bedside,I found him alert and unhappy
aboutawakinginthehospital.Noonelistenstohim,he