Chapter 14He did not teach that summer; and he had the first illness of his life. It was a fever of high intensity and of unclear origin, lasting only a week; but it sapped his strength, he became very gaunt and subsequently suffered a partial hearing loss. All summer long he was so weak and listless that he could only take a few steps without tiring; he spent most of his time on the small enclosed porch at the back of the house, lying on the day bed or sitting in the old chair he'd brought up from the basement. He would stare out the windows or at the slatted ceiling, stirring now and then to go into the kitchen and eat something.
He barely had the energy to converse with Sharon, or even with Doris – although sometimes Sharon would come into the back room, talk to him absently for a few
