Chapter 23: Chester DepartingHospitals are one of the few places where time is both urgent and interminable. Prayers, tears and joy swell and break like waves. We are at the mercy of uncontrollable, unforeseen tragedies—healing, illness, death and birth. Hospitals force emotions from us like blood being forced from a leech. They’re uncomfortable, smell unpleasant and, in the end, will most likely expose some part of you that you didn’t want revealed.
My mind wandered over these thoughts as we made our way to Chester’s room.
“You okay?” I asked Ivan.
He looked nervous, like an addict forced to resist overwhelming temptation.
“Yes.”
We entered Chester’s room. Cold and absent of cloying medicinal scent, it smelled instead of outdoors, a memory of us hiking to the top of Nobbs Mountain fi
