Nathan knew that Ma was declining, when one morning, the District Nurse removed her shoes and straddled Ma so that she might be turned in her bed with the minimum of pain. He too became adept at turning Ma as she retreated from life, decreasing her pain, and following the Nurse"s advice, crossing Ma"s legs at the ankles, turning her easily by holding her feet.
The appetite of the tumour was voracious, and Ma suffered agonies, relieved only when the Nurse gave an injection knocking her unconscious. At the Infirmary, a physician searched to find the combination of opiates to relieve her pain and leave her wakened. He worked intensely for a day until he broke through.
The District Nurse came in twice a day to administer blessed relief and wakefulness; and sometimes at night, stunning the ca
