I sat in the darkness of my room, with the exception of the glow of a few lights that I assumed flanked the sidewalks or parking lot outside. In a couple of hours, I lay down on the bed with no change of clothes or preparation. I drifted in and out of sleep for the remainder of the night. Several times, a staff member stuck his or her head in the door to check on me. It was generally just a brief and quiet acknowledgement. Then they quietly closed the door, but every time it was enough to wake me from whatever light sleep that I might have been able to accomplish. I awoke the next morning before daylight with a click of the intercom.
“Mr. Dennison. Good morning. Are you awake?”
“I am now,” I replied as I rolled from my side over onto my back.
“This is Rhonda at the nurse’s station. Have
