THIRTY-SIX
James didn’t have any idea how patients got any rest in a hospital. He thought one of the main goals for admission was so the sick could rest and regain lost strength. This clearly was not the case. Nurses came in and out of Charlie’s room every hour or so. They woke her up, checked her pulse, listened to her chest, and then told her to go back to sleep. Each time Charlie noticed James sitting in the chair by her bed, she told him to go home. Every time, James promised he would be leaving soon.
Around seven, after the nurse checked Charlie’s vitals, Charlie stayed awake. “You stayed all night? Did you get any sleep?”
“I got about as much sleep as you did,” he said. They watched the nurse leave the room. “They brought me these comfy pillows and a second chair for my feet. Was
