165. "Do you get up at all, or have you been lying in bed for eight days now?"

"Just lying in bed, with all my tubes."

"Are you getting any sleep?"

"Last night I slept until 2, then till 3, then 6."

"Mom visited you yesterday, didn't she?"

"I don't remember. I'm so out of breath. I wish I was out of money instead."

He started coughing. John heard hacking sounds over the phone. Almost a minute later, his dad spoke again.

"Well, there went breakfast. All over everything. I tried to grab the bowl, but I couldn't reach it. I'm sleepy now. Thanks for calling, son. Bye‐bye."

John managed a soft goodbye. Then he started sobbing. A minute later, he blew his nose, wiped his eyes with the heels of his hands, and tried not to think about his dad, not well enough to sleep, breathe, or hold down breakfast. 2.2