Summary

In Chapter 1, Nora Stuart, a young doctor and graduate of Tufts University, begins the narration by telling the reader she is dead, but then the narrative rewinds to an hour before, when Nora is on duty at her job as gastroenterologist at Boston City Hospital in Boston. A patient arrives, a young boy, who is complaining of abdominal pain. Nora investigates the matter with a scope and discovers that the boy has ingested a toothpick. Nora removes the toothpick, and the boy feels better. After her shift is over, Nora is sent to a pizza parlor by the ER team, the “cool kids” of the hospital (10). Having just saved the life of a gunshot victim, the team wants to celebrate with a pizza pie, so they have Nora go get it for them. On her way, Nora is struck by a van with...