Such pleasingly instant service! Just say ‘blood.’ Just say ‘diaper.’ Look what you get!
-- Narration (N/A paragraph 2)

Importance: This line of narration conveys the Mother's thoughts after the hospital staff tells her that she should bring her son to the hospital. The tone of this line clashes with the rising sense of dread in the narrative, thereby establishing the story's frequent use of humor in order to frame and process the distress that defines much of the story.

The Radiologist smiles a broad, ominous smile. 'That's always the way it is. You don’t know exactly what it is until it’s in the bucket.
-- Radiologist (N/A paragraph 3)

Importance: This description and line of dialogue occur during the Mother's interaction with the radiologist. This is the first interaction with a doctor in the story, and the radiologist is portrayed as highly inept at being comforting. This interaction establishes a similar pattern of interaction that seems to pervade...