Summary

Chapter 12: Clifford

Clifford is lying in his bed, wracked with pain and bouts of coughing. His aide, Luis, is by his side. Clifford thinks about the people that have died before him, including friends, lovers, and his parents. Clifford dies at age forty-five.

Chapter 13: Hannah

Hannah continues to get worse.

“’You look like my Josh, only handsome,’ she’d say.

She said or did one heartbreaking thing every day.

If Tuesday’s mere hygiene was markedly worse,

By Wednesday she’d Homerically re-named her nurse.”

It comes to the point where Hannah no longer recognizes Josh. Josh feels alone and sad that Hannah sees him as a stranger. In many ways Hannah has already died, but her body is still intact. The decision to take care of his mother has cost him his marriage and family.

Chapter 14: Josh

One day at work Sloan...