Part Four, Kids, Some Sick Summary and Analysis

Sam has a friend named Ella. Anne says they have been friends since daycare and she sometimes thinks of Ella as Sam's fiancée. Ella's little sister is Olivia. As a baby, Olivia is often sick and more severely than most children. Then she is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. The child contracts colds and flu bugs easily and often winds up in the hospital when it turns serious. Most children with the disease do not live to adulthood. Anne says Olivia's parents have largely left their normal life behind and are now in regular contact with families of sick children. Anne calls this "the land of the fucked."

Anne talks about Olivia. She is a bright happy child and on one particular September night, Olivia and her family are visiting Anne and Sam...