His breathing sounded like stones rumbling in a blender.

Twice, a nurse came in to take his pulse and make adjustments to the morphine drip.

Though his hair had turned stark white, his whiskers still grew in grey. I counted the wrinkles in his face, simply to pass the time.

Over the years Bob Thurber’s work has received a long list of awards and prizes. His most recent book is a collection of brief stories titled “Nothing But Trouble”. Visit BobThurber.net.