The Room Downstairs

Eric waited a long time for the results of his blood test to return from the lab at Portsmouth Naval Medical Center. He was thinner since his visit a week ago. Exhausted, he fell asleep in the treatment chair as a nurse manned his IV tube.

Against his wishes, he was receiving a blood transfusion — but not another round of chemo. The test had shown that more chemo would be pointless. His tumors were doubling in size every few weeks.

Beyond the help of pain pills, Eric was sent home for hospice care and stronger narcotics. Drugged and deluded, he believed he was still receiving cancer treatment. Over and over, Geodee had to remind her husband that no treatment remained.

Eric’s family helped set up a room downstairs for him. No one talked about the fact that they were making a place for him to die.