Imogene Scott

I narrow my eyes and hope the nurse recognizes how

inappropriate it is that she’s saying this to me in a gossip-py way right now. She doesn’t.

“They say he brought this upon himself by…”

I cut her short. “I’ll go in now.” I say rudely.

As I step into the hospital room, the first thing that strikes me is the overwhelming sterility of the space. The lighting is dim, but it still catches on the white sheets, giving the room an unsettling glow.

My eyes land on my father, lying motionless in the bed. His once strong and commanding presence reduced to this fragile, weakened state. It’s...