First published 1995
Lainey Berman sits beside her husband Jay's hospital bed, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. The accident happened so suddenly. Now Jay lies unconscious, machines monitoring his vital signs while doctors offer cautious prognoses. Lainey refuses to leave his side. She talks to him about their daily life, their memories, their plans that now hang suspended. The hospital becomes her temporary world as she navigates conversations with medical staff, well-meaning visitors, and her own fears. Other families drift through the ICU with their own crises and hopes. Lainey discovers reserves of strength she never knew she possessed. She learns to read the subtle changes in Jay's condition, to find meaning in small gestures from nurses, to hold onto hope when everything feels uncertain. The vigil stretches on, testing the bonds of marriage and the power of love to bridge the gap between consciousness and silence.
Genres: literary-fiction, medical, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, intimate
Setting: ICU
217 pages · Hardcover · Random House
Content warnings: medical-trauma