"Mary, there's something I forgot to mention about yesterday. Jon didn't look so well. His eyes were puffy, and he just looked bad. After he caught that big bass I told you about, he quit fishing for a while. He said that he couldn't catch his breath. I'm very concerned about him.
"His eyes were puffy. He looked bad to me.
"I asked him if he went to the doctor, but he didn't answer me. He just sat there smoking them cigarettes.
"He would thump the butts in the water.
"Did I tell you that already?
"A fish got one of them.
"I think it may have been a big bass like the one he caught, maybe bigger.
"He looked bad. His eyes were puffy, and he had to rest a lot.
"He sat there smoking them cigarettes and..."
"Ray, please shut up."
He looked at his wife, Mary, with surprise.
She was crying.
"Don't cry, Mary. Jon will be OK. He needs to go to the doctor. I told him so. His eyes was too puffy, I think he is sick."
Mary laid her hand on Ray's arm.
"Please stop telling me that."
"I know I'll hate myself later, but I'm sick of that story," she sobbed.
"You and Jon went on that fishing trip five years ago."
"Five years ago? No, it was yesterday."
"Ray, you have told me that story a hundred times. Don't you remember?
"That's the third time today.
"Jon died of a massive heart attack the next week."
Ray looked at his wife for a long moment, then looked out the window.
It was snowing.
"I'm sorry," he said as he turned to face her. "It was hot weather that day. The kids were jumping off the pier when we got back to the cabin. Yes, I remember now. We cooked fish that night. Jon had caught the biggest.
"Thanks for reminding me.
"I'm sorry I forgot I had told you before. It won't happen again."
She looked at him with tight lips and wet eyes.
"That's OK.
"Go to sleep. The nurse will bring you supper in another hour."
Ray lay back on the pillows and watched it snow for a while, then turned to the TV.
A girl was skiing.
Ray watched as the TV commercial ended.
He sat up quickly.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you.
"I want you to call Jon's wife, Linda.
"See if she can get Jon to go to the doctor. He looks bad. His eyes are all puffy. I think he's sick."