In t?? ???t?s ?? ??s??i?, ? l?n?l? ?n? sick ????? ???n? ?ims?l? t?????? in ? w??l? ?? is?l?ti?n. His ?nc? ??i??t ???s, n?w cl????? wit? ??in ?n? l?n?in?, ?l????? ??? s?m??n? t? n?tic? ?is ?li??t. It w?s ? ????t????kin? si??t, witn?ssin? t?is inn?c?nt c???t???’s sil?nt c?i?s ??? ?ssist?nc?.

A??n??n?? ?n? l??t t? ??n? ??? ?ims?l?, t?? ????? w?n????? t?????? ???s? ?nvi??nm?nts, ?is ???il ???? w??k?n?? ?? illn?ss. Ev??? st?? w?s ? st????l?, ?s ?is ????l? l??s t??m?l?? ??n??t? ?im. His m?tt?? ??? ?n? ???t???in? ?i?s w??? ? t?st?m?nt t? ?is ?i?? ci?c?mst?nc?s. B?t it w?s ?is ???s t??t t??l? t?l? t?? st???—? st??? ?? ???n??nm?nt, n??l?ct, ?n? ? ??s????t? ?l?? ??? ? s?c?n? c??nc?.

D??s t??n?? int? w??ks, ?n? t?? ?????’s c?n?iti?n ??t??i???t?? ???t???. H? s????t ?????? in t?? s????ws, s??kin? s?l?c? w???? t???? w?s n?n?. H?n??? ?n?w?? ?t ?is ?m?ci?t?? ???m?, w?il? sickn?ss ??v???? ?is ????il? ????. E?c? ??ssin? ??? ??????t ?im cl?s?? t? t?? ???? ?? s??viv?l.

Y?t, ?mi?st t?? ???kn?ss, ? ?limm?? ?? ???? ?m?????. A c?m??ssi?n?t? s??l, m?v?? ?? t?? ?????’s sil?nt c?i?s, st?m?l?? ???n ?im. T??? s?w ????n? t?? m?tt?? ??? ?n? t?? visi?l? si?ns ?? illn?ss, ??c??nizin? t?? ?lick?? ?? li?? in ?is ???s. Wit? ??ntl? ??n?s, t??? sc????? ?im ??, c???lin? ?im in t??i? ??ms, ?n? ???misin? ?im ? ??t??? ?ill?? wit? l?v? ?n? c???.

T?? ????? w?s t?k?n t? ? v?t??in??? clinic, w???? ?is ?ilm?nts w??? ?i??n?s?? ?n? t???t??. T?? m??ic?l t??m w??k?? ti??l?ssl? t? ?ll?vi?t? ?is s?????in? ?n? n??s? ?im ??ck t? ???lt?. D?? ?? ???, ?is c?n?iti?n im???v??, ?n? ? s???k ?? vit?lit? ??t??n?? t? ?is ?nc? ?im ???s. H? w?s n? l?n??? ?l?n?; ?? ??? ???n? s?m??n? w?? s?w ?is w??t? ?n? w?s ??t??min?? t? ?iv? ?im ? c??nc? ?t ? ??tt?? li??.

In tim?, t?? ?????’s l?n?lin?ss ????? ?w?? ?s ?? ???n? ?is ????v?? ??m?. A ??mil?, t??c??? ?? ?is ??sili?nc? ?n? s?i?it, ???n?? t??i? ????ts ?n? ?m???c?? ?im ?s t??i? ?wn. T??? ???vi??? ?im wit? t?? l?v?, w??mt?, ?n? c??? ?? ??? ???n ????nin? ???. H? w?s n? l?n??? ? l?n?l?, sick ????? ??t ? c???is??? m?m??? ?? ? l?vin? ??mil?.

His j???n?? ???m ??s??i? t? ???? s??v?s ?s ? ??min??? ?? t?? ??w?? ?? c?m??ssi?n ?n? t?? ?i?????nc? ?n? ???s?n c?n m?k? in t?? li?? ?? ?n ?nim?l in n???. It ?i??li??ts t?? im???t?nc? ?? ??c??nizin? t?? sil?nt ?l??s ??? ??l?, ?v?n in t?? m?st ??s????t? ?? sit??ti?ns. B? ?xt?n?in? ??? ?m??t?? ?n? st???in? ???w??? t? l?n? ? ??n?, w? c?n t??ns???m t?? liv?s ?? t??s? w?? ??? s?????in? ?n? ?iv? t??m t?? c??nc? t? ?x???i?nc? l?v? ?n? ????in?ss.

M?? t?is ?????’s st??? ins?i?? ?s ?ll t? ?? m??? ??s??v?nt, t? list?n t? t?? ?ns??k?n c?i?s ????n? ?s, ?n? t? t?k? ?cti?n w??n w? ?nc??nt?? ? c???t??? in n???. L?t ?is j???n?? ?? ? ??min??? t??t ??? c?m??ssi?n ??s t?? ??w?? t? ???l, ?n? t??t ?v??? l?n?l?, sick ?nim?l ??s??v?s ? c??nc? t? ?in? w??mt?, c?m???t, ?n? ? ?l?c? t? c?ll ??m?.