Chapters Seven through Thirteen Summary and Analysis

One Wednesday, Gordon arrives at the clinic and Abraham is shocked at how much trouble he's having breathing. His father refuses to believe there's anything really wrong with Gordon, even now, and Abraham calls Essie. She says that Gordon has decided that he wants to die at home. Abraham reluctantly allows him to leave. A couple nights later, Gordon is taken to their local emergency room and the doctor determines that Gordon has had a stroke. Essie says that if Abraham can do something for Gordon in the hospital, she'll bring him there, but that she otherwise wants to relieve his suffering as much as possible and take him home. He dies five days later and Essie has to call in a mortician other than the one the family always uses because of the fear...