Summary

Mary arrives at Ed's office and finds him sitting facing the altar in the corner. He tells her to sit in the plain wooden chair in the corner opposite him. They are silent, and Mary becomes aware that she was lying on her back on the table though she does not remember the actions between sitting and lying. Her eyes begin to water when Ed drapes a thin, white sheet over her body up until her chin and she realizes she is naked beneath the sheet. He tells her that they will do a large surgery. Mary feels Ed's hands pushing hard on her shoulders, and her "Language vanished. Any comprehension of suffering or desire vanished. Her memories vanished. Her life meant nothing. And there was no peace like this, being unaware, even, of the idea of peace" (162). After this out of...