War: Now I Lay Me Summary

Nick lies awake at night in some kind of barracks. He does not allow himself to fall asleep, because he is afraid he will die if falls asleep in the dark. So, he just lays there and comes up with things to think about to keep him awake. He imagines himself fishing for trout in the streams of his childhood; he tries to remember everyone he has ever met and pray for them; he tries to remember his most distant memory and remember everything after that. He notices that his orderly, John, is awake, too, and the two talk briefly and share a smoke. They do not have much to talk about and largely rehash stories they have already told one another. John tells Nick he should get married to an Italian girl, since they...