“Coma-stim?” Dani sets down the cups, straightens out a kink in my feeding tube, and squeezes the hanging sac until it flows smoothly.

“We are trying,” Anna says.

“Foreman says it’s a bunch of crapola,” my father says.

“Not ‘crapola.’ He said it wasn’t scientific,” Anna counters.

“Same thing.”

“We agreed to try everything, right?” Anna asks, looking around for confirmation.

Dani nods enthusiastically. Her long curls bob up and down her back like copper Slinkys as she bounces to the rhythm of the music. “Did they tell you about the stim-puppy?”

“Puppies!” My father shakes his head, incredulous.

Anna holds up her hand. “Sidney.”

“Seriously? They allow dogs in the hospital?” Brett asks.

“Only therapeutically. Well, besides the research lab.” She winks.

“Should we get a puppy?” Brett asks my father and Anna.

“How the hell is a puppy gonna help?” Daddy demands, throwing up his arms.

I’m with Daddy. Not even Lassie could save me. Besides, I’m not really a dog person. Would love a stim-cat though.

“Sidney, please. Who knows what can help?” Anna nods to Dani. “We want the puppy.”

Dani takes out a pen from her shirt pocket. “I’ll put on her chart that you’ve requested it.”

Knowing Dani, she’s requesting a pit bull.

“Anna.” Daddy motions to her. “Come on, it’s time.”

“One minute, Sidney.” Anna turns to Dani. “You don’t think all of this is crazy?”

Dani shakes her head. “It’s not crazy at all.”

Says the nurse angling for my boyfriend.

Brett leans over my body and places his fingers tentatively under my knee.

Dani moves swiftly to his aid. “There are two kinds of reflexes; voluntary and involuntary. The trouble is figuring out which is which,” she says, taking Brett’s hands into her own with the earnestness of Annie Sullivan teaching Helen to sign. She molds Brett’s hand into a fist. I’m thinking any moment she’ll take him to the sink and teach him to say “Waaaater.” Instead, she raps his knuckles sharply below my knee.

“Nothing’s happening,” Brett says.

Anna joins Brett at my side. “Let me try.”

Daddy shakes his head and stands by the window. The gas pains are getting worse. I hope someone presses on my stomach. Maybe I’ll fart and get some relief.

“C’mon, Jackie baby,” Brett whispers.

“Like this?” Anna asks.

“Yeah, um, you’re doing it right, she’s just not responding. Oh look, see, there, her foot. Do it again.”

Sure enough, my foot twitches. Dani has probably attached an invisible string to my toe.

“Sidney, look!”

“You heard what she said. These are involuntary reflexes.” My father goes into the bathroom and closes the door.