bits from Gately’s early consciousness in the hospital…

“He fever-dreamed of dark writhing storm clouds writhing darkly and screaming on down the beach at Beverly Ma, the winds increasing over his head until Herman the polyurethane vacuole burst from the force, leaving a ragged inhaling maw that tugged at Gately’s XXL Dr. Dentons. A blue stuffed brontosaurus was sucked upward out of the crib and disappeared into the man, spinning. His mother was getting the shit beaten out of her by a man with a shepherd’s crook in the kitchen and couldn’t hear Gately’s frantic cries for help” (816).

“Gately’s heart is now somewhere around his bare hairy shins, at the mention of Federal crewcuts” (827).

“The heater vents kept making a sound like a distant parent gently shushing. When it starts to get dark out is when the ceiling breathes. And everything like that” (827).