Nick draws small sips of air into his failing lungs. The shadow people are no more, as the Kaposi's lesions in his brain have robbed him completely of sight or hearing. Crushing pain seizes his left-center chest.
The EKG alarm beats a claxon BAMP, BAMP, BAMP! Nurse Debbie Kaine and the other intensive care personnel, Nick's shadow people, rush to his side. They clear his airway, perform chest compressions, administer intravenous anti-arrhythmia drugs, and finally defibrillate him, but he is gone.
Nick opens his eyes for the first time, finally out of the dream, one with time, out of time, nowhere, everywhere and conscious with everything forever, and never.
