Dad was lucid and talking for a while today. I leaned in close, reading his lips and listening to him repeat phrases over and over until either I said them back correctly or he got tired and gave up. Almost everything comes out as vowels and glottal stops.

“Ai ee ee…ee ai ah pohkupine”
“Porcupine? Huh?”
“Ai fee aik ah pokupine”
“Ah, you feel like a porcupine. Well, you kinda look like one, too, Dad.”

It’s not easy to talk with an oxygen mask, a cough, and deep fatigue. Good thing Dad’s got a strong and persistent sense of humor.