Talking to dad on the phone

    My mother, my brother, and I spoke to dad on the phone.  He is at the local hospital.  It was very difficult to get him on the phone.  Over the last few weeks he has had more and more eye hand coordination difficulties, so it is difficult for him to answer the phone.  My brother spoke at length with his nurse and then she put the phone in dad's hands.  

   He spoke mostly Norwegian.  In the past he never spoke Norwegian with me.  We asked him to speak English because my brother does not understand Norwegian, but he kept speaking Norwegian.  He asked how we we doing and where we were.  Then he asked if he could sleep now.  My father was always firmly in charge of the family, so it was odd for him to ask if he could sleep now.  The covid has addled his brain.  Briefly yesterday, I saw fear in his eyes.  As far as I know, the only fears he has ever had have been fears about problems that his children or grand children were facing.  It was so strange to see that fear that I briefly felt like I did not recognize him.   

   I made plans to drive back to my house to get some my medicine and my mail, but I have been unable to sleep.  I fear that dad will not return.  My mother is holding up very well.  Understandably, she had a lot of difficulty when my father had two falls and two brief hospitalizations in October.  It's quite possible that she just strongly believes that my dad will recover.  

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