"Christ, so late, so late, he thought. Paul sat looking at it for a long time, almost as if there were something to see.

"And hadnt he known this was coming? He wiped his eyes - crying was not going to get him out, of this - and looked out through the window which made up the top half of the door. He might be able to break one and yell for help if someone showed up here before he starved to death, but that wasnt much comfort. He could see it lying in there like the curved foot of a rocking chair, pressing the tongue of the lock, holding it in place, holding him in place.

That the latter had begun to look slightly more attractive than the former said all that probably needed to be said about the worsening state of his body, mind, and spirit. He rolled farther into the room.

He meant to get out if he could rain or no rain; this was his chance and this time he meant to take it. It wasnt just the worsening pain in his legs; he was edging toward a state of terminal freak-out.