Chapter XIV - Summary

John arrives at the Hospital for the Dying. A nurse is telling him that Linda is not dying alone - there are televisions continually running and the perfume is changed automatically. John is not impressed and asks where Linda is. The nurse is offended by his hurry and he asks if there is any hope of her not dying. She answers that when someone is sent to the Hospital there is no chance of recovering. When John's face pales, the nurse asks if he is ill.
John tells her that his mother is dying and the nurse instantly blushes and is horrified. He asks her again to take him to her and he follows her in silence.

Linda is lying on the bed with a disturbing smile. Her bloated face had imbecile happiness written all over it. All the soma she had taken was finally making her die. The nurse leaves him alone with Linda.

John whispers her name and Linda's vague eyes glowed at recognition. She smiled and squeezed his hand; about to speak he leaned forward but she fell asleep.
John begins to remember Linda when she was young and vibrant and their life together in Malpais.

Suddenly a stream of identical eight-year-old twins came pouring into the room like a horror movie. All their mouths hung open and they began to scatter around Linda's death bed. They asked why she was so fat and gross. John smacked one of the children who got too close to Linda. The nurse came in and John trembled as he asked why these horrid children were in Linda's room. The nurse told him they were obviously being death conditioned and that she will have him thrown out.

John took a couple of menacing steps toward the nurse. The nurse faltered and told the children to get their cups of caffeine solution.

Linda suddenly raised her head and had a face of childish ecstasy. She murmured about Popé and John felt dejected. Certainly she would recognize him! When she repeated his name again, John became angry. He was here for her, not Popé! But she was in her soma-holiday with Popé, and only Popé.

"Everyone belongs to every...", began Linda but her voice suddenly died in between. Her hands went towards her throat and began to claw for air. John tried to help her but there was no way he could help her. He shouted for one of the nurses to come in and the nurse chastised him for yelling, as it might recondition the young ones.

John began to sob as the nurse looked at Linda. The twins were staring at them as the nurse deliberated trying to console the Savage. The nurse began to criticize the Savage's behaviours but thought best of it as the risk was too great - the whole group would be put back six-seven months in conditioning. She left the room, taking the twins with her for some chocolate éclairs.

The Savage was sobbing as a set of twins came into the room with liquid chocolate all over their faces. They asked him if she was dead, but he just pushed the twins away. They began to cry but John did not look back.