Wit

Susie returns to Vivian’s room and injects morphine into Vivian’s IV line. Vivian tells Susie she hopes it has a soporific effect. Susie says she does not know what “soporific” means, but that the morphine should make Vivian sleepy. Vivian begins giggling as she explains that “soporific” actually means “sleepy,” and the two women laugh together. Susie thanks Vivian for explaining it to her, to which Vivian simply replies, “I’m a teacher” (74). Vivian falls asleep as the morphine kicks in, and Susie checks Vivian’s monitors one more time before leaving. 

Susie and Jason return to Vivian’s room to insert her catheter. Jason tells Susie that Vivian was a great scholar, and he respected her more than everyone in his biochemistry department. He takes a quick glance at Vivian’s chart and asks Susie to increase Vivian’s fluids before explaining that while Vivian was an amazing lecturer, many students hated her because she “wasn’t exactly a cupcake” (75). Susie laughs affectionately and tells Jason that Vivian has not been a cupcake while in the hospital either.

As Susie works, she says that Vivian is not what she expected from a poetry professor. Vivian is all edges, whereas Susie thought poetry professors would be dreamer.