Laurence was to have a hip replacement operation. It was a tricky business, as he had a bad heart. He couldn’t live without the operation, and on the other hand, he might not survive the operation.
He was about to be wheeled from the ward to the operating theatre. His wife, Nancy, was with him.
“There’s just one thing I want to say, Nancy,” said Laurence. “If I don’t pull through the operation, then know that I always…”
“Don’t be stupid,” interrupted the nurse, in a passion of consolation. “These operations are hum-drum. There’s no need to be concerned.”
Nancy always wondered, during the funeral and thereafter, what exactly it was that Laurence was going to say.