Gracie Lou: It's almost two hours since Dave called with "the latest" . . .

At the time--about 4:25 this morning--they had stabilized Gracie Lou, but her blood oxygen percentages, Dave said, were in the 70s (that's low), and she was on some kind of bicarb, to reduce the acid in her blood from too much CO₂.

"They say that, in another hour or so, the bicarb should start wearing off, and then they figure it will be another 20 or 30 minutes," he said.

His voice was flat. So was mine.

Actually, when he called, it was not to give us an update on Gracie Lou, but to ask that one of us get over to their house when we awakened, so we could be there for Natalia . . . who is being accompanied, at this time, by her Aunt Becky, Dave's sister, who flew in, rather unexpectedly,  late last night. "Natalia hardly knows Becky," Dave said. "It would be nice for her to have someone familiar present when she wakes up."

Sarita is about to leave for their house (just a couple of blocks away) in a few minutes.

There's exhaustion all around.