"I need ice chips, bad"

A direct quote from dad just a few minutes ago, "I need ice chips, bad". We finally got to take our turns to visit dad in ICU. He has a short, spunky nurse with a great accent named Tatayana. I'm not sure if dad will be her biggest fan, she wakes him up every hour asking his name, the date, and where he was at and to give a big smile. She's also very stingy with the ice chips, but it seems dad has been able to finagle some from his unsuspecting family members.

He's definitely tired and worn out and has some discomfort. They are keeping close tabs on all of his vitals and administering pain medication accordingly. He has good strength in his arms and legs and is talking and answering all of the questions correctly (well, for a minute there I thought we were going to have to convince the nurse it was the year 2002, but then he corrected himself). His head hurts and his back is sore where the spinal tap is. But all in all, it seems as though the recovery is on schedule. The nurse has already seen improvement in his smile.

Our time is limited to two of us at a time and for a limited amount of time at once. It's hard to see him all drugged, groggy, hooked up on tubes and wires and vulnerable...but it's great to see him and hear him and know that he's on the road to recovery.