Do not resuscitate

This is how Linda envisions her husband’s death: It’s 4:30 in the morning. She’ll slip out of bed to get ready for work, maybe answer a few e-mails. An hour later, she’ll return, as usual, to wake him.

She’ll look for those sparkly blue eyes she fell in love with at that long-gone drive-in on Williamson Road, and she’ll find them forever closed.Tommy Rhodes holds his head while watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas Eve. (Click image to enlarge)

When Tommy was hospitalized with a staph infection a year ago, Linda was asked to document a strategy for his end-of-life care. She issued a Do Not Resuscitate order with the blessing of her children and Tommy’s doctor.

If, God forbid, he gets another staph infection, it won’t be treated. Linda will not call 911 if Tommy passes out while watching Lawrence Welk.

It’s what he would want, she knows. They talked about it years ago.

The old Tommy would hate what this disease has wrought upon his marriage. If he could reach back into reality and change things around, he’d be in a nursing home, and Linda would be out dancing the shag. But Linda can’t reconcile the old Tommy’s wishes with her midnight karma.