I had an odd dream last night.

Odd dreams don’t trouble me… I know they’re just your subconscious mind pretending to make sense out of random electrical impulses. We put way too much meaning into such things. But this one pushed me back a little.

I was in the ER with unbearable pain. The doctors made me wait for painkillers, but when they finally gave me some, they didn’t help. I was still screaming in agony.

Then my older brother – who’s been dead for some years – walked in. Lights reflected off his glasses, obscuring his eyes. He held up a hypodermic and said, “This will stop the pain, but it’ll also kill you. You want?”

I had started to nod my head yes when I woke up.