“Okay,” Doc started, “here:s the thing. I dont think our friend in there has quite figured out that he’s… no longer with us.”

“How so? What did you ask him?”

“At the start? Basic stuff — the kind of thing you should know by now, by the way: who was he? What was his name? Why was he here? And he didnt know. He doesnt remember his name. A lot of his life seems… jumbled? Lost? He kept asking what we did with all his stuff. He didnt seem particularly perturbed that we were there; apparently he’s seen a lot of people living in his apartment for years now, so he just assumes they’re all roommates he didnt remember having. His sense of time is… all messed up, I think.”

“Any idea how long… ?”

“1980, maybe 82. He wasnt too sure himself, because he’s not even aware that… things have… you know, changed for him. I’m only guessing that because I think he believes Trudeau is still Prime Minister.”

I sat on the concrete edge, slightly stunned. “Thirty years?”

“A lot of this is guesswork, Ray. I think he had a boyfriend, and then for some reason the boyfriend left — and then sometime after that, he just went to bed and apparently never got up.”

“You dont think he — ”

“No,” Doc said quietly. “He didnt do anything like that. He said he was in bed for a long time. He had so much trouble getting out of bed that finally he just gave up trying. Then… somehow… everything just stopped. He woke up, and all his stuff was gone.”

“Like he was sick maybe?”

Doc shrugged. “I’m pretty certain that’s what it was.”

“But with what?”

“I dont know. It could have been anything.”

I looked back at the window into the apartment. “Okay, look, I dont want to seem rude to our… host, but I’m not so sure I want to even think about going back in there.”

“Ray, I think it’s okay. He’s not really… there. He’s — I dont know how to explain it.” Doc put his arms around me. “Look, I dont think there’s anything to be frightened of here. He just… hasnt figured it out yet. And maybe we can help.”

“How?”

“I dont know. Let’s sleep on it and see what we can figure out in the morning.” He gave me a kiss — and there was this little electric shock. “Wow,” he grinned, ” what was that?”

“You’re sure he’s not in there.”

“I cant say for sure, Ray. But I dont think so. Honey, I’m dancing just as blind on this as you are. C’mon, let’s go get some sleep.”