When I meet Will Everson, he’s in a bad place—at twenty-nine, he’s beaten cancer twice, but since it came back a third time, he seems to have surrendered to fate. He’s all alone—no friends or family have come to see him—which is how I came to know him. You see, I’m a clinical psychologist at the hospital, and the nurses watch out for patients like Will because they know I just can’t bear to let anyone die alone. I want to be Will’s friend, but he won’t tell me anything about himself. Where are his friends and family? Why has he given up on living? And why is he keeping me at arm’s length at every turn? I know I can help Will make peace with his choices, but first I have to convince him to let me in . . . before it’s too late.