I accompanied him in that ritual of death. It is impossible to suppress that consciousness of anticipating death. When a person is being prepared to die, the moment of death is lived a thousand times before it happens. But the protocol of an execution is clinical and controlled. Emotions are not expressed.
Witnesses are to be completely silent.
That night, the tiles were polished, the secretary was typing, the coffee was percolating. Everything seemed so normal and full of life. I took refuge in the bathroom because it was the only quiet place. Patrick and I prayed together. He received communion.