Hospital Band

That's Eric with the black beret in the trombone section. The Providence Stage Band, started in the early sixties by doctors at Providence Hospital, now is a mix of doctors, teachers, and whatnot. Two of them are in their nineties. They practice in a conference room in the basement of the hospital, and on their break, get fresh cookies from the kitchen staff.
I went along for today's rehearsal so I could visit Eric's brother, Kent, way upstairs on the seventh floor of the cancer tower where he had surgery a week ago to remove part of his esophagus. Eric couldn't visit Kent because he is still getting over bronchitis, and Kent couldn't come down to listen to the band because he was attached to about eighty tubes.