Then I reached that half-conscious state: I was awake enough to take off my glasses (and, later, to turn off the living-room light over my head) but not awake enough to pad back to the bedroom.

It may be just as well. Briggs had a rough night. We had a fan on in the bedroom and even though it wasn't pointing directly at the bed, Briggs woke up around four a.m. with a stiff neck. Actually, I woke up first, kinda stiff myself from sleeping on the couch, in my clothes (shorts and t-shirt), with no covers. I visited the bathroom, peeking in on the bedroom on the way and sensing that Briggs wasn't fully asleep. Then, back in the living room, I saw the eerie cathode-ray light emanating from my office and couldn't resist the lure.

Did anyone send me e-mail since 11:00 last night? I wondered. I sat down, bleary, at my PC and saw that, of course, last night's Nerdnosh installment had come through and, yes, a few insomniacs or other-time-zone-dwellers had in fact sent me some few vague messages. While thumbing through them (typing replies would make too much noise), I heard Briggs stirring on the other side of my office door.

I was seized with a panic! What would she say to me? Something like "What are you doing up?" or maybe some comment about loving the computer more than her! I tiptoed back to the couch, hastily got the spare sheet and comforter from the nearby rocking chair and bundled myself up nervously.

I heard B in the kitchen, fussing with the ibuprophen bottle. Then I heard the refrigerator door open and reflected light swam into the livingroom briefly. Then it seemed she went to bed, her stiff neck attended to.