 Alvin W. Pierce is old, tired... and very happily waiting to die. At the Jolly Roger Hospice, he s got sponge baths, cable, and a decent roommate...that s the way he likes it. When Alvin gets a new roommate, Kevin, a young man of 25, his fantasy of a peaceful, uncomplicated death is shattered. As dedicated as Alvin is to going out with a whimper, Kevin is committed to going out with a bang, and living his last days to the fullest. Kevin enlists his girlfriend Sarah, and all the Hospice staff, including the rosy thorn in Alvin s side, Evelyn, the head nurse. They organize gourmet meals, slide shows, musical performances... anything and everything with color and life. Kevin s enthusiasm is infectious, almost magical, to everyone except Alvin. Kevin and Sarah s beautiful relationship and the joy they bring to each other is a harsh reminder to Alvin of his own failed marriage, and what he feels is a generally worthless life. He holds no memories dear and he has no energy for making new ones; for Alvin the pain of life is so acute that even now, in the safety of his oncoming death, he can t bring himself to live. To escape the pain, Alvin escapes his room... and meets Valerie. She s his age, a firecracker, a ball-buster... and a warm ray of sunshine on Alvin s cold soul. With Valerie s understanding, Evelyn s big tough heart, and Kevin and Sarah s beautiful and often hilarious example, Alvin may discover that life, even if you only have days instead of years... can be worth living...