The main idea of this essay is an act of remembrance, and an attempt to reconstruct what happened the night Dubus was struck by a car as he stopped to help an injured motorist. It is reconstructed from fragments of his own memory, from the memories of the doctor who saved his life, and from those of the woman whose life he saved. Through this remembrance he comes to terms with his own sacrifice and the fact that his life was forever altered.

Key Word and Synonyms:

Lights: headlights, ambulance lights, hospital lights, emergency blinker lights.
Night: darkness, pain.
Dark liquid: blood, oil.
Remember: recall, reconstruct.
Saved: rescued, helped.