Chapter 95: The Night Watch – King Sorrow by Joe Hill
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Van, unable to sleep, sits in a straight-backed chair by his picture window and stares into the dim corridor. The hallway lights are set to a nighttime mode, creating scattered blocks of brightness between long stretches of darkness, resembling a heavily redacted document. A procession approaches: men in polo shirts push gurneys past the window without acknowledging Van. He has the impression that they do not see him—that he may be asleep in bed and the version of him at the window is an astral projection. Under the sheets lie corpses: four bodies, one of which is imperfectly covered. A swollen, soggy foot with red-painted toenails protrudes, and blond hair spills out, still dripping from the sea. A small crab crawls along her hair and then falls to the floor. After the gurneys pass, Van watches the almost translucent crab. It remains still for a long time before creeping sideways into the darkness and disappearing.
Key Events
- Van cannot sleep and positions himself in a chair facing the corridor.
- The hallway lighting pattern is described as creating blocks of brightness between dark stretches, like a redacted document.
- A procession of men in polo shirts pushes gurneys past the window; Van is not acknowledged or seen.
- Van speculates that he might be experiencing astral projection—a version of himself watching from outside his sleeping body.
- The bodies on the gurneys include four corpses, likely from a maintenance crew.
- The last gurney is imperfectly covered: a foot with red toenails and blond hair dripping seawater are visible.
- A small crab falls from the dead woman’s hair onto the floor.
- After the procession passes, Van observes the crab; it eventually crawls away into the darkness.
Character Development
- Van: This chapter deepens Van’s sense of detachment and isolation. He cannot sleep, and his observation of the corridor suggests a state of heightened vigilance or dissociation. His suspicion that he might be an astral projection indicates psychological or possibly supernatural disconnection from his own body. The sight of Nurse Dover’s body (implied by the red toenails and blond hair) may stir unresolved feelings, but Van’s reaction is not described—he remains a passive observer.
- Nurse Dover: Though deceased and only glimpsed, her appearance (dripping wet, painted toenails) connects her to the sea and to a death that seems recent and violent. She is part of a procession of the dead, suggesting a larger tragedy or cleanup operation.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Death and Visibility: The dead are wheeled past Van like ordinary cargo. The men do not register his presence; Van himself wonders if he is only a projection. This suggests that death renders both the dead and the living invisible in certain ways.
- The Redacted Corridor: The description of the hall lights as resembling a redacted document underscores that only fragments of truth are visible. Van sees only glimpses of the procession and the crab, mirroring how the story withholds full clarity.
- Astral Projection and Dissociation: Van’s speculation that he might be projecting from his sleeping body introduces a motif of separation—between mind and body, between the living and the dead, between Van and the world around him.
- The Crab as an Omen or Survivor: The little crab that crawls from the dead woman’s hair and then disappears into the darkness could symbolize the persistence of life amidst death, or the small, overlooked details that remain after a tragedy. Its stillness and sideways movement evoke secretiveness and the impersonal nature of nature.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 95 serves as a haunting, atmospheric interlude that deepens the sense of dread and isolation surrounding Van. It introduces the death of Nurse Dover (one of the few named characters Van interacts with) and suggests that something catastrophic has occurred offstage—the procession of four corpses implies a mass casualty event. The chapter also reinforces the motif of observation without connection: Van watches but is not seen; he may be dreaming or astral projecting. This ambiguity prepares readers for a possible turn toward the supernatural. Finally, the crab imagery lingers as a subtle, unsettling detail that will likely resurface later in the narrative.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Van think he might be an astral projection, and what does this reveal about his mental state?
Van notes that the men pushing the gurneys do not look at him, and he feels as though he might be asleep in bed while another version of him sits at the window. This suggests he is experiencing dissociation—a sense of unreality or detachment from his own body, likely brought on by trauma, exhaustion, or supernatural influence. -
What clues indicate that the last body on the gurney is Nurse Dover?
The body has blond hair from which seawater drips, and a foot with red-painted toenails. Earlier in the book, Nurse Dover is described with blond hair and cheery red nail polish. The detail of the foot and hair strongly implies it is her corpse. -
What is the significance of the crab falling from the dead woman’s hair and then later disappearing?
The crab is a living creature emerging from a dead body, suggesting that life continues in small, indifferent ways even after death. Its sideways movement and eventual disappearance into darkness mirror how certain truths about the deaths remain hidden or slip away from Van’s perception.