The doctor was right. I could tell that as soon as I bent under the lintel and entered my friend's room. He was propped up on a pillow, and his eyes were on the door, waiting for me to come. They were very bright and frightened, and his hair lay across his forehead in sticky stripes. I'd never realized before what an ugly fellow he was. He had got sly eyes that looked at you too much out of the corners, but when he was in ordinary health, they held a twinkle that made you forget the slyness. There was something pleasant and brazen in the twinkle, as much as to say "I know I'm sly and ugly. But what does that matter? I've got guts." It was that twinkle, I think, some women found attractive and stimulating. Now when the twinkle was gone, he looked a rogue and nothing else.

I thought it my duty to cheer him up, so I made a small joke out of the fact that he was alone in bed He didn't seem to relish it, and I was beginning to fear that he, too, was taking a religious view of his death, when he told me to sit down, speaking quite sharply.

"I'm dying," he said, talking very fast, "and I want to ask you something. That doctor's no good -- he'd think me delirious. I'm frightened, old man. I want to be reassured," and then after a long pause, "someone with common sense." He slipped a little farther down in his bed. 

"I've only once been badly ill before," he said. "That was before you settled here. I wasn't much more than a boy. People tell me that I was even supposed to be dead. They were carrying me out to burial, when a doctor stopped them just in time."

 I'd heard plenty of cases like that, and I saw no reason

• This boy is dying and telling this man that he is scared and he needs reassurance before he dies. And that he has almost died before and this is the second time its happened
• The author wants us to feel pity once again for the dying man. We also now find out that the narrator is an older man. The author expects us to react by assuming the old man can somehow help the dying man."
• the son is obviously a womanizer, and the author wants us to know it....she lets us know there's an age difference between the son and the man.
• The guy in the bed is clearly a womanizer the way the author is talking about him and women, and the joke he made when his friend was in bed "alone." We can also establish that there is a clear age difference between the guy dying and the other guy. The rest makes me wonder what's going to happen
• The main characters friend seems to feel very guilty and upset by something that he did. I have many questions as to why he made a joke about him being in bed alone. Could he have done something with other people that were sinful? That is why he could possibly feel ill because the things that he is doing in his life make him feel so guilty that he really does get sick because of it.
• The old man could have also done what his friend has done at one point. "
• the friend can tell how sick his friend actually is, the aspects that used to make him shine are suddenly gone. It seems like religion is becoming a part of his death. The son seems to feel guilt that he didn't die the first time he was ill, although the doctor saved him, why cant he do it now ?
• Sarah Thompson"
• I find it strange that he keeps calling this boy ugly for being in fear. He knew he was in fear because of the way he saw him when he opened the door, with sweat. This little boy knew he was dying, and he wanted someones reassurance. This almost seems like this old man is talking to a younger version of himself when he's dead. It's creepy."
• Now the narrator interact with the sick man, and also describes his sick look. I think the sick man is afraid to die.
• What exactly is wrong with the man?
• how can you bring someone to be buried when he's not dead
• This is a bit more of a serious/ somber section of the story. The narrator realizes that his friend is indeed dying. The narrator said that he feared that he (the son), to was taking a religious view of his death. This made me wonder because why would he fear that?"
• So now it has been revealed that the narrator and the dying son are friends. I also wonder why the son is dying. It was interesting that the narrator remarked how ugly the son was as opposed to how sick he looks. His empathy seems to only stretch so far. I am now very curious about what it is the son is going to ask and whether or not it will sound like a mad question or a sane one."
• Here, we learn of the sick man's past, of how he was sick before and was supposed to be dead cut somehow survived. I believe that would be the first death, and this story is called "The Second Death" for that reason.
• This is where the second death comes in. The man in the bed is dying for a second time and he did not even know until now.
• In this section, you can tell why the title is "The Second Death" because the man says that he almost died a while ago and was even being brought to be buried.
• I'm kind of confused at this point about the man. The mother's son calls him "old man" and as soon as he sees the doctor he said it seemed like the doctor as taking a religious view about the situation, and then he again says that he thinks the mother's son is taking a religious view on it. That along with the fact that the mother's son says he wants to be "reassured" and wants "someone with common sense" makes me think that maybe the man is a priest or a religious figure of some sort. But at the same time how it mentions the man helping the mother's son with what seems like mischievous acts, makes me second guess that thought.
• Judging by this the son isn't faking. Either that or he's just a great faker. I'm still not sure what to think about this or how to look at it. I know that this is going to go into more detail about the death but I am unsure where this is going to go."
• so now we know that hes a friend but hes much older. we still dont know what is killing the son? we also dont know what the narrator is if he's had cases but isnt a doctor."
• Alright so I was wrong earlier about the narrator being young, if he is being addressed as "old man". Which is quite odd really, why would an old man be up to teenage shenanigans? And for all that matter, why would he crack a sexual joke about the boy being alone in bed?
• So, what is this young boy so frightened about anyway? Also, why does this kid seem to come so close to dying whenever he gets sick?
• Oh, and now I'm beginning to see further what the narrator meant by 'vices'. His description of the state that the boy is in now isn't entirely pleasant. "
• Its strange how they were saying that the boy was dead before they even knew for sure that he was indeed dead. Wouldn't you want a professionals opinion before you make that choice?
• Why does he refer to him as old man?
• I now understand why the mother freaks out every single time her son fakes sickness: he's "died" before, and she values him despite his promiscuous behaviour. But why is he afraid?
• I wonder if this story is called the second death because of the statement "I've only once been badly ill before". "People tell me that I was even supposed to be dead".
• Once he got in to his friend's room, he could tell he was going to die. The guy wanted to ask him something before he passed away.
• He mentions that he almost died before which may be a reference to the the title "The Second Death".
• The author wants us to react to how the friend is acting in this certain situation. I found there was a form of humour, even though it is about death. He walks in and makes fun of the way his friend looks, then makes a joke about him being alone in bed. But it then takes a more serious tone. My reaction to this section was simply that you again feel pity for the friend, as I feel as though he is trying to find humour to stop to feel some pain.
• The narrator is surprised to see his friend in awful condition, partly because he overcame death on one occasion and thought this illness would treat him similarly. He remarks on the loss of his friends twinkle, adding how ugly he is without it. The friend appeared to be delirious thinking the doctor has it all wrong and asks the narrator for a favour. He seems to be abiding and agreeing with what's being said. So far from what I'm reading, the friend has a lot of negative qualities leaving the reader doubtful on the credibility of his character.
• No I am once again confused as to whether the main character is a girl or a guy because he says about the doctor thinking he is crazy and then says ".. I'm frightened, old man." Did the main character do something all those years ago when he was suppose to die?
• Now we know that he really is dying and we also learn where the title comes from. I never knew that it was common that people would be taken to be buried before they were actually dead, that seems pretty horrible to me.