As soon as I returned from Skyros in the first days of September, I immediately went to another clinic - I learned from acquaintances about it on the island - where they had taken him because his end was approaching. I was greeted by an elderly woman, dressed in black, who introduced herself as his older sister (my friend was an only child) and on one side, sitting on a chair, was another elderly woman dressed in black, a handful, over ninety years old. "Our mother," his sister whispered to me. Meanwhile, the book he had sent for printing had been released. My friend was lying in bed with an IV in his hand. I caressed him, kissed his forehead, and in a daze, he opened his eyes. As soon as he recognized me, he let out a weak voice of joy, a "ha, ha, you came?". "I came," I told him, "to hear from you if you liked it and how happy you were about your new book that I learned from the internet was released here two weeks ago." He looked at me as if lost. "They didn't bring it to you? No one?" He shook his head negatively. [...] When I brought it to him, he held it in his hands, a spark of joy flashed in his eyes, but he quickly closed them again. Quietly opening the door of the room to leave, I turned my head and saw two figures dressed in black sitting on the two chairs, like shadows, waiting for the death of their child and brother. My friend died at the age of seventy-five, two days later. It was September 11, 2010.

At his funeral, there were many people. Relatives, friends, and almost all of his colleagues and several students. Among the colleagues were his two former girlfriends. In fact, the most special one read a beautiful eulogy, which she later published. A conference dedicated to his memory followed in November 2011. I also said a few words about our acquaintance. However, my memory remains stuck on the two figures dressed in black, those shadows who were next to him at the moment of his departure.

Based on true events, the narratives of the militant doctor Periklis Sfyrídis capture in a unique way, without succumbing to the sirens of dramatization, all aspects of serious illness, as well as other representative aspects of our time. From the pain, anxiety, and hope of patients, their families, and doctors, to social prejudices and distortions of a public and private healthcare system, Periklis Sfyrídis, with the knowledge offered to him by decades of experience in public hospitals, but also the power of literary writing, outlines the customs of an entire society and era.