he tried to stand but one of his heels slipped in the mud and he fell back again . i waited for a few minutes , then stood and tried to put weight on the bad ankle . it 's not something i would have done if i did n't think you had need . driving the snow-slush streets in his mail truck , he found himself pulling over onto the shoulders or into parking lots and sitting in silence , or sitting in coffee shops longer during his lunch breaks nursing one cup of coffee . 