This extract is taken from the novel The Ward by Peter Chen.

The Ward (extract)

He kept making lists in his head because the lists kept the other thoughts out. Not lists of important things. Lists of: the capitals of countries he had never visited, every teacher he had ever had in alphabetical order, the names of all the dogs he could remember belonging to people he knew. The hospital room had a ceiling tile with a water stain that he had been 5 calling Marcus for four days.

Marcus was not a helpful name for a water stain. It gave it too much personality.

The nurse came at seven and at eleven and at two. She moved with the efficiency of someone who had long ago made peace with not being thanked. He thanked her every time. She said, each time, a pleasure, and he believed, each time, that she meant it, and each 10 time this made him feel disproportionately grateful.

His wife had been in three times. His daughter had been in once, the first day, and was coming again Friday. His son had not yet come and had sent a card with a picture of a lighthouse on it. He had put the card on the windowsill with the lighthouse facing out.

He was not afraid. 15

He had written that sentence on the inside of his wrist in biro during the second night and by morning it had faded and he had written it again and it had faded again and he had not written it a third time.

He went back to the teachers. Ahmadi, Brennan, Brennan, Costello, the two Brennans 20 having both arrived in separate years like a recurring dream.

How and to what effect is sentence structure used in this text?