A book narrated by a man seemingly drifting in and out of a coma, brought on by the adult onset of some childhood disease like mumps, measles, chicken pox.  Secondary characters are two nurses, one of whom is addicted to pain killers that she pilfers from patients.  For some reason I think the novel took place at St. Vincent’s Hospital in NYC, long closed.  And the author’s last name was definitely Irish, although he may have been an American with an Irish name.