"It's time for your medication Signori", the nurse alerted the old man. The attic was merely a hospital room, his Alzheimer's had taken him back to his younger days. He used to spend hours in the attic of his family's home, watching for his Papa's barge to enter the canal. His father worked many hours to provide for the family, so he was rarely home. Now, so many years later, he was back in that attic, looking for Papa. He would point at every barge and say, "Papa is home, Papa is home" Si Signori, the nurse would say to appease him.
But, there was no canal, or barge, his window overlooked the hospital parking lot. He was lost in the attic of his mind.
I have to say Bruni that I hate stories with Alzheimer but your one, with that ending "the attic of his mind", had a nice final turn and a very elegant closure. Bravo, sincerely.