What was the effect of the many years of hard drinking on Pete's body?

As Pete aged, he became more and more angry, even violent, thanks in part to his many years of hard drinking. Charlie would frequently call Mary to tell her of the fights Pete was picking with the neighbors and how verbally abusive he had become, but it wasn't until Mary came home from school and witnessed the violence herself that she believed her mother. One morning, Mary woke to find Pete almost unable to breathe in his bed although he refused to plug in his dehumidifier. He began to verbally assault Mary until she crumpled to the ground, weeping. She managed to plug in his dehumidifier before crawling out of the room.