As they made their way to the elevator, Pia could see that the whole floor was being cleared, with other personnel being led down the stairs. There were more people in hazmat suits that looked like robots. On the elevator ride down, Pia could feel her heart beating too fast, and she had to concentrate on breathing deeply. She felt some dizziness from her shallow breathing. As she walked along the sidewalk she was gripped by what felt like panic—everything around her felt very close and incredibly far away at the same time. She had stopped walking and was holding on to someone. Voices were loud in her ear.

“Come with me,” a woman is saying. It’s a hot sunny day but Pia’s freezing cold. The woman has a nice smile and she’s holding Pia’s hand. This is a new place, Pia knows that. She hasn’t been here long. This is the first smile she’s seen, though it’s odd now—grown-ups don’t keep smiles on their faces the whole time. Pia and the woman have come inside and they’re walking up to a large door. It feels like they’re walking uphill. “This is the headmaster’s office,” the woman says. She opens the door and pushes her in. Pia can hear the lock being turned. “Hello, Pia,” says the man. He’s smiling too but it’s a twisted smile, not a smile of welcome....

Pia looked up. She was sitting on the ground on 168th Street with traffic passing by. Winston was supporting her with his hand, looking down at her.

“You okay?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“You fainted. Or almost fainted. You’re not perspiring, so I don’t think you have a fever. I think you’re okay. Ready to get up?”

Pia waited a second and allowed Winston to pull her to her feet. Then she remembered where she was and what had just happened. With disturbing clarity she saw Rothman lying on the gurney, his face looking like death, and the image terrified her. Over the course of three and a half years she’d come to rely more and more on the man’s strange friendship, particularly after their heartfelt conversation a few weeks ago. Up until then, their relationship had been akin to two people comfortably wandering around in a darkened room, occasionally sensing each other’s presence but not much else. But after the conversation and the personal revelations, she felt they’d moved to another level. Rothman had become the ersatz father she’d always pined for. Most important, she’d allowed herself to begin to trust Rothman despite having learned not to trust anyone, not to allow anyone into a position where they could betray her, like so many had done.