Hayley nodded. “He wanted to be able to focus on helping, whatever it took.”

“Admirable,” Adam said. “I wish I could help more.”

Hayley gave him a quizzical look. “We still wouldn’t have a clue if you hadn’t come to help.”

“Doesn’t seem like much.”

“You’re pretty hard on yourself,” Hayley said, leaning back in her chair and taking a sip from her own mug.

He didn’t think so, but it seemed rude to protest what was clearly meant as a kindly observation, so he only shrugged.

“I presume you meant to beat that today?” she asked, nodding toward the snowy image.

“Yeah.” He grimaced. “I’d better call home.”

“You need a place to stay tonight?”

“I can go back to the motel by U-Dub,” he said.

“That’s where you were last night?”

He nodded. “Doctor’s appointment this morning,” he said absently, focused on calling up his contact list; Nat would be outside, prepping in case this storm still had snow left when it got to them, so he’d try her cell first. She wouldn’t be happy, but neither was he, leaving her and their folks with all the work.

“Still, huh?”

It took him a moment to remember what he’d said, and when he did he wished he hadn’t. “Still trying to sell me on more surgery,” he said, hoping she’d let it go.

“Would it help?”

“They say yes.”

“You don’t believe them?”

He put down the phone; Quinn’s wife was nothing if not persistent. But she was so kind it was impossible to dodge without being bad-mannered about it. “It’s more that I’m really, really tired of them cutting on me.” Which was true, but also a dodge, because they’d also told him he would end up with more function and much less pain, and he wasn’t certain he deserved that.

“That,” Hayley said, “is totally understandable.” Then, unexpectedly she said, “Why don’t you stay here tonight?”

He blinked. “Here?”

She gestured toward the back of the room. “There’s a comfortable bedroom back there, and a bathroom with a shower. And there’s food in the kitchen—you can help yourself.”

It was too much, for how little he’d done. “I...thank you. That’s really nice of you, but I think I’ll head back over and be that much closer in the morning, or whenever this lets up and I can get through.”

“Your choice,” she said, “just know it’s an option.”

He nodded. “Thanks again.” He hesitated, then thought it would be easier to ask her than Quinn, and said, “Would you let me know? If you find out anything?”

“Of course,” she said easily.

When he got up to leave, Hayley gave him a hug, Quinn shook his hand and Amanda, rather stiffly, said simply, “Goodbye.”