Paul said, “Did anyone hear me?”

Luke said, “I don’t know, Paul. I guess no news is good news.”

Paul surveyed his brother’s face. “You’re gray, Luke. You need to drink.”

“I’m too nauseated,” Luke said. “Goddamn room feels like a boat in a storm.”

“I’ve got a crashing headache,” Paul said. “Anyone have an aspirin?”

Michael said, “Paul, you just gave blood. You can’t take aspirin for at least a week. It makes you bleed.”

“I’ve got a Tylenol,” David said.

“Tylenol doesn’t work on me.”

Michael said, “No aspirin, no ibuprofen—Advil, Motrin, Ecotrin. Didn’t you read the handout they gave you?”

Paul said, “No, Michael, I didn’t read the handout.”

“Please don’t fight,” Dana said.

“No one’s fighting,” Paul said. “Last thing I want to do is fight. I’m sorry, Michael.”

Michael smiled weakly, tried to speak but couldn’t. Instead, he paced. A minute later, he turned to Decker with wet eyes. “I never did thank—”

“Not necessary,” Decker said.

“Some people can think on their feet.” He shook his head. “Others just stand around like stunned idiots.”

“Michael, I was a medic in the army. I didn’t think, I just did.”

“You saw action then?” Paul asked.

Decker nodded.

“Vietnam?”

“Yes.”

“A survivor,” Paul whispered. “More power to you. That’d been me, I would have shriveled up and died.”

Decker said, “Self-preservation kicks in, Paul.”

Again, the room fell quiet.

To Decker, Luke said, “He talk to you at all, Lieutenant?”

“A little.”

“What’d he say?”

Michael said, “He prayed, Luke.”

Luke said, “Say anything to you in the ambulance?”

Decker shook his head.

“Unconscious?”

Decker nodded.

“So, he wasn’t in pain, right?”

“No,” Decker lied. Because he really didn’t know one way or the other.

Tears fell down Eva’s cheeks. “You should go see Mother, David. The sooner the better. You should leave now.”

David rocked on his feet. “If that’s what you—”

“Yes. Go.”

He threw his wife a surprised glance. Decker gave them the address of the jail as well as the name of a contact person. David thanked him and left. As soon as David was gone, Eva uncoiled an arm, placed it around her sister’s shoulder.

Maggie sat up abruptly, rubbed her eyes. “Oh my God! I dozed off.”

Eva said, “That’s good.”

“No, it’s not,” Maggie cried. “It’s horrible! How could I sleep when…I’m so terrible!”

She burst into tears. Eva hugged her. “You’re not terrible. I’m terrible.”

“No one’s terrible,” Luke said.

Eva blurted out, “I was always yelling at him.”