Luke hangs. He must see the rod, the ground four stories below him, people gathering and looking up at him. The tip of the rod splits his shoulder, maybe close enough for him to kiss it. His arms dangle away from his sides. He says, “Call Jenny. Call my mom.”

First they call 911.

One of the men went to him. “Hey, Luke. We’re here. We’re all here. Going to cut you off this rod, dude.”

It took twenty minutes to figure out how to cut the rod and transfer him, with the rod still through him, to the ambulance. I get as far as wondering if the torch that cut the rod heated it throughout his body, or, if they used a saw, if he felt its vibrations. I consider those twenty minutes when he hung from that rod fully aware. I guess I imagine it so much that I’m with him; he’s not alone.

Charlene called me on the way to the hospital. “Luke. He fell on a rod and they’ve just cut him down. He’s still conscious.”

“Slow down.” I couldn’t understand her. I didn’t know if it was the connection or her gasps.

“One of those rebar rods. He’s impaled on it, it’s right through him. That’s what the man said. They can’t find Jenny.”

“Where is he, where are you?”

“I’m on my way to St. Joe’s. He’s being transported there.”

“I’ll meet you.”

WHEN I ARRIVED, Charlene was sitting in the waiting room clamping the arms of the chair. Her deep brown eyes darted in her pale face, her fingers tightened white on her chair. She clenched her eyes and shook her head.

“I just saw him. The doctors are trying to figure out how to remove the rod.” Her words wheezed, and then she placed a hand at the base of her throat and inhaled and started again. This time with an even voice. “They’ll take him to surgery. We can see him again. No one has been able to find Jenny.” As though reminded, she pulled out her cell phone and pushed a speed-dial number. And then flipped her phone closed. “I think she forgot to pay the bill. I’ve called her mom, I left ten messages on her home phone. Maybe she’s shopping. Maybe she’s at work, but she wasn’t supposed to work today.” Charlene’s voice was monotone.

“You’ve done what you could.”