After he hung up he retrieved the sandwich and the ginger ale and sat at the foot of his son’s bed and chewed and drank and swallowed and thought about a lot of things, watching the gentle, steady rise and fall of Miguel’s chest as he breathed. The child’s resemblance to the Señora was especially strong in the half-light.

In a little while he abandoned the apartment to the young lovers and returned to the hospital.

Early the next morning Dr. Kender and Lewis Chin went into Mrs. Bergstrom and removed the bit of spoiled flesh that had once been Peggy Weld’s kidney. They needed no pathology report to tell them the wasted organ had been completely rejected by Mrs. Bergstrom’s body.

Afterwards in the surgeons’ lounge they all sat and drank bitter coffee.

“What now?” Harry Lee asked.

Kender shrugged. “The only thing left is to try again with a kidney from a cadaver.”

“Mrs. Bergstrom’s sister will have to be told,” Rafe said.

“I’ve already told her,” Kender said.

When he left the lounge and walked to Peggy Weld’s room Rafe found her packing.

“You’re leaving the hospital?”

She nodded. Her eyes were red but calm. “Dr. Kender said there’s no need for me to stay any longer.”

“Where will you be going?”

“Only to Lexington. I’m not going to leave Boston until my sister is finished with this thing. One way or another.”

“I’d like to see you some evening,” he said.

“You’re married.”

“How do you know?”

“I asked.”

He was silent.

She smiled. “She doesn’t understand you, I suppose.”

“I don’t understand her.”

“Well, that isn’t my problem.”

“No, it isn’t.” He looked at her. “Do me a favor?”

She waited.

“Use fewer cosmetics. You’re very lovely. I’m sorry about the kidney. I’m sorry if I was the one who convinced you to give it.”

“I am, too,” she said. “But I wouldn’t be if it hadn’t been rejected. So you can stop feeling guilty, because I make my own decisions. Even about my makeup.”

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

She shook her head. “I have things pretty well sorted out.” She patted his hand and smiled. “Doctor, a girl with only one kidney can’t afford to reach out to every man who wants to mess around.”

“I don’t want to mess around,” he said unconvincingly. “I’d like to get to know you.”

“We don’t have a thing in common.” The suitcase snapped shut with a hard, decisive click.

He went to the office and called Liz.

“What a shame I missed you last night,” she said.

“Did you enjoy dinner?”

“Yes, but what a stupid thing. I got the dates confused. I didn’t have a dinner date with Uncle Harland at all.”

“I know,” he said. “What did you do?”