A gunman had entered the building twenty minutes after he left and shot the teacher and Sara. He had shot five other people, too, because they were in his way. Four teachers and another student. Seven people. Seven people dead because an unstable man that Ms. Groller had dated one time found access to a gun. Because even though the gunman had a history of violent behavior, even though Ms. Groller had obtained a restraining order, he still had a gun. Because it was easier to get a gun than to get help. He had a gun and he took seven innocent lives before taking his own. Daniel didn’t even get the satisfaction of facing the man while he rotted in jail. Rage built again, and he fisted his hands. Annika took one of his fists in her hands, forcing him to look at her.

The rage melted away, and he dropped his head and shook away the tears that threatened his eyes again. “What if I had stayed? Just an extra twenty minutes?” His breath caught. “I could have saved them.”

“Or you could have been killed with them.”

The thought had occurred to him more than once. It didn’t seem like the worst option.

He recalled being in the ER. His own voice seemed to be coming to him from far away as he tried to explain to Annika. “The next thing I knew, the ambulance was in the bay. Everyone was scurrying about—normal for the ER. I heard snippets—gunshot wound, child, school shooting—I didn’t think anything of it, past what my job entailed, until they brought her in.” He glanced up, trying to catch a glimpse of Annika’s eyes, but tears pooled, blurring his vision. “I saw her—” his voice cracked and his knees buckled and nausea swept over him as if he was actually seeing her “—on the gurney.” He could barely stand.

“The staff—they tried to keep me from her. But she was my little girl—I had to save her.” He could still feel the strength in the hands and arms that had tried to restrain him—tried to keep him from his Sara. He had easily fought them off, colleagues or no. That was his daughter. “She looked like she was sleeping, but blood—was everywhere. The docs took her right back—I tried to follow, but I heard Sheila screaming for me. Somehow she had heard and came in after the ambulance.” He could still hear her calling out his name. It was one of his recurring nightmares.

“Daniel—where is she? Where is she? Daniel, go fix her. Go fix her! Daniel!”