“Morning, Dr. McClellan,” he says.

“Good morning,” I say.

“Aw, don’t waste your words on the likes of me, ma’am. I’ll understand.”

I hold up my wrists. “Temporary reprieve, courtesy of the president’s brother.”

“I don’t get you.”

“I’m back at work. And we’ll be needing subjects for our clinical trials.”

He processes this. “Well. That’s some fine news. Can I tell Sharon? That’s my wife.”

“Sure.”

“She’ll be so happy. My ma always treated Sharon like one of her own.” His face darkens. “I know she’ll have to wear one of those counters, but still. A hundred words a day is better than nothing, right?”

“I guess it is,” I say, unsure whether I agree. I’m trying to read the return addresses on the envelopes he’s carrying, but he’s holding them close. “Do you think your wife might want a babysitting job? I’ve got a little girl, and the people who were watching her—well—they’re unavailable.”

“I think we can work something out.” He lifts the metal flap and peers inside the locked box. “Ah. Outgoing mail today. Just a sec.” From the ring of keys on his belt loop, he takes a newish-looking silver one, with teeth in a pattern I haven’t seen before except on the set of keys Patrick carries around. The box hinges open, and he takes out a single envelope, carefully covering with his palm the area where the address would be. He locks the mailbox again and, almost as an afterthought, lets the letters in his hand slide through the metal mouth.

“You Pure, Dr. McClellan?” he asks, blinking his eyes three times before raising them to the camera trained on our front door. A reminder.

I shake my head. It isn’t much of a shake, only a slight move to the right and the left. Slow, but definite, enough to get the message across.

“Hmph,” he says. “Well, lemme call the wife and see what we can do about taking care of your girl. What’s her name?”

“Sonia.”

“Pretty name.” He speaks a few words into his watch, which beeps once when he’s finished. “Sharon, darlin’, I got that lady doctor here in AU Park who needs a little help with her baby girl. How ’bout I send her on over to the house in a while?” Another beep, and he ends the call. “Heh heh. Blink once for yes, twice for no, remember?”

I have zero idea what he’s talking about.

“Okeydokey. I best get on with my route. When you see Sharon, you tell her I said I’ll be home a little late today. Gotta take an extra shift, make a bit more jingle, keep the home fires burning and all that garbage. Know what I mean?”