Pierce drove us east, taking the roads that had reopened.
Walter spent most of the morning watching his phone.
Whenever it rang, he answered immediately.
The hospital called around lunchtime.
Cathy had taken another turn for the worse.
The nurse said she was sleeping more and responding less.
Walter asked whether she could tell Cathy he was coming.
“Of course,” the nurse replied.
Afterward, he sat with his hands folded.
“I don’t think she believes I’ll make it.”
“Then we’ll prove her wrong,” I said.
Pierce eventually dropped us at a highway service stop, where another driver he’d contacted agreed to take us farther.
We still had several hours of travel ahead.
During the transfer, I took the family photograph from my bag while searching for my wallet.
Walter noticed it.
“Your family?” he asked.
I showed him.
“That’s my dad. And my little sister, Emily.”
“Where is she now?”