Leo and Maya drove Toby back to St. Anne’s in the department utility vehicle. Toby sat between them, clutching the clipping with both hands. He did not speak, but every few seconds he checked that Leo was still there.
Leo studied the old photo under the dashboard light. He remembered Soline’s hand gripping his coat in the smoke. He remembered telling her to hold on. He remembered the heat that had burned his wrist through his glove.
At the hospital entrance, two nurses hurried toward them. One knelt in front of Toby, shaken but gentle. “You scared us,” she whispered, hugging him carefully. Toby only lowered his head. The nurse looked up at Leo. When he gave his name, her expression changed. “Leo Dunne?” she asked softly. “Soline has said that name so many times.”