Chương 6
Richard looked toward the ceiling.
“Sophie wants to talk to him too.”
“Would that make things worse?”
“Probably.”
“Good answer.”
He almost smiled.
They arranged a phone call.
No video.
No assistants.
No recordings.
At seven-fifteen that night, Sophie sat by the window in her room holding her father’s phone.
Richard had offered to leave.
She had told him he could stay if he promised not to make faces.
He was sitting across the room pretending to read email.
Eli answered on the third ring.
“Hello?”
Sophie smiled before she meant to.
“Hi.”
“Oh.”
“Were you expecting someone else?”
“No. My mom said it was you.”
“That makes your ‘oh’ worse.”
Richard glanced up.
Eli said, “I’m bad at phones.”
“Everybody knows how to use a phone.”
“I know how. I’m bad at talking on one.”
“That’s not a thing.”
“It is if you’re bad at it.”
Sophie laughed.
It startled her.
She had not laughed much since the gala.
Eli said, “Are your legs okay?”
“Yes.”
“You fell.”
“How do you know?”
“It’s in the video.”
“Not that part.”
“Another video.”
Richard stood.
“What other video?”
Sophie pointed at him.
“No faces.”
He sat back down.
Eli said, “Somebody filmed after.”
Sophie’s smile disappeared.
“Can you stand again?” he asked.
“No.”
He was quiet.
She looked at her father.
Richard looked away.
Sophie said, “I tried.”
“Okay.”
“That’s all?”
“What am I supposed to say?”
“I don’t know. You’re the one who told me I could.”
“I said you could stand. You stood.”
“I can’t now.”
“Maybe you can later.”
“That sounds made up.”
“Probably.”
She smiled again.
Eli shifted on the other end.
“My mom says I shouldn’t have told you what your body could do.”
Sophie looked down at her knees.
“Your mom’s smart.”
“She says that too.”
Richard covered his mouth to hide a smile.
Sophie said, “My dad thinks you’re reckless.”
Richard’s eyes widened.
Eli said, “He’s right.”
Sophie looked at Richard.
He lowered the phone he had been pretending not to monitor.
“I didn’t say reckless.”
“You said irresponsible.”
“That’s worse.”
Eli asked, “Is he there?”
“Yes.”
“Tell him I said sorry.”
Richard looked surprised.
Sophie relayed it.
Richard leaned forward.
“Tell him I am too.”
“For what?”
Richard hesitated.
“Security.”
Sophie passed it on.
Eli was silent.
Then he said, “Okay.”
Not thank you.
Not apology accepted.
Just okay.
Richard liked him slightly more for that.
Marcy evaluated Sophie two days later.
Richard sat in the clinic waiting room.
Not the therapy room.
That had been Sophie’s condition.
He hated it.
He also agreed.
Through a narrow interior window, he could see only part of the rehabilitation gym.
Sophie’s pink sneakers appeared once between two parallel bars.
Then vanished.
He watched the clock.
Twenty-seven minutes.
Thirty-one.
Thirty-eight.
A toddler threw a foam block at his shoe.
The toddler’s father apologized.
Richard picked up the block and handed it back.
“Good throw.”
The toddler threw it again.
At forty-two minutes, Marcy came out.
Richard stood.
“Well?”
“She worked.”
“Can she stand?”
Marcy looked at him.
“You really cannot help yourself.”
“I’m asking a direct question.”
“And I’m refusing to turn your daughter into a yes-or-no answer.”
Richard’s jaw tightened.
Marcy sat.
After a moment, he sat too.
“She has strength,” Marcy said. “Less than she did six months ago. More than you seem to think.”
Richard stared at the floor.
“She can bear weight?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“It varies.”
“Why?”
“Pain. Fear. fatigue. Motor control. Attention. Confidence. Probably several things interacting.”
“Is there damage?”
“There was damage. She also healed. None of that gives us a simple forecast.”
Richard rubbed his hands together.
“She stood at the gala.”
“Yes.”
“Why then?”
“Maybe adrenaline. Maybe the positioning helped. Maybe wanting to do it mattered. Maybe she had a good minute.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the one I have.”
Richard leaned back.
Marcy watched him.
“You keep asking for certainty because you think certainty will tell you whether to be afraid.”
He looked at her.
“It won’t.”
Sophie came through the door.
Her hair was damp at the temples.
She looked exhausted.
And happy.
Richard rose.
“How was it?”
She shrugged.
“Hard.”
“Did you stand?”
Sophie looked at Marcy.
Marcy looked away.
Sophie smiled.
“Twice.”
Richard swallowed.
“For how long?”
“Dad.”
“Right.”
He held up both hands.
“Sorry.”
On the ride home, Sophie stared out the window.
Richard waited seven minutes before speaking.
“I owe you an apology.”
She turned.
He kept his eyes on the road.
“I made decisions without you.”
“Yes.”
“I was scared.”
“I know.”
“I’m still scared.”
“I know.”
“I don’t know how to do this.”
Sophie rested her head against the seat.
“You could ask.”
“Ask what?”
“What I want.”
Richard nodded.
“What do you want?”
She thought.
“I want to go back Friday.”
“Okay.”
“I want you to wait outside.”
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“Okay.”
“And I want to see Eli.”
That one took longer.
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“His family is having a difficult time because of the press.”
“I know.”
“I don’t want to make it worse.”
Sophie looked at him.
Richard glanced over.
“What?”
“You always make ‘I don’t want to make it worse’ sound like a reason to do nothing.”
He exhaled.
“You have become extremely critical this week.”
“I stood up.”
“Apparently it came with opinions.”
She smiled.
Richard did too.
Then his phone rang.
The car display showed HOWARD FINCH.
Richard answered through the speakers.
“What?”
Howard’s voice came tight.
“We have a problem.”
Sophie rolled her eyes.
Richard pointed at her.
“I can see you.”
Howard said, “Someone leaked internal emails.”
Richard’s smile vanished.
“What emails?”
“The discussion after the gala. Messaging. Carter family. Potential campaign.”
Richard glanced at Sophie.
She was already listening.
Howard continued.
“One email suggests positioning Eli as the human face of the Foundation’s mobility initiative.”
Richard’s voice dropped.
“Who wrote it?”
Silence.
“Howard.”
“I did.”
May you like
Sophie looked at her father.
Richard said, “I’ll call you back.”
