Chương 7
He was perhaps seventy, narrow shouldered, with silver hair sticking out in every direction.
He looked Vincent up and down once.
"You the steak man?"
Vincent stopped.
Sophie sniffed.
"I told him."
"Apparently."
Mr. Chen's eyes narrowed.
"You make her mother upset."
"Yes."
"Good start."
Marco coughed into his fist.
Vincent ignored him.
"I need to take Sophie to the hospital."
Mr. Chen did not release her.
"Who are you?"
Vincent looked at Sophie.
She was clutching her prepaid phone and wearing mismatched socks.
One had strawberries.
The other had blue stars.
He crouched so they were nearly eye level.
"I'm someone who knows your mother."
"Old argument person."
"Yes."
Sophie wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
Mr. Chen handed her a tissue.
Vincent continued.
"And I won't take you anywhere unless you want to come."
Mr. Chen studied him.
"Better answer."
Sophie reached for Vincent's hand.
"Can we go now?"
Vincent's throat tightened.
"Yes."
Mr. Chen followed them.
Vincent glanced at him.
"I'm coming."
"You don't have to."
"I know."
That ended the discussion.
At the emergency department, Sophie was not allowed into the treatment area immediately.
A nurse took Elena's information and asked Vincent about medications.
He answered only what he knew.
Mr. Chen knew the rest.
"Chemo Thursday," he said.
"Fever started afternoon."
"How high?"
"One-oh-two point eight."
Vincent looked at him.
"You knew?"
"She told me."
"And nobody called an ambulance?"
Mr. Chen's face hardened.
"She refused."
"She's immunocompromised."
"You doctor?"
"No."
"Then don't perform doctor now."
Vincent stepped closer.
Marco touched his elbow.
"He's right."
Vincent looked at him.
Marco lifted one eyebrow.
Vincent walked away.
He hated waiting rooms.
They gave power to clocks and strangers.
Sophie sat in a molded plastic chair swinging her legs.
Mr. Chen found a vending machine and returned with pretzels.
Vincent tried to buy her something better from the cafeteria.
She refused.
"These are fine."
Mr. Chen gave Vincent a look that said the child had more sense than he did.
After forty minutes, a physician came out.
Dr. Miriam Patel looked exhausted and spoke without theatrical reassurance.
"She's stable for the moment."
Sophie stood.
"Can I see her?"
"In a little while."
"What happened?"
Patel crouched slightly.
"Your mom has an infection."
"From cancer?"
"Maybe because her treatment makes it harder for her body to fight germs."
Sophie nodded.
She had heard versions of this before.
Vincent had not.
"Is she going to die?"
The waiting area seemed to go silent.
Patel did not lie.
"We're working very hard to make sure she doesn't."
Sophie stared at the floor.
Vincent wanted to say something useful.
Nothing came.
Mr. Chen put one hand on her shoulder.
Eventually Sophie looked up at Vincent.
"Mom hates hospitals."
"I know."
"No, you don't."
Vincent almost argued.
Then he stopped.
"You're right."
She sat again.
Dr. Patel asked who had legal authority to make decisions if Elena became unable to do so.
Vincent said nothing.
Mr. Chen answered.
"Her sister."
Vincent turned.
"She has a sister?"
Mr. Chen looked at him.
"You know Elena very well."
Vincent accepted that too.
"Where?"
"Florida."
"Has someone called her?"
"I did."
"She's coming?"
Mr. Chen looked away.
"She said she can't."
Sophie heard.
"Aunt Rachel said that?"
Mr. Chen's face changed.
"She has work, little bug."
"She always has work."
Vincent watched Sophie's mouth tighten.
Another practiced disappointment.
Dr. Patel returned to the treatment area.
Marco sat beside Vincent.
"You can't fix all of this."
Vincent looked at him.
"I haven't fixed any of it."
"That's my point."
Near midnight, a nurse finally allowed Sophie into Elena's room.
Only one adult could accompany her.
Mr. Chen nodded toward Vincent.
"You go."
Vincent hesitated.
"Why?"
"Because she called you."
Sophie took his hand again.
Inside, Elena looked smaller under hospital blankets.
An IV line ran into her arm.
Another monitor traced her heartbeat in green.
Sophie climbed carefully onto the chair beside the bed.
"Mom?"
Elena opened her eyes.
Her gaze found Sophie first.
Then Vincent.
Fear returned immediately.
"What are you doing here?"
Sophie answered.
"I called him."
Elena stared at her daughter.
"You what?"
"You weren't waking up right."
"You call Mr. Chen."
"He wasn't home."
"So you call 911."
"I did."
Elena shut her eyes.
Vincent stood near the door.
"Sophie did everything right."
Elena opened her eyes again.
"Of course she did."
The words sounded like grief.
Sophie leaned closer.
"Are you mad?"
"No."
"You look mad."
"I'm tired."
"That's what you say when you're mad."
Elena reached weakly for her hand.
"I'm not mad at you."
Sophie relaxed slightly.
Vincent took the letter from his jacket.
Elena saw it before he said anything.
Her face changed.
"Where did you get that?"
"Carlo kept it."
She stared.
"He never sent it?"
"No."
Vincent placed the letter on the bedside table.
"He kept your letter, the withdrawal record, and a note saying he'd handled you."
Elena's mouth parted.
For a second, she looked twenty-eight again.
Then the years returned.
"Why?"
"Because he thought he was protecting me."
"From a baby?"
"From vulnerability."
Elena looked at Sophie.
Vincent continued quietly.
"He was wrong."
Elena touched the edge of the old envelope.
"And you believe me now."
"I should have believed there was more to the story before I had proof."
Her eyes lifted.
"That's not the same thing."
"No."
Vincent pulled the chair from the wall but did not sit.
"There is something else."
Elena waited.
"I won't do anything about the bills without your permission."
Suspicion crossed her face.
"I won't move you."
She said nothing.
"I won't put security outside your building unless there's an actual threat."
"Vincent."
"I'm trying."
"I can see that."
He looked at Sophie.
Then back at Elena.
"But I am asking for one thing."
"What?"
"A DNA test."
Elena's fingers tightened around the blanket.
Sophie looked between them.
"What is DNA?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Sophie frowned.
May you like
"Is it another medicine?"
Elena's eyes filled, but she blinked the tears back.
