Daniel's Room

Daniel asked to testify before anyone suggested it.

"If I'm dying, I might as well be inconvenient," he said.

Tessa cried then, which scared him more than disease ever had. "Do not make jokes like that."

"I make jokes because you hover like a wet blanket with car keys."

Nora watched them and thought of Miles making dinosaur pancakes, Miles teaching Sophie to breathe through fear, Miles using a real family as proof he wanted to stop being a dead man in records. Love did not absolve him. It did make his failure more complicated.

Ruiz arranged a formal statement at Daniel's apartment. Brooke documented the assignment packet. Lila stayed near the kitchen door, always close to exit, never quite gone.

Halfway through Daniel's statement, his phone rang.

Unknown number.

Ruiz nodded for him to answer on speaker.

"Mr. Marlow," Evan Rusk said warmly, "I hear there has been confusion."

Daniel looked at Tessa. She shook her head. He answered anyway.

"I'm confused why you keep sending people to make me sign my own price tag."

Evan's pause was brief. "Pain makes people dramatic."

Nora felt Brooke go still beside her.

"You should speak with your care coordinator before outside parties frighten your sister," Evan continued. "Medication reviews can be slow when families become adversarial."

Ruiz took one step closer to the phone.

"Is that a threat, Mr. Rusk?" Daniel asked.

"It's administration."

He hung up.

Administration. The word sat in the room like disinfectant over rot.

Ruiz saved the recording. "That helps."

Daniel leaned back, exhausted and pleased. "I always wanted to be useful without standing."

Tessa wiped her face. "I hate you."

"No, you don't."

Nora's phone buzzed. A real estate agent she had never met sent a message about evaluating the house for estate settlement.

Judith had started on the home.