“Start them.”
“Mr. Mercer, some members of your organization have criminal histories.”
“So do some hospital donors.”
The security officers shifted.
I put one hand on Rook’s shoulder before his voice became the reason we were removed. He breathed once, then pulled his leather cut open and showed Karen the old blue scrap sewn into the lining.
“My boy lived because somebody stayed when I couldn’t think straight,” he said. “This kid is staying alone. Tell us the rules.”
That changed the room.
Not completely.
But enough.
Whitaker supported the application. The pediatric social worker reviewed every member individually. Three men were rejected from unsupervised visits because of old convictions, but they were permitted to contribute books and transportation. Two brothers refused the required vaccinations and gave up their dates rather than argue.
The rest completed training.
We learned how to wash our hands properly, how to move around tubes without touching them, and why we could never promise Lucy would wake. We learned to announce ourselves before entering, even if she appeared unconscious. We learned that hearing could persist when outward response did not.
