“No.”

And it was worse for him than even that, because I had not come alone.

Dr.

Hartwell had come with me — in part as my physician, and in part because a documentary crew happened to be filming the foundation’s maternal-care initiative that week, and my case, it turned out, was the kind of story the initiative existed to tell.

Two nationally known specialists stood nearby.

And Arthur came in a few steps behind them, in a dark, well-cut suit, wearing a modest, restrained row of military service ribbons over his heart — not a display, quite, but not invisible either.