I was exhausted in a way I had never been exhausted before, the specific bottomless exhaustion of grief laid over eight months of pregnancy, and I wanted only to get home, to get out of that building before anyone could say my husband’s name to me one more time.

Then I heard footsteps behind me.

“Sally, wait!”

I stopped, and turned, and saw Dr.

Rivers coming toward me down the hall.

His face was pale.