I put another part aside for emergency savings and made a plan for the medical bills with help from a hospital financial counselor, who explained that some items needed verification before I paid them.

The first time I saw a small cushion in my savings account, I didn’t feel rich.

I felt able to breathe.

Then Malcolm brought me into his office and offered me the assistant manager position.

There would be training, regular hours, and responsibility for new employees.

“Why me?” I asked.

“Because you ask when you don’t know something,” he said.

“And because when a person gets hurt, you don’t wait for a supervisor to tell you their life matters.”