“They’re taking really good care of her.”

“Is Mom ever coming back?”

I looked at the doors and had nothing to tell him.

They wheeled Elsie through at 3:52, and the doors swung closed behind her.

Dr.

Henderson came back out through the ICU doors at a quarter past six with a clipboard tucked under his arm.

“Her oxygen is holding at ninety-four,” he said.

“We’re not out of the woods yet.”