Chapter 12: Footage

Scott heard her.

"Excuse me," he said into the microphone. "That's a private matter."

The reporter didn't look at him.

"Sir, where did you get this?"

"My truck," Cal said. "I was behind them on 26. I'm the firefighter she's talking about."

"Can we put it up?"

"Ask her."

The reporter looked across the lavender at me.

So did everyone.

I looked at the front row.

"Take Joey inside first," I said.

Scott's mother didn't move.

"Please. Take him in to see the fish tank. He shouldn't watch this."

A nurse from the pediatric floor was standing by the wheelchairs.

She walked over and held out her hand to him.

"Do you want to see the big fish tank, buddy? There's an orange one with a mustache."

Joey looked at his grandmother.

She was staring at the reporter and didn't answer him.

He took the nurse's hand and went, with the bear dragging on the flagstones.

The cameraman plugged Cal's phone into the monitor on his tripod and turned it around to face the chairs.

The screen showed a black SUV on its roof against the barrier, and the picture jerked as Cal's truck braked onto the shoulder.

For a few seconds there was nothing but smoke coming out of the wreck.

Then a man crawled out through the front windshield with a small boy clutched against his chest.

He stood up and ran across the road to the far guardrail.

He reached into his shirt and took out a small dark box.

He opened it and looked inside.

Then he turned around and looked back at the car.

Flames were coming up from the front wheel well.

On the screen, clearly, at the broken back window, a woman's arm was hanging out, with the hand moving.

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