with the mayor. “What hospital?”
“Mount Auburn,” Heather said, her voice choked. “He was shaking and now he’s just limp. He’s so sick. God, Gabe. I’m so scared.”
Gabe turned away from city hall, his phone at his ear, even though Heather had already hung up. An odd thought flickered through his mind: The next step you take could change your life. Don’t go. Turn back.
But he ran anyway: to his car, to his son, to the unholy rest of his life.
Now Gabe glanced at the woman in the passenger seat. He pulled out his cellphone, scrolling through his contacts, glancing up to make sure he stayed on the road.
Dr. Wayan Genep. He called the number.
The phone rang for a long time, and finally a woman’s voice came on the line. “Who is this?” she asked in Indonesian.
“It’s Gabe Winters. I’m sorry to wake you. There’s been a bombing in Kuta. I need to talk to Wayan.” Gabe had met Rai, Wayan’s wife, a few times and knew that she spoke English.She was Wayan’s assistant at his clinic. Was she a nurse? He couldn’t remember.
“A bombing?”
“At a couple of clubs.”
“Wayan!”
Rai dropped the phone. Gabe heard their voices in the background, speaking in rapid-fire Balinese. And then Wayan came on the line.
“Gabe?”
“I’ve got a woman with me. She’s hurt. She needs help.”
“Where are you?”
“Headed your way. Should I come to your house or can you meet me in the clinic?”
“How bad is she?”
“Bad gash near her eye. Probably a broken arm. She fades in and out of consciousness.”
“Meet me at the clinic. I’m on my way.”
“Thanks, Wayan.”
“Are there many others?”
“Hundreds,” Gabe said, and then he hung up.
“Where are we?” the woman asked, startling him.
They were a few minutes from the exit to Sanur, speeding through empty streets. “We’re going to a clinic. The doctor is a friend of mine.”
“I keep falling asleep.”
“You lost a lot of blood.”
“My boyfriend. Miguel. He wouldn’t have been there …” The woman’s voice faded, as if talking took too much effort.
Had he done the wrong thing? Should he have taken heraway when she needed to stay with her boyfriend? But she needed medical help. Someone else would collect the bodies.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“At first I couldn’t find him,” she said, her voice weak. “And so many people needed help.”
“Are you a doctor?” Gabe asked.
“No. Mountain guide. Wilderness EMT.”
“What’s your name?”
“Jamie. Jamie Hyde.”
“There were too many. We couldn’t save all of them.”
Gabe thought about Ethan again. He couldn’t do a damn thing when it mattered. He couldn’t make Ethan’s headache go away. He couldn’t even make him smile. He remembered lying down next to him in the hospital bed, his boy curled into him. “I’m sorry, sir,” the nurse said, walking quickly into the room as if he had set off alarms. “You’re not allowed to do that.” To hold my son? To whisper in his ear?
“Did you say it was a bomb?” Jamie asked. “I couldn’t remember if I dreamed that.”
“Yes,” Gabe told her.
She was quiet for a moment.
“You live here?” he asked.
“No. Got here a few days ago.”
“Are you in a lot of pain?”
“I think I’m going to rest now, if that’s all right with you.”
Gabe smiled. “I’ll wake you when we get there,” he said, but he knew that she was already sleeping.
Wayan came out to the car as soon as Gabe pulled up—he must have been waiting at the window. The streets of Sanurwere empty at two-fifteen in the morning. They don’t know, Gabe thought, looking up at the dark stores and houses and apartment buildings. When they wake up, the world will be different.
Wayan and Gabe helped Jamie from the seat and walked her slowly into the clinic. Rai met them in the waiting room, wiping her hands on her pants.
“I have the room ready,” she said. She was wide awake and ready to work. She didn’t even
“Mount Auburn,” Heather said, her voice choked. “He was shaking and now he’s just limp. He’s so sick. God, Gabe. I’m so scared.”
Gabe turned away from city hall, his phone at his ear, even though Heather had already hung up. An odd thought flickered through his mind: The next step you take could change your life. Don’t go. Turn back.
But he ran anyway: to his car, to his son, to the unholy rest of his life.
Now Gabe glanced at the woman in the passenger seat. He pulled out his cellphone, scrolling through his contacts, glancing up to make sure he stayed on the road.
Dr. Wayan Genep. He called the number.
The phone rang for a long time, and finally a woman’s voice came on the line. “Who is this?” she asked in Indonesian.
“It’s Gabe Winters. I’m sorry to wake you. There’s been a bombing in Kuta. I need to talk to Wayan.” Gabe had met Rai, Wayan’s wife, a few times and knew that she spoke English.She was Wayan’s assistant at his clinic. Was she a nurse? He couldn’t remember.
“A bombing?”
“At a couple of clubs.”
“Wayan!”
Rai dropped the phone. Gabe heard their voices in the background, speaking in rapid-fire Balinese. And then Wayan came on the line.
“Gabe?”
“I’ve got a woman with me. She’s hurt. She needs help.”
“Where are you?”
“Headed your way. Should I come to your house or can you meet me in the clinic?”
“How bad is she?”
“Bad gash near her eye. Probably a broken arm. She fades in and out of consciousness.”
“Meet me at the clinic. I’m on my way.”
“Thanks, Wayan.”
“Are there many others?”
“Hundreds,” Gabe said, and then he hung up.
“Where are we?” the woman asked, startling him.
They were a few minutes from the exit to Sanur, speeding through empty streets. “We’re going to a clinic. The doctor is a friend of mine.”
“I keep falling asleep.”
“You lost a lot of blood.”
“My boyfriend. Miguel. He wouldn’t have been there …” The woman’s voice faded, as if talking took too much effort.
Had he done the wrong thing? Should he have taken heraway when she needed to stay with her boyfriend? But she needed medical help. Someone else would collect the bodies.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“At first I couldn’t find him,” she said, her voice weak. “And so many people needed help.”
“Are you a doctor?” Gabe asked.
“No. Mountain guide. Wilderness EMT.”
“What’s your name?”
“Jamie. Jamie Hyde.”
“There were too many. We couldn’t save all of them.”
Gabe thought about Ethan again. He couldn’t do a damn thing when it mattered. He couldn’t make Ethan’s headache go away. He couldn’t even make him smile. He remembered lying down next to him in the hospital bed, his boy curled into him. “I’m sorry, sir,” the nurse said, walking quickly into the room as if he had set off alarms. “You’re not allowed to do that.” To hold my son? To whisper in his ear?
“Did you say it was a bomb?” Jamie asked. “I couldn’t remember if I dreamed that.”
“Yes,” Gabe told her.
She was quiet for a moment.
“You live here?” he asked.
“No. Got here a few days ago.”
“Are you in a lot of pain?”
“I think I’m going to rest now, if that’s all right with you.”
Gabe smiled. “I’ll wake you when we get there,” he said, but he knew that she was already sleeping.
Wayan came out to the car as soon as Gabe pulled up—he must have been waiting at the window. The streets of Sanurwere empty at two-fifteen in the morning. They don’t know, Gabe thought, looking up at the dark stores and houses and apartment buildings. When they wake up, the world will be different.
Wayan and Gabe helped Jamie from the seat and walked her slowly into the clinic. Rai met them in the waiting room, wiping her hands on her pants.
“I have the room ready,” she said. She was wide awake and ready to work. She didn’t even
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