HELEN MEETS US IN THE hallway outside the interview room. Gladys starts crying again and grabs her around the waist. Helen strokes her blue hair soothingly, telling her “It’s going to be OK, sweetie. We’ll figure it out.”
Once calmer, Gladys says, “I’ll wait in your office for you.” Looking at us, she asks, “Am I messing up some plans you have?”
Helen and I look at each other. “No, Gladys,” I say. “Of course not. Helen will take you home and stay as long as you need her to. Won’t you?”
“Absolutely,” she says. “Tom and I need to talk a minute, then I’ll be along.”
We watch Gladys wheel herself down the hallway. When she turns a corner, Helen turns to me. “Tom,” she whispers. “I don’t know if that helped her or not.”
I sigh. “I know. What they put her through, if she let that fester, th
