Dominick stayed there among the burned ruins for a long time.
He didn't know how long.
When dawn was just beginning to break, the phone in his pocket started vibrating.
It was the hospital.
"Mr. Swanson, your mother is awake," a nurse said. "The anesthesia has worn off, and she's extremely agitated. You should come as soon as possible."
Dominick gripped the phone. His fingers felt stiff, almost unable to move.
Eventually, he forced himself to stand and walked back to his car like a puppet with invisible strings.
At the ICU, he looked through the glass window. Her mother, Grace Swanson, lay in the hospital bed, visibly agitated.
Several nurses were trying to restrain her.
"You just had surgery! Don't take those off!"
"Ma'am, please calm down!"
Dominick pushed the door open.
Grac
