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He replied, gently, “That doesn't matter, and you know it. This can't destroy us.”

“I'll do it. For ExploreR. Not for you.”

She left. I crawled out from under the desk. I looked at him, hunched over, his usually powerful frame now like a popped balloon.

He looked up at me. He held a hand out. He said, “I could sure use a nice breakfast. Want to go with me, lover?”

Everything within me ached to hold him and make him smile. But I couldn't. Children were dying, and it was his fault.

It was my fault too. I worked here.

I walked up to him and smacked him square in the face.

“I quit,” I said. Then I burst into tears and ran from the room.

By the time he recovered from his shock, I was already down the hall. I could barely hear him calling my name as I rushed down the stairs. He took the elevator down, so he was in the lobby when I got there, but I was able to avoid him and slip away.

I started walking away. I called Natalie.

I couldn't even leave a sensible message. I sobbed, and she found me walking on the highway and drove me to her place. We walked in her door. She thrust ice cream into my hands and gave me a wordless hug.