What Happens Next

The night had been long. A resident with a fever at one, a fall alarm at three that turned out to be a cat that had got into the building somehow, a new aide who cried in the medication room at five because her mother was ill in another country and she couldn't afford the flight. Lina had made her tea and held her hand and promised to cover her shift on Sunday.

By seven thirty, when she pushed open the door of the Blue Plate, she wanted three things in this order: eggs, coffee, silence.

She got the eggs. She got the coffee. She did not get the silence.

The diner was strangely full for a Wednesday morning. Gerald Finch was at the end of the counter with his crossword, which was normal. But Gus was behind the counter, which was not normal at seven thirty; Gus came in at nine. Bev was pouring coffee for people who already had coffee. Daniel was standing at the kitchen door with flour on his hands, doing nothing, which never happened. And in the red booth by the window, eating toast very slowly, was Theo, who should have been on his way to school.

"Why are you here?" said Lina. "School starts in an hour."

"Breakfast," said Theo, and looked out of the window with enormous interest.

Lina narrowed her eyes. She was too tired to be suspicious. She was suspicious anyway.