Bill fell silent then, didn't say a word as we travelled the short hallway past a large pair of doors to what had to be communal bathrooms and out into the main corridor again. Had my own silence cut off his willingness to speak? I didn't know but hadn't the strength to put him first when my stomach churned about as fast as my mind.

Helped to look around and force myself to be curious, even a little. This whole area, while tidy and finished, didn't have the kind of ...