filled　out　the　front　information　page　in　her　daily　planner　and
  had　listed　you　as　her　emergency　contact；　since　her
  grandmother’s　really　not　doing　all　that　well。　Anyway；　I　guess
  the　hospital　called　you　at　Home　and　on　your　cell；　but　of
  course　you　weren’t　checking　either　one。　When　no　one　called
  them　back　or　showed　up　in　twenty…four　hours；　they　went　through
  her　planner　and　noticed　that　we　have　the　same　last　name　as
  you；　and　so　the　hospital　called　here　to　see　if　we　knew　how　to
  reach　you。　Mom　and　I　couldn’t　remember　where　you　were　staying；
  so　we　called　Alex　for　the　name　of　the　hotel。”
  “Oh　my　god；　it　was　a　day　ago。　Has　she　been　alone　this　whole
  time？　Is　she　still　in　the　hospital？”　I　couldn’t　ask　the
  questions　fast　enough；　but　I　still　felt　like　I　wasn’t　getting
  any　answers。　All　I　knew　for　sure　was　that　Lily　had　decided　on
  me　as　the　primary　person　in　her　life；　the　emergency　contact
  you　always　had　to　list　but　never；　ever　took　seriously。　And
  here　she’d　really　needed　me—didn’t　have　anyone　else；　in
  fact—and　I’d　been　nowhere　to　be　found。　My　choking　had
  subsided；　but　the　tears　continued　to　pour　down　my　cheeks　in
  hot；　angry　streaks；　and　my　throat　felt　as　though　it　had　been
  scraped　raw　with　a　pumice　stone。
  “Yes；　she’s　still　in　the　hospital。　I’m　going　to　be　very　honest
  with　you；　Andy。　We’re　not　sure　if　she’s　going　to　be　all
  right。”
  “What？　What　are　you　saying？　Will　someone　just　tell　me
  something　concrete　already？”
  “Honey；　I’ve　spoken　to　her　doctor　a　half…dozen　times　already；
  and　I　have　plete　confidence　that　she’s　getting　the　best
  attention。　But　Lily’s　in　a　a；　sweetie。　Now；　the　doctor　did
  reassure　me　that—”
  “A　a？　Lily　is　in　a　a？”　Nothing　was　making　sense　anymore；
  the　words　were　refusing　to　take　on　meaning。
  “Honey；　try　to　calm　down。　I　know　this　is　shocking　for　you　and
  I　hate　to　do　this　over　the　phone。　We　considered　not　telling
  you　until　you　got　back；　but　since　that’s　still　half　a　week
  away；　we　figured　you　had　a　right　to　know。　But　also　know　that
  Mom　and　I　are　doing　everything　we　can　to　make　sure　that　Lily
  gets　the　best　help。　She’s　always　been　like　a　daughter　to　us；
  you　know　that；　so　she’s　not　going　to　be　alone。”
  “Oh　my　god；　I　have　to　e　home。　Dad；　I　have　to　e　Home！　She
  doesn’t　have　anybody　but　me；　and　I’m　across　the　Atlantic。　Oh；
  but　that　fucking　party　is　the　night　after　tomorrow　and　it’s
  the　sole　reason　she　brought　me　and　she’ll　definitely　fire　me
  if　I’m　not　there。　Think！　I　need　to　think！”
  “Andy；　it’s　late　there。　I　think　the　best　thing　you　could　do　is
  get　some　sleep；　take　a　little　time　to　think　things　over。　Of
  course　I　knew　you’d　want　to　e　Home　right　away；　because
  that’s　the　kind　of　person　you　are；　but　keep　in　mind　that　for
  right　now　Lily　is　not　conscious。　Her　doctor　assured　me　that
  the　chances　are　excellent　that　she’ll　e　out　of　this　in　the
  next　forty…eight　to　seventy…two　hours；　that　her　body　is　just
  using　this　as　an　extended　and　deeper　sleep　to　help　itself
  heal。　But　nothing　is　certain；”　he　added；　softly。
  “And　if　she　does　e　out　of　it？　I’m　assuming　she　could　have
  all　sorts　of　brain　damage　and　horrible　paralysis　and　things
  like　that？　Oh　my　god；　I　can’t　stand　it。”
  “They　just　don’t　know　yet。　They　said　that　she　is　responsive　to
  stimuli　in　her　feet　and　legs；　which　is　a　good　indication　that
  there’s　no　paralysis。　But　there’s　a　lot　of　swelling　around　her
  head；　and　it　won’t　be　possible　to　know　anything　for　sure　until
  she　es　out　of　this。　We　just　need　to　wait。”
  We　spoke　for　a　few　minutes　longer　before　I　hung　up　abruptly
  and　called　Alex’s　Cell　Phone。
  “Hi；　it’s　me。　Have　you　seen　her？”　I　asked　without　so　much　as　a
  hello。　I　was　now　a　mini…Miranda。
  “Andy。　Hi。　So　you　know？”
  “Yeah；　I　just　got　off　the　phone　with　my　parents。　Have　you　seen
  her？”
  “Yes；　I’m　at　the　hospital　now。　They　won’t　let　me　in　her　room
  right　now　since　it’s　not　visiting　hours　and　I’m　not　family；
  but　I　wanted　to　be　here　just　in　case　she　wakes　up。”　He　sounded
  very；　very　far　away；　pletely　lost　in　his　own　thoughts。
  “What　happened？　My　mom　said　something　about　how　she　was
  driving　and　hit　a　cab　or　something？　None　of　it　makes　any　sense
  to　me。”
  “Uch；　it’s　a　nightmare；”　he　sighed；　clearly　unhappy　that　no
  one　else　had　told　me　the　story　yet。　“I’m　not　sure　I　know
  exactly；　but　I　did　talk　to　the　guy　she　was　with　when　it
  happened。　You　remember　Benjamin；　that　guy　she　was　seeing　in
  college　who　she　walked　in　on　having　a　threesome　with　those
  girls？”
  “Of　course；　he　works　in　my　building　now。　I　see　him　sometimes。
  What　the　hell　was　she　doing　with　him？　Lily　hates　him—she’s
  never　gotten　over　that。”
  “I　know；　that’s　what　I　thought；　too；　but　it　seems　they’ve　been
  hanging　out　lately　and　they　were　together　last　night。　He　says
  they　had　gotten　tickets　to　see　Phish　at　Nassau　Coliseum　and
  drove　out　there　together。　I　guess　Benjamin　smoked　too　much　and
  decided　he　shouldn’t　drive　his　car　Home；　so　Lily　volunteered。
  They　made　it　back　to　the　city　with　no　problems　until　Lily　ran
  a　red　light　and　then　turned　the　wrong　way　down　Madison；
  straight　into　oning　traffic。　They　hit　a　cab　head…on；　on　the
  driver’s　side；　and；　well；　uh；　you　know。”　He　choked　up　at　this
  point；　and　I　knew　things　must　be　worse　than　anyone　had　let　on。
  I’d　done　nothing　but　ask　questions　the　last　half　hour—to　my
  mom；　my　dad；　and　now　Alex—but　I　couldn’t　bring　myself　to　ask
  the　most　obvious　one：　Why　had　Lily　run　a　red　light　and　then
  tried　to　drive　south　on　an　avenue　that　only　ran　north？　But　I
  didn’t　need　to；　because　Alex；　as　always；　knew　exactly　what　I
  was　thinking。
  “Andy；　her　blood　alcohol　level　was　nearly　twice　the　legal
  limit。”　He　stated　this　matter…of…factly；　trying　not　to　swallow
  the　words　so　I　wouldn’t　ask　him　to　repeat　them。
  “Oh　my　god。”
  “If—when—she　wakes　up；　she’s　going　to　have　even　more　to　deal
  with　than　her　health：　she’s　in　a　lot　of　trouble。　Luckily；　the
  cabbie　was　OK；　just　a　few　bumps　and　bruises；　and　Benjamin’s
  left　leg　is　pletely　smashed　up；　but　he’ll　be　fine；　too。　We
  just　need　to　wait　for　Lily。　When　are　you　ing　Home？”
  “What？”　I　was　still　trying　to　process　the　fact　that　Lily　had
  been　“seeing”　a　guy　I’d　always　thought　she　hated；　that　she’d
  ended　up　in　a　a　because　she　was　so　drunk　when　she　was　with
  him。
  “I　said；　when　are　you　ing　home？”　When　I　was　silent　for　a
  moment；　he　continued。　“You　are　ing　Home；　aren’t　you？　You’re
  not　seriously　considering　staying　there　while　your　best　friend
  on　earth　lies　in　a　hospital　bed；　are　you？”
  “What　are　you　suggesting；　Alex？　Are　you　suggesting　that　this
  is　my　fault　because　I　didn’t　see　it　ing？　That　she’s　lying
  in　that　hospital　bed　because　I’m　in　Paris　right　now？　That　if　I
  had　known　she　was　hanging　out　with　Benjamin　again　none　of　this
  would　have　happened？　What？　What　exactly　are　you　saying？”　I
  shrieked；　all　of　the　confusing　emotions　of　the　night　boiling
  over　into　a　simple；　urgent　need　to　scream　at　someone　else。
  “No；　I　didn’t　say　any　of　that。　You　did。　I　just　assumed　that　of
  course　you’d　be　ing　Home　to　be　with　her　as　soon　as
  possible。　I’m　not　passing　judgment　on　you；　Andy—you　know　that。
  I　also　know　that　it’s　really　late　for　you　already　and　there’s
  nothing　you　can　do　in　the　next　couple　hours；　so　why　don’t　you
  call　me　when　you　know　what　flight　you’re　on。　I’ll　pick　you　up
  at　the　airport　and　we　can　e　straight　to　the　hospital。”
  “Fine。　Thanks　for　being　there　for　her。　I　really　appreciate　it
  and　I　know　Lily　does；　too。　I’ll　call　you　when　I　know　what　I’m
  doing。”
  “OK；　Andy。　I　miss　you。　And　I　know　you’ll　do　the　right　thing。”
  The　line　went　dead　before　I　could　pounce　all　over　that　one。
  Do　the　right　thing？　Theright　thing？　What　the　hell　did　that
  mean？　I　hated　that　he　had　just　assumed　I　would　jump　on　a　plane
  and　race　Home　because　he　told　me　to。　Hated　his　condescending；
  preachy　tone　of　voice　that　immediately　made　me　feel　like　one
  of　his　students　who’d　just　been　caught　talking　during　class。
  Hated　that　he　was　the　one　who　was　with　Lily　now　even　though
  she　was　my　friend；　that　he　was　the　one　acting　as　a　liaison
  between　my　own　parents　and　me；　that　he　was　once　again　sitting
  on　his　moral　high　horse　and　calling　the　shots。　Gone　were　the
  old　days；　when　I　might　have　hung　up　forted　by　his　presence；
  knowing　that　we　were　in　this　together　and　would　get　through　it
  together；　instead　of　as　warring　factions。　When　had　things
  bee　like　this？
  There　was　no　energy　left　to　point　out　the　obvious　to　him；
  namely；　that　if　I　left　early　to　e　Home；　I’d