business card, smiling and nodding as if he’s admitting to being the tooth fairy, rather than the man who could lock Allie in a psych ward.
“Is this really necessary?” Braden asks, recoiling from the word “commitment” on the card. “I’ll hook her up with a counselor. Keep a close eye on her.”
“This is necessary,” Tom replies, serious now. “You don’t have to talk to me, but it’s in your best interest. Allie, it’s my job to decide whether it will be safe to let you go home, or whether we need to hold you somewhere safer as soon as you’re medically clear.”
Allie stares at him in shock. “What do you mean, safer?”
“There’s a mental-health unit especially for juveniles—”
“A psych unit, you mean? Like, the loony bin? No. You can’t send me there.” She turns to Braden, her eyes wide with shock. “Dad. You’re not going to let him do this!”
“I’m not going anywhere” is all Braden can think to say.
Tom hands over papers that explain the laws under which he operates. Anything Braden or Allie say can be used in the decision to hold her against her will for seventy-two hours.
“After the seventy-two hours, there would be a court hearing to decide whether to release you or keep you longer,” he explains.
“Well, then, I’m not talking to you,” Allie says, pale but defiant.
Tom smiles gently. “You can do that, of course. But the fact is that you tried to kill yourself. So, if you don’t want to go to the psych unit, you’ll need to convince me why it’s safe to let you go home.”
“This is bullshit!” she says. “Dad, tell him!”
There is nothing that Braden can say. He looks again at the very official paperwork in his hands and then at the man sitting beside Allie’s bed. He thinks about how close she came to death and wonders if maybe Tom is right.
“I’d rather be safe than sorry,” Tom says. “A life is a beautiful thing to waste.”
“I’d watch her, of course,” Braden says. “Around the clock.”
“I’m sorry to say this,” Tom says apologetically, “but my understanding is that you didn’t know where she’d gone last night. So I’m not sure about your ability to keep her under observation.”
“But I won’t run off anymore,” Allie pleads. “It was all Ethan’s idea . . .” Her face goes slack and she lets out a little cry. “I’m a horrible person. I didn’t even ask. Is he okay? Can I talk to him?”
“He’s been transferred to Harborview,” Tom says quietly. “He’s on a breathing machine, and they don’t know yet if he’ll recover. But he’s still alive, and that’s good news.”
Allie starts to cry.
Helpless anger simmers in Braden’s belly. He wants to shield her from all of this. Carry her somewhere far away from the harsh realities she’s facing. “This isn’t exactly helpful,” he says. “Could it maybe wait until she’s stronger?”
“We’re not discussing anything she’s not going to be feeling within the next few days, Mr. Healey, and we’re doing it here where she’s safe. Avoiding talking about things is much more dangerous than having conversations.” Tom levels an assessing gaze at Braden. “Are you an avoider, Mr. Healey?”
Braden takes a breath, struggles to keep his tone level. “This isn’t about me—”
“I’m afraid it’s very much about you, sir. Suicide always involves family dynamics. How could it not? Professionally, what I would suggest is that Allie be voluntarily admitted to the psych unit, rather than detained. That way you keep the legal system out of her treatment.”
“I am not volunteering for that!” Allie declares.
“You’re underage,” Tom says gently. “In your case, your father would be the one to voluntarily sign you in.”
“I’m seventeen years old! He doesn’t get to decide anything for me!”
“Actually, he does. How about it, Mr. Healey? Get her urgent help, keep her safe, avoid the legal system getting involved in her treatment.”
Braden feels the room closing in. This is how he felt the night Mitch died. Trapped. Horrified by a choice that is not a choice. Allie’s safety is of the utmost importance. But the small, fragile trust that has just begun to grow between them with the conversation they’ve just had, this is also of the utmost importance, not just for him but for her. Maybe it, too, is connected to her safety.
“If you do this, I will never forgive you,” Allie says. “Never.”
“And if you don’t?” Tom asks. “If you don’t and she tries again, and succeeds, will you forgive yourself?”
Braden has never forgiven