Lawrence’s phone rang. He has never answered his phone on duty before. But today. Anything to get him away from Marvin. And it was a fellow Orphanite. It was Deborah Champski-Five. He picked up.
“You wouldn’t believe—”
“Lawrence!”
“Deborah, I’m driv—”
“Shut up! Are you on that new route today?”
“Yes, right now. I should be—”
“Okay good! You need to pick me up!”
“What?”
“Where are you?”
“I’m on 55th. Going towards the next—”
“Okay good! Come over to Overton and 53rd! Right now.”
“Deborah, I can’t come pick you up, I’m working, I’m on a sched—”
“It’s life and death, you need to come now!”
“What?”
“Yes!”
“Okay okay. You can’t tell anyone though. Tell the kids you’re my—”
“Yes yes whatever. Just come now!”
He had never been in an emergency before. He could hear Marvin yelling but wasn’t registering what he was saying. He turned off the regulated course.
“Who was that? What’s going on?”
“Sit back, Marvin. Just keep quiet.”
“But this isn’t our route. We’ll be behind schedule. Where are we going?”
“Go talk to Ruby, Marvin. Talk to her. It’ll be good for you.”
Lawrence turned on to 53rd and could see Deborah Champski-Five on the corner, flailing her arms and running toward the bus. She was yelling Lawrence’s name. Marvin was yelling Ruby’s name. Lisa was crying. All the other kids were screaming. He felt a finger tap him on the shoulder.