She had been hoarding her words, gathering them, ready to explain. Until that question. She blanched. A flash of something very like memory, a conversation between her and a male, but she only

"You can't save everyone."

Her response. "We have to try."

And his reply, "Trying is fine. Failing is inevitable. Don't let it devour you."

"It's not me that's devoured," she said, bitterly.

"Yes it is," he said. "It's just not only you. We'll get the sick ****."

"Won't bring the boy back."

"No. But it'll stop other boys from coming in like this. That's what you think about. Remember it."

She closed her eyes, pain on her face as she nodded. Her hands curled into fists and she started shaking.