Tubby did not go back to the Banqiao house. She did go to a bright white room.

Daphne was next to her, curled up in an armchair. She was reading the E&M textbook. Tubby's mouth was dry. Daphne must have heard the rustle of the sheets; she turned to Tubby and smiled. "Hi A-ma. Did you have a nice nap?"

"Daphne," said Tubby. "Where are your mommy and daddy?"

She looked at the clock. "It's pretty late. They're probably sleeping."

Tubby looked at the clock; Daphne was right. It was 2:30 in the morning. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I'm not tired." Daphne frowned and flipped back a few pages in the textbook.

"What are you studying?"

Daphne consulted the book. "Ohm's Law."

"Is it hard?"

"I don't think so."

"How long have you been in here?"

"A while. Do you want me to get a nurse and tell her you're awake?"

"In ten minutes." Tubby uttered a short, silent prayer.

"OK."

Tubby fell asleep for a bit. When she awoke, she realized she had forgotten to mark the time. Daphne must have heard the rustle of the sheets; she turned to Tubby and smiled. "Hi A-ma. Did you have a nice nap?"

"How long was I asleep?"

Daphne shrugged. "Since they put you under, I guess."

"What are you studying?"

Daphne consulted the book. "Ohm's Law."

"Is it hard?"

"I don't think so."

Tubby closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "What did you dream about, when you were studying?"

"Oh." Daphne gave her a guilty look. "So you know."

"It's all right, honey. Come here."

Daphne put the book down and walked over to the bedside table. Tubby held her arms out, quashing a grunt of pain, and Daphne leaned into the embrace. "I just wanted to be able to talk to you, A-ma."

Tubby stroked her granddaughter's hair. She felt the rectangular gap of the NM port. So that was that. "I know, sweetie. Will you go get the nurse, please?"

Daphne sprinted out. Five minutes passed, then ten. When a nurse came in, it was without Daphne. "Oh, sweetie," she said, and sat down on the bed to pat Tubby's back. "It's OK. Lots of people cry when they wake up from surgery. But you're OK. Everything's OK."