Summary

In Part I, “Tig & Nell,” “First Aid,” when Nell got home, the front door was open. Tig’s car was gone. There was blood on the floor, and a knife and a bloody carrot on the counter. She guessed that either Tig and their daughter were kidnapped by desperadoes, or Tig had cut himself and raced to the hospital with their daughter. While waiting, she cleaned up, even washing the carrot.

When Tig and their daughter returned, he explained that he had cut himself, but it was okay. Later he told Nell “he’d been worried” about fainting from blood loss but “hadn’t wanted to frighten their daughter” (4). Nell wondered what she would have done if she had been there.

This was years ago. Nell is remembering the story because she and Tig are taking a first aid class. Their instructor, Mr...