The doctor said the only humane thing for him to do was to hold a gentle pillow over the poor monster’s little face until he stopped breathing—only a few minutes. Whatever muscles he had had mostly atrophied under the orphanage’s misguided care. Not much fight in the kid. A corrective measure, he said. What, after all, was the point of this thing still breathing? Charlene said, “You did no such thing.” The doctor reached inside his shirt to put his hand to
