Chapter 12 - The Replacement
Leo’s new hearing system arrived three weeks after the fountain.
The university paid.
Not from Access Forward.
From an emergency restitution fund while liability issues were pending.
Dr. Hart made that distinction explicit.
Leo opened the case in her office.
He did not smile immediately.
I watched from across the room.
He inserted the device.
The audiologist adjusted settings.
Then Leo looked at me.
“What?”
I spoke normally.
“What?”
He laughed.
First sound he gave me after three weeks mostly using ASL and captions.
“Your voice is still annoying.”
I almost cried.
“Good.”
Then his smile faded.
He touched the device.
“This isn’t Mom’s.”
“No.”
The destroyed hearing aid had been the last major thing she bought him.
Insurance and technology had changed, but emotionally he had treated the old device as one of the few objects still connected to her.
“I know.”
He looked at the evidence photo of the broken pieces.
“Bryce didn’t know that.”
“No.”
“Would it be worse if he did?”
I thought.
“No.”
Cruelty did not require perfect knowledge of sentimental value.
Destroying an assistive device was enough.
Leo nodded.
Then Dr. Hart handed him a small bag.
Police had released one non-evidentiary outer fragment after photographing it.
The blue custom shell.
Cracked.
Leo held it.
Then placed it inside the new case.
Not to use.
To remember.
What?
I wasn’t sure.
Loss.
Mom.
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The fountain.
Maybe all of it.
