"Theodosia," Hamilton echoes, softly. Theodosia opens those little screwed-shut eyes, a soft and pale grey, unfocused. She has found his breast, and there is a comical look of happy shock as she tastes for the first time. "Aaron, look at her, look what you've done. You have a daughter," so incredulous and proud and weeping with it. Presses his face against Burr's hair, his body curled over them as though to shield them both from the world, from everything.

He glances up, and he sees a terrible flood of more blood and tissue from between Burr's legs, along with the rest of the umbilicus. His heart stops. The surgeon examines the mass, and Hamilton turns back to Burr, begins to purr again, tucking Burr's head under his chin.