Jayson Greene in Vulture:
We left our E-Z Pass in the apartment. Stacy and I realize this only upon arriving at the mouth of the tunnel en route to the Weill Cornell ER. The gate fails to lift as we approach and we almost plow through it. The man at the tollbooth tries to reckon with us, incoherent and hysterical and blocking traffic.
“Our daughter’s been in a serious accident,” Stacy yells to him.
He peers behind us at the empty car seat, confused. “Where is she?” he demands.
“She’s with my mother!” Stacy says. Cars honk as the pressure of the line builds behind us.
“Please, she is in the hospital,” I interject. “Please just let us go.”
He waves us on. “Just don’t get in an accident!” he calls into our window as the bar lifts.
More here. [Thanks to Jennifer Ouellette.]