Last Man Out

After his touchdown, Tommy hears more sirens, which means that there’s a large fire. He grows more concerned when he hears an ambulance, but he tries to reassure himself that his father is safe and that he’ll be able to tell him all about the game soon. Tommy makes two more key defensive plays to secure a win for his team, the Bears. On the sideline, he sees his mother crying while talking with his coach, John Fisher.

Tommy’s mother tells him that Patrick is at the hospital and that she doesn’t know if he will be okay. Coach Fisher drives Tommy, his mother, and his sister, Emily, to Mount Auburn Hospital. During the drive, Tommy’s mother relays what Brendan Joyce, Patrick’s best friend and fellow firefighter, told her. Patrick rescued two boys from a house fire, went back inside for a girl, and passed her out a window. Seconds later, the stairs and roof collapsed, trapping him inside the burning building.

At the hospital, Tommy sees Brendan’s stricken expression and understands immediately that his father didn’t survive the fire. The fire commissioner holds Mrs. Gallagher’s hand and delivers the news. She hugs her children and tells them that their father is dead. Tommy, Emily, and their mother go upstairs to see Patrick’s body. As Tommy steps out of the elevator, he wishes that he could run back to the football field and make everything go “back to the way it had been before the sirens” (22).

Father Walters, the family’s pastor, and the firefighter community gather to support them. Firefighters form an honor guard in the hallway, saluting as the family passes. In the hospital room, Tommy recalls his last conversation with his father, in which they told each other they loved one another and talked about the upcoming game. Patrick told him, “Don’t make me proud. Make yourself proud” (24). Tommy whispers a goodbye, but Emily is overwhelmed and bolts from the room.

In the following days, the Gallagher home fills with visitors, but Tommy feels isolated in his grief. The wake follows Patrick’s wishes by having a closed casket. The funeral is held at St. Columbkille Church, and firefighters in dress uniforms stand as an honor guard throughout the service. The fire chief recites the Firefighter’s Prayer, which Patrick taught to Tommy: “When I am called to duty, God, wherever flames may rage, give me the strength to save some life, whatever be the age” (28).

At the cemetery, bagpipes play as the family places flowers on the flag-draped coffin. Bells ring three times, symbolically marking the end of Patrick’s last shift as a firefighter. The family leaves before the coffin is lowered. Tommy tells Emily that they will stick together in the face of their uncertain future.

That evening, as the last guests leave the Gallaghers’ home, the house grows quiet. As he says his goodbyes, Brendan tells Tommy that the boy carries his father’s courage and strength. Tommy notices that Patrick’s helmet is now the centerpiece of a display of family photographs in the living room. The boy goes to his room, feeling “as alone as he ever ha[s]” (32).

The Bears’ usual Wednesday night practice was cancelled for the funeral, and most of Tommy’s teammates attended the service. He recalls Coach Fisher’s earlier offer to let him skip the next game, but Tommy insisted on playing because he believes that his father would want him to. Football now feels more important to him than ever, and he wishes that he could ask for his father’s advice.

A flashback to an August evening shows Patrick coaching Tommy on defense at Rogers Park. Patrick explains why he always wanted to play defense even though his peers wanted to play offense, and he teaches Tommy how to read a quarterback. They run drills with a football that Tommy was given for his birthday until he anticipates a throw and makes a clean interception. Patrick refers to his firefighter’s code of being the “[l]ast man standing” and promises that he and his son will have “a whole lifetime of nights like this ahead of [them]” (39).

On Thursday, at school, Tommy returns to football practice. His mother offers to stay, but he asks her to keep to their usual routine.

Coach Fisher gathers the team and addresses Tommy’s loss. He tells the players that they are a family and must support Tommy but instructs them to treat him the same on the field, including hitting him hard in drills. During practice, Tommy feels at home and like his father is still with him.

During the evening scrimmage, Tommy grows impatient and delivers a fierce tackle on his teammate Danny Martinez. After the offense strings together a few first downs, his frustration spikes.

When quarterback Nick scrambles, Tommy launches himself into a reckless hit that forces a fumble and makes Nick land hard on his throwing shoulder. Nick confronts him about the dangerous play, and Coach Fisher benches Tommy for the rest of practice.

Greck and his mother drive Tommy home in silence. He tells his mother that practice was just okay, hiding what happened. Emily appears in his doorway in her soccer uniform, says nothing, and leaves. At dinner, his mother explains that Emily skipped school and missed soccer because she doesn’t feel ready to be around other people yet.

Tommy admits that practice felt strange and that he made bad choices. When a siren sounds nearby, Tommy and his mother freeze, and she looks “scared and hurt at the same time” (57).

Later that night, Tommy ignores a text from Greck, unable to explain his actions and unwilling to lie about how sad he feels. He considers apologizing to Nick but decides against it. He tells himself that he didn’t do anything wrong and that giving his all on the field is “the football version of being the last man out” (59). A wave of grief leaves him short of breath. He checks on Emily but gets no answer from behind her closed door.

He tries watching a football game but misses sharing it with his father. His mind turns to the fire, and he questions why his father, who always read situations well, couldn’t escape the burning building before it collapsed.