Last Man Out

Tommy calls his mother, who rushes home. As guilt builds, he waits outside with Greck and Mike. His mother arrives and uses their family Apple ID to track Emily’s phone, but it only shows its last location as their house. She calls Emily’s friends, but none of them have seen her.

Tommy sees that Emily’s bike is missing from the garage. His mother is about to call the police when Brendan calls and tells them that Emily is safe at the firehouse.

In a flashback, Tommy remembers his father taking him and Emily to the firehouse on Saturdays when he was off duty. Emily loved it more than Tommy, who eventually stopped going. Patrick continued taking Emily and took photos of her on the fire engine wearing his helmet.

Emily once admitted that she feared fire but loved the firehouse because their father was happy there. The visits became a special routine for just her and her father. Their mother later explained to Tommy that Emily felt completely safe there with Patrick.

Tommy and his mother meet Brendan and Emily at the firehouse. A sidewalk shrine for Patrick with candles, photos, and “handmade posters thanking Tommy’s dad for his courage and service” has been set up (146), and Tommy avoids looking at it. Brendan explains that a firefighter found Emily sitting in the driver’s seat of engine 41.

The children’s mother promises Emily that she can visit the firehouse whenever she wants as long as someone goes with her. Emily says that she wanted to go alone and would have gone even if Tommy had stayed home to watch her. When Brendan asks why, Emily says that she was searching for her father’s spirit but that he’s “just as gone here as he is at home” (149). She thanks the firefighters for their kindness and asks to go home.

The Gallaghers return home, and Emily goes to her room. Their mother feels relieved that Emily took some initiative and tells Tommy not to give up on her. After reflecting on how he can make amends for leaving her alone, Tommy grabs a soccer ball and asks Emily to go to Rogers Park with him and help him improve his footwork. She agrees.

At the park, Emily shows Tommy a few techniques and starts to resemble her old self. When Tommy asks if she has thought about rejoining her team, the question upsets her. She says that she can’t and walks away, looking as though she might cry.

The following Saturday, Tommy makes a key interception and doesn’t receive any penalties, and the Bears beat the Natick Raiders. He continues to enjoy football but gives more and more time to skateboarding. He and Mike ride steeper hills, and Tommy accepts falling as part of the sport. He intentionally keeps busy with school, football, and skateboarding to avoid dwelling on his father’s absence, though grief still hits him unexpectedly.

On Saturday, the Bears play against the undefeated Wellesley Wildcats, who are from an affluent neighborhood of Boston. The Wildcats’ quarterback, Blake Winthrop, has a longstanding rivalry with Tommy. Blake leads an early touchdown drive and taunts Tommy. The tense game is tied 20–20 in the fourth quarter. On a blitz, Tommy and Greck hit Blake hard but legally just after he throws the ball. Blake claims that it was a late hit.

When Greck grabs Tommy to keep him away from Blake, the quarterback jeers, “Who’s that guy, your dad?” (168). Tommy becomes angry and attacks Blake. Coach Fisher rushes in to break up the fight, and the officials eject both players. From the sideline, Tommy watches his teammates score the winning touchdown, feeling “like a loser on a day when his team had won big” (170).

After the game, Coach Fisher tells Tommy that, while Blake’s comment was unacceptable, fighting is against the rules. He explains the league’s automatic one-game suspension policy but promises to argue Tommy’s case during a conference call that night. Tommy and Blake meet at midfield and apologize to each other.

In the car, Tommy tells his mother what happened. Emily briefly shows her old spirit by defending her brother and saying that she wishes he’d “punched [Blake’s] face in” (174). Their mother emphasizes that fighting solves nothing but listens to Tommy with understanding. Facing a possible suspension from football, Tommy thinks about skateboarding as an escape from rules and conflict.

That afternoon, Tommy skates at Wirth Park to release his frustration. He seeks a new challenge and decides to try Heartbreak Hill, a notoriously steep run. He misreads a bend and crashes, but his gear saves him from injury. The fall releases his tension. He laughs, climbs back up, and prepares to try again.

Later, Coach Fisher calls to report that the league will not suspend him but has placed him on a final warning. One more unsportsmanlike penalty will end his season. Tommy thanks the coach for his help and promises that nothing like the fight with Blake will happen again. When Tommy tells his mother the good news, she hugs him and tells him that they’ll get through their present struggles together because Patrick would have wanted them to “bring out the best in each other” (181).

The next Saturday, the Bears beat Needham easily, and Tommy plays a strong, penalty-free game. The Bears and Wildcats are now tied for first place in their league. Mike takes Tommy to a more challenging skate park. Keeping busy helps the boy manage his grief, but his sorrow returns when he sees fathers bonding with their sons.

At home, Tommy finds a photo of himself and Patrick smiling together on the day he learned to ride a bike. The image overwhelms him, and he cries “so hard it ma[kes] his chest hurt” (186). Emily hears him and asks if he’s okay. He hides his tears, telling her that he was just talking to himself.