“This morning. He called to ask if I thought the quantum immortality interpretation of the Many-Worlds theory would apply to Mittens. I told him no—consciousness collapse at the neural level is irreversible. He thanked me and hung up.” Sheldon’s voice was flat, but his hands were clasped tightly in his lap. “I then realized that my answer was factually correct but emotionally insufficient.”

Mary smiled. “It’s never too late to try.”

For a long moment, the only sound was the hum of the refrigerator.

“Is it too late to call him back?” Sheldon asked quietly.