Police tended to his shattered ride, blocking the road, while paramedics tended to his shattered body.

I could see you scanning what was visible through the ambulance’s maw. I could even see what you were thinking: “Serious enough, but he’ll live.” You’re a nurse, you would have known what to do if he had fallen in our very presence. “No helicopter”, I thought. “He’ll live.” With bikes it’s always a him.

We went up to the orchards and found late summer’s glorious decay in perfect working order.