Mathieu Vidal

Mathieu is one of the many passengers you can pick up in Night Call.

Passidex entries

 * You have met Mathieu.
 * This is unmissable. You'll get it upon your first interaction.


 * You thought about when you met Mathieu.
 * Appears to unlock during/after the first encounter - despite there not being any mention of Mathieu before Houssine went to sleep. Bugged in a good way, I suppose.


 * Mathieu talked about his father...
 * TEMP SOLUTION: Break the ice, Car accident, Widen eyes, Who reached out first?, I'm sorry.


 * ...and about his pain...
 * TEMP SOLUTION: Break the ice, Car accident, Widen eyes, Who reached out first?, I'm sorry.


 * ...and you dropped him off in front of a bar.
 * TBA


 * ...and you dropped him off at home. *UNCONFIRMED* 
 * TBA


 * Mathieu talked about his wife...
 * TBA


 * ...and you found out the truth.
 * TBA


 * ...and he disappeared with his baby.
 * TBA

Transcripts
You can meet Mathieu on four separate nights (within the same playthrough) to have different conversations.



Night 1
''« Avenue de Sibelle... in the 14th arrondissement. »''

You pick up your client right outside the entrance of a public hospital. He slips into the back seat and blurts out an address in an upscale neighbourhood. Everything about him denotes fatigue -- voice, face, eyes... Judging by his clothes, you doubt he's a doctor. But you're well aware that appearances can be deceiving... Your eyes meet, and you give him a smile. He doesn't respond. The ride begins in silence. In the rearview mirror, you notice your passenger's clenched fist, tight mouth and twitching eyelids...

(Say nothing.) (Break the ice.)

TBA

See below...

HOUSSINE: "They're good at that hospital."

Your words startle him.

MATHIEU: "Excuse me?"

HOUSSINE: "I was just saying, they're good at that hospital. They took care of me a couple of weeks ago..."

He moves in closer, ever so slightly, as if to better stare at you.

MATHIEU: "Nothing serious, I hope?"

You shake your head 'no'.

« A car accident. »   « Fell down the stairs. »   « Pneumonia. »   « No, nothing serious... »

He gives a brief, mirthless laugh.

MATHIEU: "I hope it wasn't your fault..."

HOUSSINE: "It wasn't. The other driver skidded on the ice and..."

MATHIEU: "A dumb accident."

HOUSSINE: "Exactly..."

MATHIEU: "Nothing serious?"

HOUSSINE: "No, it was nothing... A nasty gash and a broken rib..."

TBA

TBA

His mouth curves into a hesitant smile... empathy, perhaps? Utter silence. You try to read your passenger's thoughts in the rearview mirror. His head dips in a reluctant nod, as if hesitant to speak. He moves a hand to his pants pocket, feeling for something. No luck.

MATHIEU: "You're..."

He breaks off, sorry to have spoken, but his anger wins out. You can sense it beneath the surface, eating away at him. What is he so angry about, you wonder?

MATHIEU: "You're right. The staff at the hospital is excellent. Especially the nurses... The doctors, too. They're young and committed... Pretty unusual for a public hospital."

He turns his gaze to the passing street with its Christmas decorations, darkened windows, and rare passers-by... You don't let your guard down.

MATHIEU: "I work in the private sector. I am a gynaecologist. But my father..."

His voice shakes.

MATHIEU: "I can't even begin to tell you..."

He lowers his gaze. You sense he's gone to some far-off place... Then, he comes around.

MATHIEU: "The day I graduated from high school, my father shook my hand and said... It's your turn now... to try and be as successful as me... But you'll never be a match for me."

« Maybe just his way of motivating you... »   « It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, eh? »   « Don't you think he was joking? »   (Widen your eyes.)

TBA

MATHIEU: "No, it definitely wasn't."

TBA

↓

MATHIEU: "He doesn't like me. He hates me, really. He's always considered me an inferior being... like some kind of parasite, really. He's never forgiven me for going into the private sector. All told, we've talked maybe three, four times in the past six years."

A chilling silence.

« That's it? »   « Who reached out first? »   (Say nothing.)

MATHIEU: "That's it. Nothing more."

MATHIEU: "He usually did."

TBA

Your passenger's jaw is slowly relaxing.

MATHIEU: "He called to tell me an uncle or cousin had died. Sometimes, it was just a pretext to make some new dig. He'd read my name in a magazine, wanted to make fun of one of my clients."

He shakes his head.

MATHIEU: "I... I treated a lot of actresses, at one point... I... Forget it... He's going to die. He's only got a few days left. Generalised cancer. There's nothing more to be done. His new wife contacted me, asked me to come. So I did. Like a good son..."

He gives an acid laugh.

MATHIEU: "He called me an idiot, and... roasted me in front of the intern. He didn't spare a single fucking thing! The choices I've made... My life, my work... I grabbed my jacket and walked out. He can die there... all alone..."

« Sometimes, disease can make you... »   « I'm sorry. »   (Say nothing.)

He closes his eyes and lifts a hand.

MATHIEU: "No, stop, please. It's not the disease... The disease hasn't changed him."

His voice thickens with emotion. You can hear the fury in every syllable.

MATHIEU: "I..."

He seems be taken aback by your thoughtfulness...

MATHIEU: "I don't know why I'm telling you all this. If I'd trusted my gut, I would have..."

He is unable to contain his anger any longer.

MATHIEU: "I think I'd have gone..."

He manages to compose himself at last, catching his breath one gulping heave at a time. When he speaks again, the tone of his voice is light and affected.

TBA

MATHIEU: "The only thing that man ever gave me was... hatred. I don't know what I did to deserve it... I worked hard. Everything I am today, I did it all without his help. He kicked me out the day I graduated."

You can hear the muscles working in his jaw...

MATHIEU: "Was that on account of the disease, too?"

You remain silent. You can see his building at the end of the street.

MATHIEU: "That was the last time I ever saw him. Pale and shrunken, like a pathetic-looking rat. A small lab rat devoured by disease, his skin all shrivelled up by the chemo."

You park your car. Your passenger hands you the fare.

MATHIEU: "Keep the change."

He exits the car and walks away without closing the door. His footsteps echo through the quiet street, and the door of his building slams shut. A moment or two passes and you get out of the cab to close the car door. You look up at the cushy apartments. The balconies are well-maintained, some turned into greenhouses; you notice a few plants no doubt looking forward to summer. You climb back into the car.



Night 2
''« Avenue de Sibelle... in the 14th arrondissement, please... »''

Your passenger is standing on the sidewalk, not too far from the hospital entrance. When he settles into the back seat, you take a look at the building... Peeling paint, broken windows, a rundown parking lot... He eyes you closely for a moment... give you his address, lowers his gaze... then looks up at you again.

MATHIEU: "You've driven me before, haven't you?"

You nod yes and start the cab. He's already been in your cab, but the two of you hardly exchanged a word. He is visibly upset, overcome with emotion. This might be a chance to talk to him... to find out more...

« Is everything alright? »   « Rough evening? »   « I know that hospital well. »   (Say nothing.)

TBA

TBA

MATHIEU: "You do?"

Your remark seems to have snapped him out of it.

HOUSSINE: "Yes, I have been a patient there..."

Your passenger gives you a funny look, part sad part sheepish, but above all... angry.

MATHIEU: "I'm sorry, but I don't feel like talking."

You nod and remain silent. The tone of his voice was... icy.

You keep an eye on your passenger...

The ride drags on, nothing happens. Your passenger is racked by conflicting emotions. He seems ready to explode, to burst out shouting... All at once, he moves in a little closer.

MATHIEU: "Let's..."

He stops short, surprised by the sound of his own voice, as if hearing it for the first time.

MATHIEU: "Change of plans. There's a bar near here that is still open. I need a drink."

He gives you an address that seems vaguely familiar, the kind of place probably open 24 hours a day.

MATHIEU: "I need a drink. I've never needed one so badly in my whole life."

He closes his eyes, covers his face, and retreats into silence. You can sense it's already too late, you've lost him. The words... His attitude... Something tells you your passenger is an alcoholic. Or a recovering alcoholic. You can feel it in your gut... from past experience. The temperature in the taxi seems to be rising as you approach the bar, as if your passenger were devoured by fire... His eyes... His face... He seems about ready to howl -- with joy or pain. You pull up in front of the bar. He quickly hands you the fare, without a word or a look.

« Take care of yourself. »   « Have a nice evening. »   (Say nothing.)

MATHIEU: "Yeah, sure. No worries. Everything's under control."

He reaches for the door... He can tell by your look that you're not buying it. Nothing is under control. Nothing at all.

TBA

See below...

He slams the door, crosses the street, and disappears into one of those Parisian bars you don't see too often these days... A couple of regulars with a glass of wine or a pint of beer... A wall-mounted CRT TV playing African music videos... The customers are older, mostly black and North African. A woman sitting in a corner is reading a book... Despite his age and skin colour, your fare seems immediately at home. You open your window to feel the night air on your face. The conversation has brought back bad memories, stirred up old demons lurking inside... You start the engine as soon as feel up to it.



Night 3
« ''We're going home... Avenue Sybelle, please...'' »

The man getting in your taxi is holding a baby carrier, which he places ever-so-delicately next to him. You glance outside. The hospital your passenger just exited appears to be a private clinic, the very expensive kind. He fastens the belt around the infant seat and gives you his address. His hands are shaking. He leans over the carrier. You start driving.

MATHIEU: "And we're on our way. We're going home."

He reaches towards the opening but freezes before changing his mind.

MATHIEU: "You're sleeping."

He says it out loud, but to himself. He straightens up. He looks about thirty. His face, which was beaming up to now, seems to grow hollow before your eyes. He probably hasn't gotten much sleep lately. You drive in total silence for a while. Your passenger gazes out the window, his hand cupped over his forehead. His eyes are shiny and you wonder for a second if he might be crying. He sits up abruptly, and speaks to you with a big grin.

MATHIEU: "I hope she doesn't wake up. I don't want her to bother you."

« It's no problem. »   « Be careful... »   (Say nothing.)

HOUSSINE: "I'm well versed in not getting distracted."

You smile in order to reassure the new dad.

HOUSSINE: "And I'm sure I've had passengers that have made much more noise than your baby..."

His eyes wander outside again and he lets out a sigh.

HOUSSINE: "I drive better when it's peaceful."

MATHIEU: "I... think it'll be ok."

His sentence tapers off in a whisper and he glances at the carrier.

MATHIEU: "She's had a rough few days. She's recovering."

TBA

He tries to catch your gaze in the rearview mirror.

MATHIEU: "You have kids?"

« Tell the truth. »   « Lie. »   (Say nothing.)

HOUSSINE: "Yes... one."

His expression freezes. At first you think he's waiting for you to say something else, but his expression is more one of fear.

« I don't see him much... »   « He's quite the live wire... »   (Say nothing.)

See below...

TBA

TBA

HOUSSINE: "His mother and I don't get along very well."

MATHIEU: "I see. That happens a lot these days. More than half of all marriages, I think."

He pauses.

MATHIEU: "I mean, personally, the statistics..."

HOUSSINE: "No."

You slowly shake your head. When your passenger speaks, his words come out in a slight croak.

MATHIEU: "I get you. I mean, I don't know if it was a choice on your part..."

He seems embarrassed for a second, and falls silent.

TBA

He rubs his eyes with his thumb and forefinger for a second. The crowns of light coming off the streetlamps wash over his face, covering it with dancing shadows that make him look even more tired.

MATHIEU: "It's not easy."

A new glance at the infant seat. A fleeting smile appears on his face and vanishes.

MATHIEU: "I never realised. Never again will I..."

« Never again what? »   (Say nothing.)

His face looks deathly pale. You're not quite sure if it's the effect of the headlights beaming at you or if it's something else. He answers in a sigh.

MATHIEU: "Be alone. I'll never be alone again."

↓

The taxi goes over a bridge and your passenger jumps a little. He leans over, to get closer to you.

MATHIEU: "You know, we often say children grow up in their parents' image. They either replicate or rebel against them... But it's the same thing, really. Except sometimes we can't do either."

He stops to think for a second.

MATHIEU: "Ok, here's an example: have you ever been bitten by a tick?"

« Yes. »   « No. » « Huh? »   (Say nothing.)

MATHIEU: "Me too... dozens of times."

TBA

MATHIEU: "You know... ticks, Acarina, parasites that live in tall grass."

He can see you don't understand and continues.

TBA

MATHIEU: "There were tons in our yard when I was a kid. Creepy little buggers... I'd read they could transmit Lyme disease and I was terrified of them. I was obsessed with them. Some kids are obsessed with knights or space travel... for me, it was ixodidae... To each his own."

« Why are you telling me about this? »   « Ixo... whats? »   (Say nothing.)

MATHIEU: "Ah... I dunno. I'm a little out of it."

He pauses, seems to be picking his brain.

MATHIEU: "Oh right! Kids!"

MATHIEU: "It's... it's the scientific name for ticks. Don't worry about it."

He smiles at you... continues talking, all the while glancing at his baby.

TBA

MATHIEU: "Every time I had a tick stuck on me somewhere, I went to my dad. He had special tweezers to pull them out. He was super professional and very reassuring. I was impressed with how he handled it. Except when he was done, he made fun of me."

He pauses... runs his fingers over the canopy on the carrier. He lowers his voice.

MATHIEU: "He enjoyed making fun of me... He could see I was terrified... but he told me fear wasn't scientific..."

Stifled laughter.

MATHIEU: "Did I mention my father was a doctor? An asshole, and a doctor. I'm a doctor too. A gynaecologist."

« Thanks to him? »   « In spite of him? »   (Say nothing.)

MATHIEU: "I suppose so... And probably also in spite of him."

MATHIEU: "I suppose so... Thanks to him."

TBA

MATHIEU: "I'd have loved to tell him to fuck off, back then... and yet... every time..."

He stares at you.

MATHIEU: "I felt like I owed him my life."

Silence quickly fills the cab again. Total, dead silence. You can even hear the baby breathing. Your passenger leans over the carrier, speaking in hushed tones.

MATHIEU: "No, no... sleep just a little longer. We're almost there."

You smile at his attentiveness. It's a little too much.

« What a good baby. »   « What's its name? »   (Say nothing.)

MATHIEU: "Very. I don't know where she gets it. It must be from her m..."

You see a hint of surprise in his expression before he gets it.

MATHIEU: "Ah! Uhh... Celeste... Her name is Celeste. I wasn't a huge fan of that name at first, but now I find it magnif..."

TBA

He stops short in the middle of his sentence, like he can't breathe. Tears begin streaming down his face. Hot, wet tears, that roll down his cheeks like pearls. You can almost hear them splatting onto the floor. Your passenger remains perfectly still.

« You ok? »   « It'll be ok. »   « Let it out. Crying is good for you. »   (Say nothing.)

TBA

MATHIEU: "No... No..."

HOUSSINE: "It's the lack of sleep talking now."

He's shaking.

MATHIEU: "No... I..."

TBA

MATHIEU: "I... don't know. I just don't know anymore."

He turns his head toward the carrier.

MATHIEU: "Are we going to make it without her?"

« Without who? »   (Say nothing.)

MATHIEU: "Without Mathilde. Her mother."

↓

MATHIEU: "At first, I didn't understand. I was holding Celeste... trying not to drop her, even though my hands were shaking. There was quite a bit of blood. I looked at Mathilde. She was pale. She could barely keep her eyes open. Like when she's had a few too many at the end of a party and it's time to go to bed. But she was smiling... and then..."

You feel your throat tighten automatically.

MATHIEU: "They asked me to leave the room. I said that maybe Mathilde would want to hold Celeste... The midwife looked at me like I was crazy. She said, "Later." But just from the tone of her voice, I could tell she meant "Never." "

He stops talking for a second and his tears run suddenly dry. His expression remains in limbo.

MATHIEU: "It's a statistical aberration, you know. Women dying during childbirth. In France. 10 out of 100 000. 0.01%. More or less."

A hideous and uncontrolled smile disfigures him.

MATHIEU: "Maybe I should play the lottery..." MATHIEU: I mean, personally, statistics..."

He looks at her for a while then focuses his gaze on his hands. And finally, on the carrier.

MATHIEU: "I can't wake her up. She needs to sleep..."

You just pulled up in front of the address he gave you. A large, modern building, white with square windows.

MATHIEU: "It's up to me to take care of her..."

His hands shake as he pays you. His voice shakes as he wishes you "Good night."

HOUSSINE: "Have a good night too."

Your passenger gets out and grabs the carrier by the handle. He pushes the door shut with a foot.

(Watch him in the rearview mirror.) (Start driving.)

(Watch him in the rearview mirror.) (Start driving.)

(Watch him in the rearview mirror.) (Start driving.)

The man buckles under an invisible weight, sinking into the sidewalk with each step. Yet, he's carrying his enormous burden with ease. With one hand. As he walks past a storefront, its lights flood the carrier for a second. You could swear it was empty.

↓

Your hand clasps the gear shift. You drive off into the night.

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Night 4
« ''Avenue Sybelle... in the 14th arrondissement...'' »

Temporary solution: Click here to toggle the different opening depending on if Mathieu recognises you/some other variable. Default: Not recognised.

It's raining. Only a drizzle, but it's insistent. You pull up in front of a ritzy medical clinic. You recognise the place, of course... as well as the passenger. He gets in your cab, sets down his baby carrier and gives you his address in a wavering voice. His eyes are red, but his features look less strained than last time. He has his left hand firmly on the carrier, like he is afraid it might fly off. He pulls a tissue out of his right pocket and dabs the baby's forehead. You can just make her out in the light coming off a streetlamp. You think about the last time you drove him, when you thought the carrier was empty.

(Say something about the carrier.) (Don't say anything.)

TBA

See below...

Your passenger looks closely at you. You can tell he doesn't recognise you.

« How is Celeste doing? »   « How have you been since last time? »   (Say nothing.)

You can feel your passenger watching you, and the weight of his incomprehension pressing on the back of your neck. He finally gets it.

In the rearview mirror, you catch your passenger's eye staring at you. At first you think he's surprised, but as you keep looking, you realise it's actually anger coming through. A form of fury so pure you feel shivers running up and down your spine. But it doesn't last and, a second later, he smiles vaguely.

TBA

MATHIEU: "Ah! We've met before... Sorry for last time. I was..."

You wait for him to finish his sentence, but his words are swallowed by the hum of the cab. He rubs his hand over his face and sighs. The silence that ensues is suffocating, though you can't really figure out why. He finally breaks the silence.

MATHIEU: "Have you... Have you ever been really scared?"

It sounds like a child's question. You don't really understand what he's getting at.

HOUSSINE: "Really scared?"

MATHIEU: "Yes. When you think it's all over. When you can't breathe anymore..."

You hesitate to answer... You know those moments all too well.

« Yes. »   « No. » (Shrug.)

HOUSSINE: "There was a point in my life when I thought I couldn't cope."

MATHIEU: "Cope with what?"

As soon as the words left his mouth he waved his hand, like he was sweeping the thought away.

MATHIEU: "Sorry. It's none of my business."

↓

TBA

MATHIEU: "I thought that..."

The tone of his voice is familiar: total and utter distress. The kind that wrings you out, compresses you, chokes you.

MATHIEU: "I thought I knew what it was like... Fear, I mean. I've already freaked out about things... in school, at work... about my dad..."

He pauses again.

MATHIEU: "But never like tonight."

His hand grasps the handle on the carrier so tightly his entire arm begins to shake, almost imperceptibly.

« What happened? »   « Was there a problem with Celeste? »   (Shrug.)

↓

Your passenger glances in a panicky way at the carrier, like he'd just remembered it was there. The blanket has fallen part way off... He awkwardly pulls it back up.

TBA

MATHIEU: "She's sick. Celeste. My little girl. I picked her up at the nanny's a little while ago and she was having trouble breathing. I examined her... After all, I am a doctor."

A weak smile grabs on to his lips.

MATHIEU: "I heard a lot of whistling, like she had a lot of congestion."

Mysteriously, the creases in his face seem to disappear, making him appear younger. The impression only lasts a second.

MATHIEU: "She was looking at me with her big eyes. Like she didn't understand what was going on. I panicked."

He chews on his index finger and looks outside.

MATHIEU: "So, I brought her to the ER."

« What did they say? »   « Is she alright? »   (Let him continue.)

MATHIEU: "They said..."

He looks lost for a split second before getting back to his story.

MATHIEU: "I work there, actually. In another department. Gynaecology. It's been weeks since I last went to work... But I just had no choice."

He sighs and starts speaking in a softer voice, like he suddenly remembered his baby was sleeping next to him.

MATHIEU: "I grabbed a resident and requisitioned an exam room. I undressed Celeste so he could examine her. I described her symptoms, her trouble breathing... I just kept going on and on. But I didn't dare look at her. I was too scared she might have turned blue or passed out. I didn't even notice..."

MATHIEU: "Healthy as ever... I grabbed a resident by the back of the neck, dragged him into an exam room and..."

TBA

He stops, misty-eyed. His lip trembles when he starts speaking again.

MATHIEU: "She was in great shape! She grabbed the resident's stethoscope with her tiny little hands and was smiling at him. Now he didn't say a thing. He was checking me out, standing there, like I was totally insane..."

He pauses, briefly.

MATHIEU: "I started blubbering like never before."

« Shit. »   « I understand. »   (Let him continue.)

↓

TBA

MATHIEU: "Fucking buckets. There was no stopping me... The more the tears flowed, the more I got the impression a huge weight was being lifted off my shoulders. The resident didn't know what the fuck to do with himself... After a while, he finally told me I needed to make room for "somebody who's really sick"..."

His relief is contagious, but you can't help feel a little... embarrassed. Your passenger notices.

MATHIEU: "Ha ha... I don't know what made me get so carried away..."

You remember your passenger lost his wife during childbirth... There's the reason. No doubt about it.

« It's probably the fall-out. »   « Stress, maybe? »   (Say nothing.)

MATHIEU: "The... fall-out?"

Your passenger's face freezes. His tone is dry. You barely recognise his voice.

MATHIEU: "What are you talking about?"

You hesitate. Maybe you've... got the wrong passenger?

« I'm talking about your wife. »   « It's not easy to raise a child on your own. »

TBA

See below... (DOESN'T GO ANYWHERE)

See below...

TBA

MATHIEU: "Ah... no... no. I just realised something..."

You're intrigued but he doesn't continue and you glace in the rearview mirror again. He's staring at you intently. You realise that's what's been bothering you. For several minutes now, he's been staring right at you. Like he was trying to gauge your every reaction.

MATHIEU: "I just realised something rather... profound. Parents are not all-powerful. From the very moment you put a child into this world, you have to trust it. That's why we speak of "giving" life. We give them that gift, but... They get to decide what they do with it. What do you think?"

He poses his question in an almost cheerful voice, like he wanted to get rid of the thought. Or change subjects.

« Yeah, you know, me and philosophy... »   « I agree. »   « I'm not so sure... »

TBA

MATHIEU: "Ha-ha, great! But... "

He's grabbed the back of your seat with his left hand and is leaning forward. You have trouble recognising his voice.

MATHIEU: "What exactly do you agree with?"

« We can't always save the people we love. »   « Our children exist without us. »   « We can't control much of anything in life... »

See below...

TBA

TBA

MATHIEU: "Wha... What makes you say that? Who are you talking about? Mathilde?"

« Not necessarily... »   « Not only... »   (Say nothing.)

See below...

TBA

TBA

Something breaks inside him. You can almost hear it. He rolls his eyes, cradles his head in his hands and says a few things you can't understand. Unsettled by his sudden burst of anger, for a second you're worried he might get violent. But for the first time tonight, you're also relieved... Through his anger, you can tell he's being more honest than ever. You hear him groan suddenly.

MATHIEU: "This is fine. I'm here. Let me out here."

You park the best you can. He throws the fare at you -- much more than necessary -- opens the door and extracts himself from the car. A little shaken by the way the ride ended up, you sit and watch the empty street for a while. A full two minutes later, you suddenly realise the carrier is still in the cab. You turn around: in the carrier, all you find is a plastic doll. Its glass eyes stare back at you. A few minutes go by... You've turned back to the steering wheel. You put the carrier and doll in the trunk. You put on some music to clear your thoughts. It seems the least you can do before going back to work. You can't seem to get your hand to turn the key in the ignition. You keep playing the scene over and over again in your mind. And you think about your scar... the pain running through your body... You sigh and drive off.

HOUSSINE: "It's more complicated than that. I think that..."

You stop when you see the expression on your passenger's face.

MATHIEU: "You think what?"

HOUSSINE: "Well, I think that..."

« ...parents need to protect their kids. »   « ...we don't decide. It's fate. »   « ...your sadness is making you say that. »

See below...

TBA

TBA

A shrug takes over his upper body.

MATHIEU: "Yes... I mean... Whatever."

He suddenly bangs on the door. His face clouds over steadily. With sadness... or maybe disappointment. His voice is so weak you can barely hear it.

MATHIEU: "This is fine. We're here. Let us out here."

You can tell you don't have choice. His destination isn't that far away, so... You pull over as soon as you can. He pays, opens the door and extracts himself from the cab. Without so much as a glance at you, he reaches over and grabs the carrier. He walks off into the night. The carrier in his hand seems... a bit too light. You glance back and immediately regret doing so; there's nothing in the back seat. You rub your eyes. It's time to go.

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