Eleven

When Alex cannot find Nunu anywhere, he worries that she was abducted by a stranger. Alex searches for Nunu, yelling her name as Rex howls. Then, he sees a maintenance yard. After checking an empty shed, Alex’s panic increases until he spots Rex standing excitedly in front of a huge pipe where Nunu sits playing the Gameboy. She waves at him and explains that she went there because of the sun’s glare on the screen. Through it all, Rex howls, which sends the kids into fits of laughter. As they walk away, though, they see Jordan standing on a bridge hurling a beer bottle. The glass hits Rex, and the dog goes down.

Meanwhile, in Manhattan, the unnamed man sees a policewoman helping the injured and coughs up dust before asking if he can help. He joins hands with the police officer, and they form a cradle to carry an injured man to safety.

Cradling the dog in his arms, Alex sprints to a nearby animal hospital. They arrive just as the veterinarian is leaving, but Dr. Marks agrees to examine Rex. He gives the dog stitches and instructs Alex to apply cream to the injury twice a day. When Alex admits that he has no money, the vet gives the medicine to him anyway, asking for the dog’s name. Alex confesses that he just found the dog. Reading its microchip, Dr. Marks discovers the dog’s name and address: Radar, 417 Van Orton Street. He advises Alex to return the dog to its rightful owners. Finally, Dr. Marks asks Alex about his parents, and when Alex explains their jobs, the vet tells him about the terrorist attacks. Nunu, in the waiting room, hears nothing.

Suddenly, Alex understands the strangeness of the day, and he grasps what the bullies were saying on the playground. As the details click into place, he understands why his mom has banned television and myriad questions arise. Just as quickly, his mind shifts to his father.

Across town, an older man watches television intently. He, too, has many questions. The man’s name is Mac—short for MacKnight—and he thinks of his wife, battling Alzheimer’s in the next room, and of his grown son, Bobby, who lives with them and takes the train to work in the World Trade Center every morning. Mac wonders if his son will return.

While Alex and Mac wonder about their loved ones, the Man in the White Shirt and the policewoman continue to help victims by taking them to a medical tent a safe distance away from the destruction. Without warning, the officer is called away and the gravity of the day hits the man, who begins to shake. At first, he blames exhaustion, but as tears fall, he realizes that he is emotionally drained and needs to see his family.

After leaving the animal hospital, Alex, Nunu, and Radar walk toward a bridge that has a clear view of Manhattan. For the first time, Alex notices that there are policemen everywhere. He tells his sister and the dog to wait while he walks to the middle of the bridge. As he looks out to Manhattan, he sees that the Twin Towers are not visible, replaced by trails of smoke. Remembering his hateful words to his father the night before, Alex feels dizzy and unsteady, believing that this is all his fault. Convinced he must do something, Alex decides that a big sacrifice is needed to save his father, so he resolves to return Radar to his owner.

While Alex makes his deal with the universe, Mac makes his own. If he ignores the news, his son will call. He stares at the phone, willing it to ring. Nothing happens. He decides that if he does not look at the phone, Bobby will call. He imagines their conversation and smiles, convinced that his son will contact him soon.

When Alex drags Nunu with him to return Radar, his little sister questions him incessantly. He does not reveal anything because she still does not know about the events of the day. A whirlwind of papers begins to fly around Alex. Radar has grabbed the boy’s backpack and is swinging it around, sending the contents everywhere.

Just like Alex, the Man in the White Shirt finds himself in a whirlwind of paper, debris from the collapsed office buildings. For a moment, it reminds him of a father-son outing to the Yankees’ World Series victory parade a few years prior, and he smiles. However, he is jolted by glass shattering nearby where someone’s family photo has crashed. After propping the image against a wall, the man glimpses his ghostly reflection in a window.

As Alex unsuccessfully tries to call his mother, he looks at a billboard advertising flights to Boston and it gives him the chills. Nunu grabs his sleeve and points toward what looks like ghosts. People exit the ferry from Manhattan covered in dust and ash. Alex tries to shield his little sister from the sight, and only when they get closer does he ask someone if they were at the Twin Towers. Seeing these people brings the tragedy into focus. Until that moment, it had felt far away. When a terrified Nunu asks if the people are ghosts, Alex makes up a story about them attempting to make the world’s largest muffin, but it exploded, covering them in flour. When Nunu laughs, Alex feels relief.