Zimmerman blushed and chuckled a little.
Hayman asked him, So what do you make of what you just heard from my students?
Zimmerman tilted his head and thought for a moment.
Then he said, Well, at least some of your students seem to think theres some kind of moral difference at work here. If you neglect to help someone and they get hurt or killed, its wrongbut its all right if there dont happen to be any bad consequences. But I dont see the distinction. The behaviors are identical. Different consequences dont really change whether theyre right or wrong.
A hush fell over the classroom as Zimmermans point started to sink in.
Hayman asked Zimmerman, Does that mean that everybody here should be wracked with guilt right along with Riley and Trudy?
Zimmerman shrugged.
Maybe just the opposite. Does feeling guilty do anybody any good? Is it going to bring the young woman back? Maybe there are more appropriate things for all of us to be feeling right now.
Zimmerman stepped in front of the desk and made eye contact with the students.
Tell me, those of you who werent very close to Rhea. How are you feeling toward these two friends of hers right nowRiley and Trudy?
The classroom was silent for a moment.
Then Riley was astonished to hear a few sobs break out in the classroom.
One girl said in a choked voice, Oh, I just feel so awful for them.
Another said, Riley and Trudy, I wish you didnt feel guilty. You shouldnt. What happened to Rhea was terrible enough. I just cant imagine the pain youre feeling right now.
Other students echoed their agreement.
Zimmerman gave the class an understanding smile.
He said, I guess most of you know that my specialty is criminal pathology. My lifes work is about trying to understand a criminals mind. And for the last three days, Ive been struggling to make sense of this crime. So far, Im only really sure of one thing. This was personal. The killer knew Rhea and wanted her dead.
Again, Riley struggled to comprehend the incomprehensible
Someone hated Rhea enough to kill her?
Then Zimmerman added, As awful as that sounds, I can assure you of one thing. He wont kill again. Rhea was his target, no one else. And Im confident the police will find him soon.
He leaned against the edge of the desk and said, I can tell you one other thingwherever the killer is right now, whatever hes doing, hes not feeling what all of you seem to be feeling. He is incapable of sympathy for another persons sufferingmuch less the actual empathy I sense in this room.
He wrote down the words sympathy and empathy on the big whiteboard.
He asked, Would anybody care to remind me of the difference between these two words?
Riley was a bit surprised that Trudy raised her hand.
Trudy said, Sympathy is when you care about what somebody else is feeling. Empathy is when you actually share somebody elses feelings.
Zimmerman nodded and jotted down Trudys definitions.
Exactly, he said. So I suggest that all of us put aside our feelings of guilt. Focus instead on our capacity for empathy. It separates us from the worlds most terrible monsters. Its preciousmost of all at a time like now.
Hayman seemed to be pleased with Zimmermans observations.
He said, If its OK with everybody, I think we should cut todays class short. Its been pretty intensebut I hope it has been helpful. Just remember, youre all processing some pretty powerful feelings right noweven those of you who werent very close to Rhea. Dont expect the grief, shock, and horror to go away anytime soon. Let them run their course. Theyre part of the healing process. And dont be afraid to reach out to the schools counselors for help. Or to each other. Or to me and Dr. Zimmerman.
As the students got up from their desks to leave, Zimmerman called out
On your way out, give Riley and Trudy a hug. They could use it.
For the first time during the class, Riley felt annoyed.
What makes him think I need a hug?
The truth was, hugs were the last things she wanted right now.
Suddenly she rememberedthis was the thing that had turned her off about Dr. Zimmerman when she had taken a class with him. He was way too cuddly for her taste, and he was all touchy-feely about lots of things, and he liked to tell students to hug each other.
That seemed kind of weird for a psychologist who specialized in criminal pathology.
It also seemed odd for a man so big on empathy.
After all, how did he know whether she and Trudy wanted to be hugged or not? He hadnt even bothered to ask.
How empathetic is that?
Riley couldnt help think that the guy was a phony deep down.
Nevertheless, she stood there stoically while one student after another gave her a sympathetic hug. Some of them were crying. And she could see that Trudy didnt mind this attention at all. Trudy kept smiling through her own tears with every hug.
Maybe its just me, Riley thought.
Was something wrong with her?
Maybe she didnt have the same feelings as other people.
Soon all the hugging was over, and most of the students had left the room, including Trudy. So had Dr. Zimmerman.
Riley was glad to have a moment alone with Dr. Hayman. She walked up to him and said, Thanks for the talk about guilt and responsibility. I really needed to hear that.
He smiled at her and said, Glad to be of help. I know this must be very hard for you.
Riley lowered her head for a moment, gathering up her nerve to say something she really wanted to say.
Finally she said, Dr. Hayman, you probably dont remember, but I was in your Intro to Psych course back in my freshman year.
I remember, he said.
Riley swallowed down her nervousness and said, Well, Ive always meant to tell you you really inspired me to major in psychology.
Hayman looked a bit startled now.
Wow, he said. Thats really nice to hear. Thank you.
They stood looking at each other for an awkward moment. Riley hoped she wasnt making a fool of herself.
Finally Hayman said, Look, Ive been paying attention to you in classthe papers you write, the questions you ask, the ideas you share with everybody. Youve got a good mind. And Ive got a feeling youve got questions about what happened to your friend that most of the other kids dont think aboutmaybe dont even want to think about.
Riley gulped again. He was right, of coursealmost uncannily right.
Now this is empathy, she thought.
She flashed back to the night of the murder, when shed stood outside Rheas room wishing she could go inside, feeling as if shed learn something important if she could only walk through that door at that very moment.
But that moment was gone. When Riley had finally been able to go inside, the room was all cleaned up, looking as if nothing had ever happened there.
She said slowly
I really want to understand why. I really want to know
Her voice faded. Did she dare say tell Haymanor anybody elsethe truth?
That she wanted to understand the mind of the man who had murdered her friend?
That she almost wanted to empathize with him?
She was relieved when Hayman nodded, seeming to understand.