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CHAPTER ONE

1

Nick

The three of us sat at one end of the long, shiny conference table I didn’t knohy the hospital ad with only four people My sister Julia was a little late—perfectly understandable for someone in a wheelchair The ad at their phones Very i for my sister

I say sister, she’s my stepsister, actually I hadn’t seen her for almost three years, and honestly? I was terrified I kept drinking coffee, like more caffeine hat I needed to calm down I didn’t knohat Julia would do Would she accuse one since before she started life in a wheelchair, and I didn’t even kno she was handling it Dad and Lucy, herabout her, at her insistence, they both said Jesus, she must have wanted to killall this up

“Does Julia have an aide or a nurse helping her?” I asked

“Oh, no, nothing like that,” the doctor said He gave me kind of a weird look “She hasn’t needed that level of care for quite a while”

“Well, good,” I said Iher useless legs through life without help?

Thisa new ICU to Greenwood Hospital, the hospital that saved Julia’s life I wanted to dedicate it to her, name it after her, put her beautiful face on all the publicity for it It was almost ready to be opened for business and this was the point where Julia’s part would start It was the least I could do

“I think your sister’s involvement—” the administrator said

“Step She’s my stepsister”

“Okay I think she is just what the project needs,” he finished

“Yes, I’ it will be inspirational for the public,” I said “To see hoell she’s doing, even with the limitations she has, thanks to the care she received here” I know I sounded like an ass, but I couldn’t help ain, so I went on, “It’s so brave of her to be willing to do this”

A young woman in nurse’s scrubs walked into the room and sat down at the table across from me I had taken the breath to ask her who she hen she looked into my eyes

It was Julia

The other two men, the hospital administrator and the doctor, had risen to their feet to shake Julia’s hand and greet her I could only sit there and stare

That face That thick honey-colored hair That little mole at the corner of herto touch Julia The last time I saw her face, it isted in pain, barely conscious, in this hospital How could I let years go by without a glimpse of that face?

She had walked into this room Walked! I felt like I’d fallen asleep in the middle of aon What the hell was going on?

She had politely greeted the other“Nick?” she finally said

I couldn’t think I said the words that were flashing red in ht you were in a wheelchair!”

“I was in a wheelchair,” she said “Now I’et started?”

The hospital ad The sound of his voice floated around the rooood thing, too, because I could not concentrate on anything Except Julia, and she didn’t say much She didn’t look atat her Her face had changed a bit It was thinner, ular She was only twenty-one years old, but the soft roundness of her teens was gone Her eyes seeer, the hollows of her cheekselse Before the accident, I used to love to watch that little hed, even at things that weren’t very funny Now, the mole was still Her face was like a mask A beautiful mask Had I done this to her, too?

She glanced at htened her lips, and said, “I’m not sure why I have to be involved in this at all I don’t object to the hospital using my name if you want to But won’t people come to the ICU when they need it no matter what it’s called? I don’t see what my picture will do”

“Julia, your brother—”

“Stepbrother,” she said, glancing at ain

“Okay, stepbrother He planned this project fro to be centered around you, around your story of survival and healing in this hospital”

“He can un-plan it, can’t he?” she said