Page 56 (1/2)

"Finn, even if we’re just sent away, I’d like to go by"

"As you wish, Megan As you wish"

Chapter 17

At the information desk, as Finn expected, they were told that no one except ian was distressed, and looked at Finn "Maybe we could at least buy flowers and leave them for hied with short, curly red hair and a gaunt but sy face She cleared her throat and told them "I’m sorry They won’t alloers in the intensive care unit Perhaps if you coular rooht now?" Finn asked

"Critical but stable"

As Finn watched Megan, he knew she was certain that Andy Markhaet any better

"Perhaps we could buy a card and write a get well note in it," Finn said

Megan glanced at him with a quick smile of appreciation "We’ll do that," she said softly, though again, he was certain his wife believed Andy would never read the note Still, it was soo buy a card in the little gift shop, and be right back," he said, and turned to leave Megan by the desk

The shop was small It took him only a minute to find an appropriate card When he returned to the desk, however, Megan was gone

Panic seized hi around his heart For ahiers nearly bit through the counter when he leaned against it to ask the redhead at the information desk, "Where is reater effect than he had iined, for she didn’t scream or shout for the police She frowned, as if aware of his underlying tension, and answered him as pleasantly as she could "Martha came by for her"

"Martha? You know Martha? You do mean my wife’s Aunt Martha?"

"I know Martha, of course--it’s a small town Most residents come here with their aches, pains, and accidents Martha is friends with most of the doctors--and she volunteers here as well" She looked as if she didn’t want to sayin policies that hed and explained, "Marthato next-of-kin old Andy has

They’re not related, but they’ve known one another for years Bickered as , but Martha came in as soon as she heard about Andy, and the doctors believe a friendly voice can sometimes break into the mind of a person in a coma So… Martha took your wife up for just a second"

Finn exhaled, staring at her "He’s not going to make it, is he?"

"I’m not the doctor," she said softly He was surprised, especially in his present , despite herself, to talk to him She shook her head and told him,

"Andy’s an old, oldthrown by a speeding car… it’s kind of like being beaten by a dozen lead pipes, you know Anyway, it’s all in the hands of God, now"

"Thank you," Finn told her

She se there She won’t be but a e of Andy’s room--no one will be in there for o on up, but Dorcas would be risking her job if any et in, especially if Andy does… well, you know If things don’t go well for Andy"

"I understand," Finn said, and he did But he leaned against the counter idly, and when a visitor came in to ask for directions to the lad to see that the computer screen was drawn to a list of room numbers

He pretended to push away froazine But as soon as the redhead’s attention was taken again by a new visitor, he stood and headed for the elevators

Efficiency was the order of the day in Dorcas Brandt’s arena of care Megan found herself suited up in a ious disease, but apparently at his age and in his condition, pneuowned, she entered the roolaze of tears about her eyes, was still silent as she came by Andy’s bedside

Andy was a maze of tubes Thin, almost transparent little lines helped hiht sustenance into his veins and kept him hydrated A monitor watched his heart Both of his eyes were blackened, or so sunken that they appeared to be so Aly, he had suffered no broken bones--he had simply been bruised from head to toe and knocked unconscious He had never come to, but had sunk into the coency roo on their own And, Dorcas had assured Megan, there was plenty of activity going on in old Andy’sacross the top of his forehead; his white hair had been shaved away from that area of his skull His cheeks were cadaverous

"Andy, you silly fool, ere you doing out on the road like that!" Martha said softly She glanced at Dorcas, who nodded to her Martha gently took his hand "Andy, you’ve got to wake up, let us know you’re all right"

There was no movement froer down the too apparent vein in his hand, then an htly into her lower lip because she felt a sting in her eyes as well--if she’d never met the man, she would have been hter And they need you around here, you know," sheof a fraud, she certainly wasn’t a lifelong friend--she took his hand as she had seen Martha do

"Cohtest flinch against her fingers, where he touched her hand Her eyes were drawn there, as if she could thereby verify the ain, her breath caught in a sudden wheeze; her heart seemed to stop