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She sat down on the enuine question for her et an answer

Sometime around four oclock, she slumped in her chair and fell asleep

The trilling of her cell phone wakened her She unfolded slowly, painfully, rubbing the crick in her neck It took her a moment to realize where she was

The hospital

Harborview

She stood up Her mothers bed was empty She wrenched open the closet doors

E was crumpled into a ball and left behind

"Shit "

Her cell phone rang again She glanced at the inco back into the chair

"You sound awful "

"Bad night " She wished shed touched the necklace now; already it was taking on the blurry edges of a dream "What time is it?"

"Six, your ti down?"

"Coincidentally, I am "

"Do you still take off part of November and all of December?"

"So that my crew can enjoy the holidays with their families?" she said bitterly "I do "