Show Business Kills by Iris Rainer Dart

Author:Iris Rainer Dart [Dart, Iris Rainer]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780446567602
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2009-10-30T13:00:00+00:00

* * *

19

It’s bad news,” Rose said as she saw Andy come into the hospital cafeteria. His stethoscope was hanging around his neck and bumping against his body as he moved. “I can see it in his eyes.”

“They’re having trouble stabilizing Jan’s blood pressure,” he told them when he got to the table. “Her condition is looking pretty serious. I think one of you should call her sister and get her to come out here.” He looked almost apologetic, as if he knew they’d been counting on him to use some medical magic to fix Jan. Telling them it was time to call Julie was a portent of doom, and Marly closed her eyes as if to shut it out. “I mean, I’ll call her if you like,” Andy said. “But I think it’ll probably be better coming from one of you.”

“And tell her what?” Ellen asked.

“I think she ought to have a chance to get here,” he said. “Sometimes family members like to say good-bye even if the patient is comatose.”

“I’ll make the call,” Rose said, and was immediately sorry she volunteered. What could she say to Jan’s poor younger sister, who would certainly fall apart when she heard? She’d probably get hysterical, and Rose would have to calm her. Jan and Julie were more like mother and daughter than siblings. Jan always talked about her sister the way a doting mother talked about her favorite child.

“Julie’s the jock, not me,” she’d say after a tennis game. “Nobody can hit the ball the way she does.” Or she’d leaf through a magazine and spot some great-looking dress, and instead of wanting it for herself, she’d say, “I’m going to call and see if they have it in Julie’s size.” Rose was sure Julie would want to get on the next plane to L.A.

“There’s not a whole lot more I can do here right now,” Andy said, “and Molly’s baby-sitter needs to leave, so I think I’ll go home and pay her and send her off. Call me if there are any questions, of if there’s anything I can take care of,” he said, giving his wife a kiss on the cheek. “I told the nurses in ICU to let you in when they think it’s okay. They usually only allow family in, and only one at a time, but I think they’ll probably let you all in tonight.”

“Because you insisted?” Marly asked.

“Must be because he told them it was Girls’ Night,” Ellen joked.

But Rose knew exactly why the nurses were willing to break the rules. “Because it’s probably her last night?” Rose asked her husband, and Andy nodded sadly.

“No, it isn’t,” Marly insisted, but without her usual conviction.

Andy waved a helpless little wave to them all and left.

“Let’s go up, and I’ll call Julie,” Rose said, moving her glasses to her nose so she could peer over them and look at her watch. It was nine o’clock. Midnight in Pennsylvania. Maybe if she got through, Julie could call the airlines tonight and book an early morning flight west.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.