[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

by to see you soon, String Bean."
"You said that yesterday.And the day before," Lindsay grumbled.
"He'll be here today."
"Is it my turn yet?" a woman eight beds down called out to the nurse.Both her arms were
in casts and she had a pitiful look plastered across her face.
Nurse Goletz bit back a nasty retort and began to push her cart filled with bowls of
breakfast down the aisle."Yes, yes.It's your turn, Mrs. Adolf."
Lindsay sat down on Ginny's bed and Ginny instantly reached out and laid her bandaged
hand on Lindsay's arm."You're hurting this morning," she whispered, her voice full of
concern."I should have told the nurse that she could keep feeding me."
"I'm fine."
"You're sure?"
Lindsay's eyes softened."My side is just tender and the stitches are starting to itch," she
assured.A smirk began pulling at the edges of her mouth.
"What's so funny?"Ginny questioned suspiciously, sitting up a little straighter and preparing
to open her mouth like a hungry baby bird if necessary.
"You.There is food all over your chin."
"Well, scoop it up and feed it to me, for God's sake." She opened her mouth so wide
Lindsay could see her tonsils."I'm starving."
Lindsay chuckled but ignored the request and took a moment to clean Ginny's face and
throw away her food-covered bib.Only then did she give Ginny a fresh bite of porridge
from the bowl. "Open wide for the choo choo."
"Funny stuff, Potato Head.EspeciallyÉ mmmÉ" Ginny hummed in delight.
Lindsay's face twisted in revulsion."You actually like this?" She lifted a big spoonful of the
gray mixture up to the light and made a loud gagging noise.
Ginny swallowed slowly, sighing at how much better that felt on her throat than rushing it
down."No, this is the most vile porridge I've ever tasted, but I'm hungry so I'm not picky.If
you think I'm a messy eater you wouldn't believe Jane.She-" Ginny abruptly stopped as
she realized what she was going to say.Jane.James and Lewis.Where are you?She closed
her eyes to stop the leaking of the tears she could feel welling up.
"You'll find her, Ginny.You'll find all of them.I know it."
Ginny nodded.I will not cry.I've already cried enough.She could hear Lindsay holding her
breath, waiting to see if she would be blubbering again, and that was enough to help her
firm her resolve.She opened her eyes."Yes. I will."With your help.
Lindsay smiled.
The rest of the bowl was emptied in silence, and when Lindsay was done she wiped
Ginny's face once more and set the bowl on the floor between their beds, groaning when
she straightened."Now that that's over I won't lose my breakfast watching you trying to
eat your breakfast."
"Very funny." But Ginny couldn't help but smile.
"IÉ ummÉ" Lindsay looked around self-consciously."I have a favor to ask you, Ginny."She
licked her lips nervously.
Ginny's eyebrows jumped."You do?"
Lindsay nodded. "Unless you don't want-"
"No!No.You've been so kind to me," she explained in a rush."I'll do anything I can." She
lifted her hands and looked at them ruefully."But I can't do much without these."
"You don't need hands for this.I can hold it."Lindsay swallowed and looked down."It's okay
if you laugh. I-"
"Whatever it is, I won't laugh."I'll bite my tongue through if I have to.
"Okay."Lindsay reached out with her good hand and pulled her hospital chart from the
holder at the foot of her bed, presenting it to Ginny."Can you tell me what they did to me?
They said surgery but nobody will come and tell me what."
Ginny frowned and turned her concerned gaze on Lindsay."Your eyesÉare they?"
Lindsay shook her head, sending her hair scattering across her shoulders.With an annoyed
hand she pushed a stray lock out of her eyes, wishing for her long gone cap. "My eyes are
fine."She held the medical chart closer."Please?"
"I can try.But I don't know that I'll understand the medical terms."
"That's okay." Lindsay smiled self-consciously.She knew that Ginny understood now and
felt confident the girl wouldn't laugh."I won't understand any of it unless it's my name, a
railway map, or a city name."
"Can you open it?"
Lindsay laid it on her lap and opened the thin metal lid, exposing the lined papers covered
in scribbles beneath."Hey," she pointed to the top line. "That says Ôwoman'." She knew
that from the signs on outhouses.
"It sure does.Guess that officially rules out jackass, huh?"
Lindsay burst out laughing, causing several women to look up from their breakfasts."No,
Ginny.I wouldn't say that exactly.What else does it say?" she asked anxiously.
Ginny's face went very serious as she read.Several times she visibly flinched."Here it says
puncture wounds and multiple lacerations, most likely canine in origin."
Lindsay looked confused.
"Dog bites," Ginny clarified, not looking too happy."And cuts and scratches, I think."
Lindsay rolled her eyes."No shit.Tell me something I don't know."
Ginny looked around the room as though the "curse word police" would jump out and
arrest them at any second."Don't say that!"
"Say what?"Lindsay grinned unrepentantly.
Ginny narrowed her eyes but continued to read. "Concussion."
"Cracked open my head.Got it."
"Two fractured ribs, one broken rib.Ouch.And fractures of the third and
fourth...metaÉmeta." She sighed."If I had a dictionaryÉ"
"Never mind," Lindsay dismissed."Gotta be my fingers.They're the other thing broken that
I know of."She held up her hand, showing off scratches that ran from her wrist to elbow
that were still red and raw.
"MmmÉ true," Ginny acknowledged."This says a shifting of your broken rib after you
arrived at the hospital resulted in ruptured spleen and then after it-" She looked up from
the chart."Can you turn the page?"
Lindsay blinked."Yeah, yeah, sure."
Ginny read a few more lines before going very still.Her voice took on a solemn note and
she looked up again at Lindsay before saying, "After ruptured spleen it says you required a
sple.. spleÉ splenectomy."
"What the hell is that?" Lindsay roared in alarm.
"Shhh." Ginny looked around again, wincing at the disapproving frowns thrown their way
by several women."Are you crazy?"
"I dunno. Does having a splenectomy cause that?Because if so, then I probably am!" I'm
feeding strangers for Christ's sake.Isn't that proof enough? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]