alive, and so was Aaron Martel. But then. Josh had told her that all along. Through her, he still had part of his brother living.
Dr. Dawson’s beeper sounded. He switched it off. “I need to answer this.”
She watched him swiftly disappear down the hall. “Maybe the donor organs are here,” Katie told Josh without emotion.
“It’s a little soon all the way from Columbus,” Josh said.
She turned to Josh, tears welling in her eyes. “So, what do I wish for, Josh? Chelsea and Jillian are both my friends. I love both of them. Who do I want the doctors to save? How do I accept one friend’s life over the other?”
The tears spilled down her cheeks. Josh took her in his arms, where she wept bitterly.
* * *
Ten minutes later, her mother came out of the ICU area. “Katie! I’ve been looking for you. Did you eat?”
Katie hurriedly brushed her damp cheeks. “I couldn’t face the thought of food.”
“Chelsea’s regained consciousness. She’s asking to see you.”
Katie felt a rush. “Let’s go.”
Inside the glass cubicle, Katie took Chelsea’s hand and squeezed. Her friend’s eyes fluttered open and focused on Katie’s face. “It feels like a truck ran over me,” Chelsea mumbled. Her words sounded slurred, and Katie knew it was from pain medications.
“I got the license number. It won’t get far.”
Chelsea attempted a smile and groaned. “I didn’t know I could hurt so bad.” She turned her head so that she could see the heart monitor. “Funny how they put your heartbeat in a box. It’s pooping out on me, isn’t it? I’m afraid, Katie.”
“Don’t talk like that.”
“Dr. Dawson told me there’s a chance I may get a transplant today. Bye, bye, old heart. Hello, new.”
“It’s for the best. You’ll see. You’ll feel like a brand-new person.”
“Dr. Dawson says there are others being considered. He didn’t want me to get my hopes up … you know … just in case it doesn’t work out.”
“It
could
happen.” Katie purposely avoided eye contact as she spoke.
“What aren’t you telling me?” Chelsea asked suddenly.
Katie started. “I—I don’t know what you mean.”
Chelsea rolled her head on her pillow and made the line on the monitor screen jump. “Your face tells me you’ve got a secret.”
“Not true! I don’t know a thing.”
“You know my hobby is observing people. And I know you’re keeping something from me, Katie O’Roark.” Chelsea tried to seize Katie’s arm, but she was so weak, her hand dropped back to the bed helplessly. “Don’t keep anything from me.”
Shaken by the urgency in Chelsea’s voice, Katie said, “I know others have been beeped.”
“Others?”
“Others who need the organs.” Katie squirmed. If Chelsea got the heart and Jillian died, Chelsea might never forgive Katie for keeping such a secret. Her voice shook as she managed the courage to mumble, “Jillian.”
Chelsea squeezed her eyes shut. “I knew it. Deep down, I knew it. We have the same blood type. We’re too much alike.”
“Your intuition’s too sharp for your own good.” Katie felt tears edge her eyelashes.
Chelsea looked up at her pleadingly. “Never tell my parents this. Please don’t ever, but go find her, Katie. Tell Jillian for me, I hope she’s the one. Jillian deserves to be the one. Not me. Please, tell her, Katie. Please.”
S
ixteen
I T WAS EIGHT A.M . before Katie could get into Jillian’s room to talk to her. Josh waited for her outside in the hall. Lying in the hospital bed, Jillian seemed as frail as a baby sparrow to Katie. Her face was ashen, and dark circles under her eyes made Katie think of a war refugee. Jillian’s mother was reluctant to leave her daughter’s side, but Jillian begged to have some time alone with Katie. “Even ten minutes,” she told her mother. Katie thought Mrs. Longado looked ready to drop.
When they were alone, Jillian reached for Katie’s hand. “Daddy called from the jet half an
Dr. Dawson’s beeper sounded. He switched it off. “I need to answer this.”
She watched him swiftly disappear down the hall. “Maybe the donor organs are here,” Katie told Josh without emotion.
“It’s a little soon all the way from Columbus,” Josh said.
She turned to Josh, tears welling in her eyes. “So, what do I wish for, Josh? Chelsea and Jillian are both my friends. I love both of them. Who do I want the doctors to save? How do I accept one friend’s life over the other?”
The tears spilled down her cheeks. Josh took her in his arms, where she wept bitterly.
* * *
Ten minutes later, her mother came out of the ICU area. “Katie! I’ve been looking for you. Did you eat?”
Katie hurriedly brushed her damp cheeks. “I couldn’t face the thought of food.”
“Chelsea’s regained consciousness. She’s asking to see you.”
Katie felt a rush. “Let’s go.”
Inside the glass cubicle, Katie took Chelsea’s hand and squeezed. Her friend’s eyes fluttered open and focused on Katie’s face. “It feels like a truck ran over me,” Chelsea mumbled. Her words sounded slurred, and Katie knew it was from pain medications.
“I got the license number. It won’t get far.”
Chelsea attempted a smile and groaned. “I didn’t know I could hurt so bad.” She turned her head so that she could see the heart monitor. “Funny how they put your heartbeat in a box. It’s pooping out on me, isn’t it? I’m afraid, Katie.”
“Don’t talk like that.”
“Dr. Dawson told me there’s a chance I may get a transplant today. Bye, bye, old heart. Hello, new.”
“It’s for the best. You’ll see. You’ll feel like a brand-new person.”
“Dr. Dawson says there are others being considered. He didn’t want me to get my hopes up … you know … just in case it doesn’t work out.”
“It
could
happen.” Katie purposely avoided eye contact as she spoke.
“What aren’t you telling me?” Chelsea asked suddenly.
Katie started. “I—I don’t know what you mean.”
Chelsea rolled her head on her pillow and made the line on the monitor screen jump. “Your face tells me you’ve got a secret.”
“Not true! I don’t know a thing.”
“You know my hobby is observing people. And I know you’re keeping something from me, Katie O’Roark.” Chelsea tried to seize Katie’s arm, but she was so weak, her hand dropped back to the bed helplessly. “Don’t keep anything from me.”
Shaken by the urgency in Chelsea’s voice, Katie said, “I know others have been beeped.”
“Others?”
“Others who need the organs.” Katie squirmed. If Chelsea got the heart and Jillian died, Chelsea might never forgive Katie for keeping such a secret. Her voice shook as she managed the courage to mumble, “Jillian.”
Chelsea squeezed her eyes shut. “I knew it. Deep down, I knew it. We have the same blood type. We’re too much alike.”
“Your intuition’s too sharp for your own good.” Katie felt tears edge her eyelashes.
Chelsea looked up at her pleadingly. “Never tell my parents this. Please don’t ever, but go find her, Katie. Tell Jillian for me, I hope she’s the one. Jillian deserves to be the one. Not me. Please, tell her, Katie. Please.”
S
ixteen
I T WAS EIGHT A.M . before Katie could get into Jillian’s room to talk to her. Josh waited for her outside in the hall. Lying in the hospital bed, Jillian seemed as frail as a baby sparrow to Katie. Her face was ashen, and dark circles under her eyes made Katie think of a war refugee. Jillian’s mother was reluctant to leave her daughter’s side, but Jillian begged to have some time alone with Katie. “Even ten minutes,” she told her mother. Katie thought Mrs. Longado looked ready to drop.
When they were alone, Jillian reached for Katie’s hand. “Daddy called from the jet half an
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