dining and living rooms. He stood for a moment trying to think of where she could be when he heard soft voices coming from what they called the nurse’s command center. Snapping his fingers, he started off in that direction knowing someone there would know where she was.
“Where’s Sam?” he demanded when the staff, who were meeting in there, turned to look at him with wide eyes.
“Right here, Ethan. I’m sorry, I’m not sure what you need, but I don’t have time right now.” She brushed past him, walked down the hall and out the door without a backward glance.
His legs didn’t respond right away. It took him a minute before he started to follow her. There was no way she’d brushed him off, again, for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. His blood started to boil. Where did she get off treating him like that? He’d spent all morning trying to make her dream a better place yet she couldn’t spare a few moments to talk to him.
Pushing the door open, he didn’t care if it slammed shut behind him. His eyes were focused on the backside of the woman he wanted answers from. It didn’t take him long to catch up to her and when he did, he raced around to stop in front of her. “Listen here, lady–”
“No, you listen, Ethan. I don’t know what the hell your problem is today, but you need to go back to wherever you’ve been most of the day. I don’t have time to deal with you.”
“You’re going to make the time. We’ve got too much to–”
“Stop, just stop, Ethan.” Her voice wavered and tears filled her eyes. “Please stop.”
“Samantha, what is it? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Patty. She only has hours left . . .”
He felt like someone had kicked him in the gut. He stared at her as he tried to catch his breath. “No, she was fine yesterday morning.”
She shook her head. “Sometimes that happens. They are fine one minute, the next, they collapse and aren’t going to make it.”
“What can I do?” This wasn’t the first death to have happened since he’d been there, but he’d gotten to know Patty. She also arrived here the same day as Evan, so her looming death felt different.
“There’s nothing you can do.” She turned from him and started to walk to Patty’s cabin.
“Please,” he whispered. “Let me go with you.”
Sam stopped and looked back at him over her shoulder. “Are you sure? This isn’t going to be easy?”
“I feel like I have to.”
Nodding, she held her hand out to him. As her cold hand slipped into his, he was thankful she was going to be with him during this. He’d never seen someone die before; he had a sinking suspicion in the pit of his stomach that he wasn’t ever going to forget the moment.
Wariness seeped heavily into Sam’s being. It had been a long day. Soon after leaving Ethan the night before, she’d received the phone call about Patty. They all knew it was coming, but it still took her by surprise.
Patty was still coherent when she arrived, but it hadn’t lasted long. After that, she’d slipped in and out of consciousness, sometimes her body convulsing from the pain, other times she’d lay so still they had to check the machines to see if she had passed.
When Ethan had said he wanted to help her, she wasn’t sure if it was going to be a good idea to have him there. She knew the connection between Patty, Ethan and Evan. Death was never easy, and Patty’s would be hard for him, but she was surprised at how well he was doing. She noticed he always seemed to pick things up quickly, and that night was no exception. He was there getting anything anyone needed, lending his quiet support.
He was the first one there with cool water for Sam, so she could bathe Patty’s face if she was hot, and the first to offer a blanket, which had been warmed, if Patty started to shake from the cold. She had to admit, he was helpful, especially since she was so exhausted.
Sadly, Sam had been through so many of these. She knew when it was
“Where’s Sam?” he demanded when the staff, who were meeting in there, turned to look at him with wide eyes.
“Right here, Ethan. I’m sorry, I’m not sure what you need, but I don’t have time right now.” She brushed past him, walked down the hall and out the door without a backward glance.
His legs didn’t respond right away. It took him a minute before he started to follow her. There was no way she’d brushed him off, again, for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. His blood started to boil. Where did she get off treating him like that? He’d spent all morning trying to make her dream a better place yet she couldn’t spare a few moments to talk to him.
Pushing the door open, he didn’t care if it slammed shut behind him. His eyes were focused on the backside of the woman he wanted answers from. It didn’t take him long to catch up to her and when he did, he raced around to stop in front of her. “Listen here, lady–”
“No, you listen, Ethan. I don’t know what the hell your problem is today, but you need to go back to wherever you’ve been most of the day. I don’t have time to deal with you.”
“You’re going to make the time. We’ve got too much to–”
“Stop, just stop, Ethan.” Her voice wavered and tears filled her eyes. “Please stop.”
“Samantha, what is it? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Patty. She only has hours left . . .”
He felt like someone had kicked him in the gut. He stared at her as he tried to catch his breath. “No, she was fine yesterday morning.”
She shook her head. “Sometimes that happens. They are fine one minute, the next, they collapse and aren’t going to make it.”
“What can I do?” This wasn’t the first death to have happened since he’d been there, but he’d gotten to know Patty. She also arrived here the same day as Evan, so her looming death felt different.
“There’s nothing you can do.” She turned from him and started to walk to Patty’s cabin.
“Please,” he whispered. “Let me go with you.”
Sam stopped and looked back at him over her shoulder. “Are you sure? This isn’t going to be easy?”
“I feel like I have to.”
Nodding, she held her hand out to him. As her cold hand slipped into his, he was thankful she was going to be with him during this. He’d never seen someone die before; he had a sinking suspicion in the pit of his stomach that he wasn’t ever going to forget the moment.
Wariness seeped heavily into Sam’s being. It had been a long day. Soon after leaving Ethan the night before, she’d received the phone call about Patty. They all knew it was coming, but it still took her by surprise.
Patty was still coherent when she arrived, but it hadn’t lasted long. After that, she’d slipped in and out of consciousness, sometimes her body convulsing from the pain, other times she’d lay so still they had to check the machines to see if she had passed.
When Ethan had said he wanted to help her, she wasn’t sure if it was going to be a good idea to have him there. She knew the connection between Patty, Ethan and Evan. Death was never easy, and Patty’s would be hard for him, but she was surprised at how well he was doing. She noticed he always seemed to pick things up quickly, and that night was no exception. He was there getting anything anyone needed, lending his quiet support.
He was the first one there with cool water for Sam, so she could bathe Patty’s face if she was hot, and the first to offer a blanket, which had been warmed, if Patty started to shake from the cold. She had to admit, he was helpful, especially since she was so exhausted.
Sadly, Sam had been through so many of these. She knew when it was
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