suspicion there. But why would there be? No one in their right mind would think of doing what Amanda was doing.
"I'm so sorry," Ginny said in genuine sympathy. "Here, let me carry one of your bags." She reached out for the empty carryall.
"No!" When Ginny gave her a quizzical look, Amanda said, "Don't bother, Ginny. I'm not going straight to the car. I promised Danny I would stop by to see him before I leave."
"Well... okay, but I wouldn't mind waiting."
"That's too much trouble. The bags aren't heavy." At least, one wasn't, she amended silently. Then she frowned. "Why did you come to my room? Did you need something?"
The nurse shook her head. "No, I was just restless. I thought maybe we could play cards or something."
"I would have liked that," Amanda said. "But as you see, I don't have time."
"I guess now is when I start that nine-pound Michener novel," Ginny said, turning away. "Drive carefully. And don't stay too long."
Amanda stood watching her walk away. "Ginny," she said hesitantly. When the nurse paused to glance back, Amanda swallowed heavily and said, "Thanks."
Ginny smiled. "For what?"
"I don't know... I guess for being a real friend."
Ginny nodded, then walked into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.
It was only when the fact that she had actually gotten through the first unexpected hazard sank in that Amanda began to shake. Lowering one suitcase to the floor, she pressed a hand to her mouth to hold back hysteria. "It will be all right," she whispered. "It'll be fine."
Drawing in a deep, bracing breath, she picked up the suitcase and walked down the hall.
There were two nurses' stations in Greenleigh, one in A-North for the old-timers and one in B-North— Danny's wing. Anyone entering or leaving either wing had to pass an open station, and at the back of each station was a small drug room.
As Amanda reached the top of the staircase that led to B-North, she spared a prayer of thanks that Ginny was not working tonight. Responsibility for the theft of the drug would fall on the nurse on duty. Not that that would have stopped Amanda. She had developed a hardness where Danny was concerned. Nothing was as important as making the rest of his life happy.
Keep-that thought, she told herself. Keep thinking about what it's all about. Keep—
She stopped abruptly, feeling her knees buckle. There was a nurse behind the white counter. She can't be here, Amanda thought frantically. She simply couldn't be there.
But she was. It was Diana, the tall redhead who had informed Ginny of Mrs. Baxter's striptease that first day. Now Diana was staring at her inquisitively.
"Amanda," she said in surprise. "What are you doing up here?"
Stay calm. Drawing in a deep breath, she walked forward. "I have to leave tonight instead of tomorrow," she said. "I promised Danny I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye."
The nurse looked doubtful. "He's probably already asleep."
"Couldn't I just peek in?" Amanda asked. "I wouldn't disturb him. If he's already asleep, I'll just call him tomorrow from Los Angeles."
"Well... yes, I guess that would be all right."
"Thanks, Diana." She placed her bags in front of the counter. "Should I check with you when I leave?" she asked hesitantly.
Diana shook her head. "I'll be making my rounds in a second. I'll probably catch up with you."
Not if lean help it, Amanda thought as she walked away. The hall seemed a mile long, and as she reached Danny's room, she paused a get a grip on herself. Then she turned the handle and went in.
The room was dark. She moved inside, then stopped when she saw the shape in the bed. He couldn't have forgotten.
"Danny?" she said softly.
"Mandy." The voice came from directly behind her, and she almost fainted.
"Oh, Danny, you scared ten years off me," she whispered, relief making her weak. "What did you do to the bed?"
"I put pillows under the cover so Tom Dicks will think it's me."
"That's wonderful," she said, hugging him. "You make a perfect
"I'm so sorry," Ginny said in genuine sympathy. "Here, let me carry one of your bags." She reached out for the empty carryall.
"No!" When Ginny gave her a quizzical look, Amanda said, "Don't bother, Ginny. I'm not going straight to the car. I promised Danny I would stop by to see him before I leave."
"Well... okay, but I wouldn't mind waiting."
"That's too much trouble. The bags aren't heavy." At least, one wasn't, she amended silently. Then she frowned. "Why did you come to my room? Did you need something?"
The nurse shook her head. "No, I was just restless. I thought maybe we could play cards or something."
"I would have liked that," Amanda said. "But as you see, I don't have time."
"I guess now is when I start that nine-pound Michener novel," Ginny said, turning away. "Drive carefully. And don't stay too long."
Amanda stood watching her walk away. "Ginny," she said hesitantly. When the nurse paused to glance back, Amanda swallowed heavily and said, "Thanks."
Ginny smiled. "For what?"
"I don't know... I guess for being a real friend."
Ginny nodded, then walked into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.
It was only when the fact that she had actually gotten through the first unexpected hazard sank in that Amanda began to shake. Lowering one suitcase to the floor, she pressed a hand to her mouth to hold back hysteria. "It will be all right," she whispered. "It'll be fine."
Drawing in a deep, bracing breath, she picked up the suitcase and walked down the hall.
There were two nurses' stations in Greenleigh, one in A-North for the old-timers and one in B-North— Danny's wing. Anyone entering or leaving either wing had to pass an open station, and at the back of each station was a small drug room.
As Amanda reached the top of the staircase that led to B-North, she spared a prayer of thanks that Ginny was not working tonight. Responsibility for the theft of the drug would fall on the nurse on duty. Not that that would have stopped Amanda. She had developed a hardness where Danny was concerned. Nothing was as important as making the rest of his life happy.
Keep-that thought, she told herself. Keep thinking about what it's all about. Keep—
She stopped abruptly, feeling her knees buckle. There was a nurse behind the white counter. She can't be here, Amanda thought frantically. She simply couldn't be there.
But she was. It was Diana, the tall redhead who had informed Ginny of Mrs. Baxter's striptease that first day. Now Diana was staring at her inquisitively.
"Amanda," she said in surprise. "What are you doing up here?"
Stay calm. Drawing in a deep breath, she walked forward. "I have to leave tonight instead of tomorrow," she said. "I promised Danny I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye."
The nurse looked doubtful. "He's probably already asleep."
"Couldn't I just peek in?" Amanda asked. "I wouldn't disturb him. If he's already asleep, I'll just call him tomorrow from Los Angeles."
"Well... yes, I guess that would be all right."
"Thanks, Diana." She placed her bags in front of the counter. "Should I check with you when I leave?" she asked hesitantly.
Diana shook her head. "I'll be making my rounds in a second. I'll probably catch up with you."
Not if lean help it, Amanda thought as she walked away. The hall seemed a mile long, and as she reached Danny's room, she paused a get a grip on herself. Then she turned the handle and went in.
The room was dark. She moved inside, then stopped when she saw the shape in the bed. He couldn't have forgotten.
"Danny?" she said softly.
"Mandy." The voice came from directly behind her, and she almost fainted.
"Oh, Danny, you scared ten years off me," she whispered, relief making her weak. "What did you do to the bed?"
"I put pillows under the cover so Tom Dicks will think it's me."
"That's wonderful," she said, hugging him. "You make a perfect
Similar Books
