hour ago. They were still in the air, but he said that he and DJ will be here soon. That’ll help Mama.”
Katie knew that the organs would be arriving soon too. And that meant making the final selection.A film of perspiration broke out on her forehead. “Are you through with your tests?”
“I think so. How’s Chelsea? Does she know I’m here?”
“I told her.”
“I hate not being able to see her. We’re right here in the same hospital, but we may as well be on separate planets.”
“Well, that’s what I’m for—Space Cadet O’Roark on call.” Katie saluted and was rewarded by Jillian’s smile, although the effort sent Jillian into a coughing spasm. When it was over, she lay on the bed gasping for breath. Alarm shot through Katie. “Should I ring for a nurse?”
“No. I want to talk to you while I can. I want you to tell Chelsea I’m pulling for her. She needs that heart.”
A lump wedged in Katie’s throat. “That’s exactly the message she asked me to give to you.”
“Just like her,” Jillian drawled. “Always wanting me to go first.”
Katie smiled. Even now, sick as she was, Jillian imparted humor. “Good thing Lacey’s not in the competition. She’d insist she go first.”
“If she doesn’t shape up, she may be in the running for a pancreas transplant.”
“You discovered that about her quickly. She hates having diabetes so much, she denies it. I don’t know what we’re going to do with that girl.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Katie listened to the hiss of the oxygen tank. From outside the room came the name of a doctor being pagedover the speaker system and the rattle of breakfast food trays being brought onto the floor. The trappings of the hospital never changed; the sounds had been the same when she’d been a patient.
“Thank you for taking me to Jenny House with you,” Jillian said.
“It wouldn’t have been right
not
to take you.”
“And for including me on Amanda’s mountain too.”
“I know she would have approved.”
“I wish I could see Chelsea,” Jillian lamented. “You know what all this waiting makes me feel like?”
“I know what it made me feel like,” Katie told her.
“But you weren’t aware you were in some kind of competition for the heart you needed.”
“That’s true. What you’re going through is worse.”
“I’ll bet this is what those Miss America contestants feel like while they’re waiting for the judges to call their names.”
“I don’t think I get your meaning.”
Jillian rotated her thin shoulders. “I’ve seen the girls on TV standing up on stage. They’ve been on preview for a million people. They’ve done their best, performed, looked their best. Then they just have to stand and wait for a computer to tally up a bunch of judges’ scores and call out the winning name.”
Katie was intrigued by Jillian’s analogy. She’d never much thought about how awaiting a transplantcould compare to a beauty pageant! But she did agree that waiting for a transplant donor
was
a little like a contest. “You may be right. I’ve watched beauty contests. It must be tough to stand there and keep smiling while you’re waiting for your name to be called.”
“And think about the expression on the winner’s face when her name is announced.”
“Stunned disbelief. I know that’s what I’d feel.”
“Maybe because no one expects it to be their name. You always think it’s going to be the other girl’s.”
All at once, Katie got an inkling into what Jillian was trying to say. “You’re
convinced
it’s going to be someone else,” Katie said slowly. “You
expect
it to be someone else. But down in your heart, you want to hear them call out your name.”
“The announcer goes through the list of runners-up until he’s down to two contestants. They stand there under the lights, wearing their hopes and dreams on their faces. They hang on to one another’s hands. The announcer says, ‘If for some reason
Katie knew that the organs would be arriving soon too. And that meant making the final selection.A film of perspiration broke out on her forehead. “Are you through with your tests?”
“I think so. How’s Chelsea? Does she know I’m here?”
“I told her.”
“I hate not being able to see her. We’re right here in the same hospital, but we may as well be on separate planets.”
“Well, that’s what I’m for—Space Cadet O’Roark on call.” Katie saluted and was rewarded by Jillian’s smile, although the effort sent Jillian into a coughing spasm. When it was over, she lay on the bed gasping for breath. Alarm shot through Katie. “Should I ring for a nurse?”
“No. I want to talk to you while I can. I want you to tell Chelsea I’m pulling for her. She needs that heart.”
A lump wedged in Katie’s throat. “That’s exactly the message she asked me to give to you.”
“Just like her,” Jillian drawled. “Always wanting me to go first.”
Katie smiled. Even now, sick as she was, Jillian imparted humor. “Good thing Lacey’s not in the competition. She’d insist she go first.”
“If she doesn’t shape up, she may be in the running for a pancreas transplant.”
“You discovered that about her quickly. She hates having diabetes so much, she denies it. I don’t know what we’re going to do with that girl.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Katie listened to the hiss of the oxygen tank. From outside the room came the name of a doctor being pagedover the speaker system and the rattle of breakfast food trays being brought onto the floor. The trappings of the hospital never changed; the sounds had been the same when she’d been a patient.
“Thank you for taking me to Jenny House with you,” Jillian said.
“It wouldn’t have been right
not
to take you.”
“And for including me on Amanda’s mountain too.”
“I know she would have approved.”
“I wish I could see Chelsea,” Jillian lamented. “You know what all this waiting makes me feel like?”
“I know what it made me feel like,” Katie told her.
“But you weren’t aware you were in some kind of competition for the heart you needed.”
“That’s true. What you’re going through is worse.”
“I’ll bet this is what those Miss America contestants feel like while they’re waiting for the judges to call their names.”
“I don’t think I get your meaning.”
Jillian rotated her thin shoulders. “I’ve seen the girls on TV standing up on stage. They’ve been on preview for a million people. They’ve done their best, performed, looked their best. Then they just have to stand and wait for a computer to tally up a bunch of judges’ scores and call out the winning name.”
Katie was intrigued by Jillian’s analogy. She’d never much thought about how awaiting a transplantcould compare to a beauty pageant! But she did agree that waiting for a transplant donor
was
a little like a contest. “You may be right. I’ve watched beauty contests. It must be tough to stand there and keep smiling while you’re waiting for your name to be called.”
“And think about the expression on the winner’s face when her name is announced.”
“Stunned disbelief. I know that’s what I’d feel.”
“Maybe because no one expects it to be their name. You always think it’s going to be the other girl’s.”
All at once, Katie got an inkling into what Jillian was trying to say. “You’re
convinced
it’s going to be someone else,” Katie said slowly. “You
expect
it to be someone else. But down in your heart, you want to hear them call out your name.”
“The announcer goes through the list of runners-up until he’s down to two contestants. They stand there under the lights, wearing their hopes and dreams on their faces. They hang on to one another’s hands. The announcer says, ‘If for some reason
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