Winners by Danielle Steel Page B

could do something to help them. He owed him an even bigger debt than he had before, when Bill had advised him about his business. This time, without even knowing it, with his well-timed phone call, Bill had saved his life.

Chapter 9
    The doctor Bill took Lily to in New York at the Hospital for Special Surgery was even more discouraging than the two in London and Zurich. He took the time to explain to Bill at length and in detail why Lily would never walk again. He made diagrams and showed him models, he pointed out where the damage was on the X-rays and scans, and he described the effect an injury at that location would have on her legs. The only good news, as they had told him before, was that it was low enough that her lungs and diaphragm were not involved. He spent over an hour with Bill in his office, and when they left, Bill had no illusions that their meeting with the neurosurgeon in Boston would be any different. He had hoped that one of these surgeons would either tell him that she would recover, or offer to operate on her again and give her back her legs. He knew now that that wasn’t going to happen, and why. Barring a miracle in stem cell research, Lily was going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Bill had to fight back tears when they left his office, and Lily was strangely calm. With each doctor they saw, even though they didn’t discuss it in front of her, she could see from her father’s expression that Jessie had been right. Lily had believed her and understood it earlier in Squaw Valley. Her father hadn’t. He had had to drag her halfway around the world to three other doctors in order to begin to understand.
    “I think my dad is finally getting the message,” Lily said to Jennifer when they got back to the hotel. He had looked deeply depressed after the meeting with the surgeon.
    “How are you doing?” Jennifer asked her. “Holding up, with all these doctor’s visits?”
    “I’m okay,” Lily said quietly. “I just want to go home now. Although I’ll miss you when I do.” She smiled at the young nurse. Jennifer was leaving to go back to Squaw Valley as soon as they took Lily to Craig Hospital in Denver, the day after they got home.
    “I’m going to miss you too,” Jennifer said honestly. It had been an incredible trip for her, to London, Zurich, New York, and Boston tomorrow, staying in fancy hotels in fabulous suites, ordering room service, and flying around on a private jet, even if they didn’t see much of the cities they were in. She knew she’d never do anything like it again in her life, and it was an experience she’d always remember, and maybe tell her children about one day. She was sorry there hadn’t been better news for Lily about her prognosis, but neither she, Jessie, nor Lily had expected there to be, only Bill.
    “Do you want to go out for a while?” she suggested that afternoon. It was a sunny day, although it was cold in New York, but not as cold as it had been in Europe or Squaw Valley when they left. It was nearly March and almost felt like spring, although people had said the weather would get colder again. But for now she thought it would do Lily good to get out and get some air, instead of going to doctors, watching TV, and playing cards all day.
    “Yeah, okay,” Lily said, and Jennifer helped her put her coat on. Bill had bought her a parka in Squaw Valley when her Olympic team jacket had been destroyed. And he had bought her some clothes for their trip to Europe and New York since all she had had with her were ski clothes. She was wearing jeans and a sweater, the new red parka, and running shoes she’d brought to Tahoe in case she worked out in the gym. He hadn’t found much for her in Tahoe, and Lily didn’t really care. She had plenty of clothes at home.
    Jennifer wheeled her into the hotel elevator, after letting Lily’s father know they were going out, and he thought it was a good idea too for her to get some air. He suggested they do