One Night Only (214 page)

Sh
e
fingere
d
on
e
tha
t
sai
d
‘
Ge
t
W
el
l
Soo
n
Mother
’
a
n
d
lifte
d
i
t
fro
m
th
e
rack
.
Sh
e
opene
d
i
t
an
d
rea
d
th
e
verse
aloud,
feeling
a
lump
in
her
throat
as
the
words
stung
her
empt
y
heart
.

“
Y
o
u
gav
e
m
e
life
,
yo
u
wipe
d
m
y
tears.
Y
o
u
care
d
fo
r
m
e
throug
h
al
l
th
e
years.
Y
o
u
nurture
d
me
,
yo
u
watche
d
m
e
gro
w
. I
lov
e
yo
u
mor
e
tha
n
you’l
l
eve
r
kno
w
.
”

I
f
only
!
W
it
h
a
dee
p
breat
h
sh
e
pu
t
th
e
car
d
bac
k
i
n
its place
,
fixe
d
he
r
handba
g
o
n
he
r
shoulde
r
an
d
mad
e
her
wa
y
t
o
th
e
lift
.
On
e
wa
s
waitin
g
alread
y
,
s
o
sh
e
stepped
insid
e
an
d
presse
d
th
e
butto
n
tha
t
woul
d
tak
e
he
r
t
o
the Oncolog
y
W
ard
.
Sh
e
stil
l
couldn
’
t
believ
e
tha
t
sh
e
had bump
e
d
int
o
Samantha
.
I
t
wa
s
strang
e
ho
w
thing
s
work
e
d
out
.
Mayb
e
thi
s
wa
s
a
sig
n
tha
t
al
l
wa
s
no
t
lost
.

Th
e
lif
t
pinge
d
ope
n
an
d
sh
e
steppe
d
ou
t
ont
o
the corrido
r
o
f
th
e
Oncolog
y
W
ard
.

Sh
e
mad
e
he
r
wa
y
t
o
th
e
nurses
’
station
.
Th
e
atmosphere
wa
s
muc
h
les
s
tense
,
les
s
urgen
t
an
d
desperat
e
tha
n
on
Gina
’
s
war
d
bu
t
th
e
sam
e
ai
r
o
f
th
e
unknow
n
lingered
aroun
d
it
.
Sh
e
grippe
d
he
r
handba
g
an
d
fel
t
he
r
confidence
lesse
n
wit
h
ever
y
ste
p
sh
e
took
.

“I’
m
her
e
t
o
se
e
Hilar
y
Monaghan
,
I
mea
n
Hilary Dillon,
”
sh
e
sai
d
t
o
a
nurs
e
wh
o
wa
s
ignorin
g
a
phone ringin
g
t
o
handl
e
he
r
quer
y
.

“Hilar
y
Dillo
n
.
.
.
Ba
y
two
,
secon
d
be
d
o
n
th
e
left,” sai
d
th
e
nurs
e
an
d
Rut
h
nodde
d
bu
t
didn
’
t
move
.

Sh
e
couldn
’
t
ge
t
col
d
fee
t
no
w
.
Sh
e
wa
s
s
o
close
.
She
ha
d
t
o
fac
e
u
p
t
o
thi
s
an
d
clos
e
tha
t
sorr
y
chapte
r
o
f
her
lif
e
onc
e
an
d
fo
r
all
.

“It
’
s
tough
,
I
kno
w
,
”
sai
d
th
e
nurse
,
wh
o
obviously though
t
sh
e
wa
s
delayin
g
fo
r
othe
r
reasons
.
“I’v
e
been throug
h
th
e
sam
e
wit
h
a
clos
e
relativ
e
s
o
I
kno
w
exactly wha
t
you’r
e
goin
g
through
.
Y
o
u
ar
e
famil
y
,
yes
?
It
’
s
close
famil
y
onl
y
I’
m
afrai
d
a
t
suc
h
a
crucia
l
stag
e
i
n
Hilary
’
s
illness.
”

Crucia
l
stage
?
Rut
h
looke
d
dow
n
th
e
length
y
green
corrido
r
an
d
the
n
bac
k
a
t
th
e
nurse
.

“I’
m
he
r
daughte
r
,
”
sh
e
said
.
“I’
m
he
r
younges
t
child.” “Oh,
”
sai
d
th
e
nurse
.
“Bu
t
I
though
t
Mr
s
Dillo
n
said
sh
e
ha
d
onl
y
tw
o
childre
n
.
.
.
Samanth
a
an
d
.
.
.
oh
,
the
nam
e
o
f
he
r
so
n
ha
s
lef
t
me.
”

“Brian,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Hi
s
nam
e
i
s
Brian
.
An
d
sh
e
does hav
e
onl
y
tw
o
children
.
I
a
m
on
e
o
f
them.
”