Part 34 (2/2)
”You're going to be fine.”
There's a slight twist to her mouth and her eyes are sad. ”I've had a feeling for a while. I just kind of know. My dreams.” She pauses.
”I know. And it's okay, Morgan. It's okay.”
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J a n e t G u r t l e r ”d.a.m.n,” Adam mutters, and he sits on her other side and pulls her in for a hug. She tolerates it for a moment and then wiggles away. The answering machine picks up the phone.
”The stats aren't on my side this time,” she says.
”Screw statistics,” Adam and I yell.
The words hang in the air and then Amy starts to giggle. She holds her stomach and giggles on and on. Adam and I watch her without joining in. Finally she calms down and turns to me. ”I came to tell you. And I wanted to ask- if you don't mind, if you're not busy tomorrow- will you come with me? To the doctor?” she asks.
”Of course,” I tell her, my heart swelling with love and worry.
”Of course.”
”Do you work?” She looks at Adam. ”I think I'm going to have to book time off from work.”
”You're in good with the boss,” he says.
”I'm not working,” I tell her. ”I'll be there.”
She smiles. ”It's not for me,” she tells me. ”I want you to be there for my parents.”
I reach for her hand. ”I would be honored.”
”I'm sorry I never told you before.”
”I'm glad you did now,” I tell her.
I'm terrified.
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chapter twenty- two.
15. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
#thingsIthoughtweretrue I t's been raining for four days in a row. My hair is a frizzy mess.
I'm 308 away from reaching five thousand followers, but it's Amy who's watching closely now. She's actually getting close to me in followers, but she wants me to get to it first.
I can't believe we go back to school in two weeks, but the good news is that Amy's dad is going to let her transfer to our high school.
Once she's feeling better. Meanwhile, she's been seeing different doctors all week. Scans, blood work, and a ton of other tests I don't understand. Her dad and mom are there for all of it. They've done this before. They're way too familiar with the doctors and tests. I've joined them a few times, taking time off work to go with her. Today Adam picked me up, so we could both visit her. She's in the hospital.
A different one from my mom, but the same smells, same uniforms, same cl.u.s.ters of people and patients wandering around dazed.
Amy is lying on a bed in her private room and has surgery sched- uled for the next day. With her tiny frame and her hair cut short, she really does look about twelve years old now. We walk inside her room sixteenthings.indd 239 9/9/13 2:21 PM.
J a n e t G u r t l e r and a man is standing with his back to the door- Amy's dad. He turns and smiles. I notice again how his teeth are extra white. Bought and paid for. He can afford luxuries. Unfortunately, other than privacy, there's not a lot money can buy when it comes to cancer.
”Look, Amy. Morgan's here.” The grat.i.tude in his eyes humbles me.
”Of course. And Adam too,” I say. Adam politely shakes Amy's dad's hand.
”The infamous road- trip crew,” he says and smiles. ”It's all this one has been talking about the past week, how much fun she had.”
He reaches down, and the way he touches Amy's forehead so gently swells up an urge to cry in my chest.
”I should take a moment while you have company to go get a coffee. You want anything, Amy?” he says.
”Maybe some water? I'm so thirsty I think I could drink the Pacific Ocean with a straw.”
”Probably not a good idea, Amy bear.” He touches my shoulder when he pa.s.ses by me to leave the room. ”I'll get you some ice chips,”
he says and I smile after him. We've had a couple of chances to talk.
”Where's your mom?” I ask Amy.
”She was here. She had to go to a meeting. She's coming back.
How many followers you at, Morgan?”
I tell her the number and she squeals. ”You are totally going to make five thousand this week!” she squeals. She's definitely obsessed. I don't want to talk about that though. I move closer to her bed where Adam's standing, looking down on her. ”So they finally managed to get you here,” Adam says.
”I'm a friggin' pin cus.h.i.+on. They're staging me,” she tells him.
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1 6 t h i n g s i t h o u g h t w e r e t r u e I don't know exactly what they mean but don't ask. They talk in medical speak, and I walk over to the window and open the navy curtains. At least she has a better view than my mom's room. I scrunch up my nose, not wanting to think about my mom's heart.
I prefer to think she doesn't have one.
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