least have long periods of remission.”
Leah wasn’t comforted. “If I do have bone cancer and I have to have chemo, what will it be like?”
Molly took a few minutes before answering. When she spoke, her words sounded as though they were coming from a medical text. “You’ll be put on a protocol of drugs that will take from nine months to a year to administer. Most of the chemo is toxic—it kills cancer cells and normal cells. Your immune system will be weakened, so you’ll have to be very careful about germs. Even a common cold can land you in the hospital.
“They’ll probably want to surgically insert a catheter—a plastic tube—into your chest, for administering the chemo. That way they won’t have to stick you with needles for every dose. No swimming and no contact sports whileyou’re wearing the device because you might get an infection.”
Leah grimaced, hating the idea of a tube protruding from her chest. “Will I throw up?”
“Sometimes. Some of the drugs are stronger than others. You can experience everything from mild nausea to vomiting.”
Hearing all of this made Leah lightheaded. “Will my hair fall out?”
“Yes. You can wear a wig until it grows back. And it
will
grow back, Leah. The hospital sponsors seminars for cancer patients to help them cope. And to help them look good and feel better about themselves throughout their treatments. You’ll learn makeup tricks and get clothing tips.”
“Whoopee,” Leah said without enthusiasm.
Molly smiled. “Any other questions?”
“Not right now. I think I know more than I want to know.”
Molly leaned forward. “I have a question for you.”
“Sure, ask me anything.”
“Tell me about Gabriella.”
Leah was caught off guard. “What about her? I mean, she’s your friend, isn’t she?”
Molly shook her head. “I don’t know her.”
“Are you serious? She’s on the night shift. I thought you knew her.”
Molly’s expression looked guarded. “I know everybody on every shift. There’s no Gabriella on our staff.”
“But I’ve talked to her. She came into my room at night. Actually, she visited Rebekah first, and then she started talking to me when Rebekah was leaving.”
“This troubles me, Leah. I’ve never met the woman and there’s no record of her in our personnel files.”
A creepy sensation inched up Leah’s spine. “That’s weird.”
“Very weird,” Molly agreed. “Listen, you need to alert us if it happens again. Push your call button no matter what time of day or night.”
Leah frowned. “But she’s been really nice to me. She would sit by Rebekah’s bed all night when she was scared.”
“Nurses haven’t got time to sit by a patient’s bed all night. The night-shift staff is minimal, and there’s plenty of work to do.”
“But why would she do it?” Leah watched Molly’s face as she considered the question, as if deciding how much she should say.
“I don’t want to frighten you.”
“Too late.”
Molly leaned forward. “There are some strange people in the world, and most of the time they’re harmless. Some of them like to hang around hospitals. Fantasize about being nurses and doctors. Goodness knows why—there’s nothing very glamorous about our jobs.
“Anyway, these people sometimes sneak into hospitals and pretend to be part of our community. Once we had a woman who haunted the neonatal ward—where the newborns are. She would sneak in and try to hold the babies. We tightened security and caught her. She went to a psychiatric hospital.”
“And you think this Gabriella is some kind of a nutcase too?”
“I don’t know what to think. But you and Rebekah are the only people who’ve seen her, and since Rebekah’s gone, she may come back and visit you again.”
“She already has.”
“What!” Molly sat bolt upright. “When?”
“The night Rebekah left. I ran into Gabriella in the rec room. She walked me back to my room and stayed with me until I fell
Leah wasn’t comforted. “If I do have bone cancer and I have to have chemo, what will it be like?”
Molly took a few minutes before answering. When she spoke, her words sounded as though they were coming from a medical text. “You’ll be put on a protocol of drugs that will take from nine months to a year to administer. Most of the chemo is toxic—it kills cancer cells and normal cells. Your immune system will be weakened, so you’ll have to be very careful about germs. Even a common cold can land you in the hospital.
“They’ll probably want to surgically insert a catheter—a plastic tube—into your chest, for administering the chemo. That way they won’t have to stick you with needles for every dose. No swimming and no contact sports whileyou’re wearing the device because you might get an infection.”
Leah grimaced, hating the idea of a tube protruding from her chest. “Will I throw up?”
“Sometimes. Some of the drugs are stronger than others. You can experience everything from mild nausea to vomiting.”
Hearing all of this made Leah lightheaded. “Will my hair fall out?”
“Yes. You can wear a wig until it grows back. And it
will
grow back, Leah. The hospital sponsors seminars for cancer patients to help them cope. And to help them look good and feel better about themselves throughout their treatments. You’ll learn makeup tricks and get clothing tips.”
“Whoopee,” Leah said without enthusiasm.
Molly smiled. “Any other questions?”
“Not right now. I think I know more than I want to know.”
Molly leaned forward. “I have a question for you.”
“Sure, ask me anything.”
“Tell me about Gabriella.”
Leah was caught off guard. “What about her? I mean, she’s your friend, isn’t she?”
Molly shook her head. “I don’t know her.”
“Are you serious? She’s on the night shift. I thought you knew her.”
Molly’s expression looked guarded. “I know everybody on every shift. There’s no Gabriella on our staff.”
“But I’ve talked to her. She came into my room at night. Actually, she visited Rebekah first, and then she started talking to me when Rebekah was leaving.”
“This troubles me, Leah. I’ve never met the woman and there’s no record of her in our personnel files.”
A creepy sensation inched up Leah’s spine. “That’s weird.”
“Very weird,” Molly agreed. “Listen, you need to alert us if it happens again. Push your call button no matter what time of day or night.”
Leah frowned. “But she’s been really nice to me. She would sit by Rebekah’s bed all night when she was scared.”
“Nurses haven’t got time to sit by a patient’s bed all night. The night-shift staff is minimal, and there’s plenty of work to do.”
“But why would she do it?” Leah watched Molly’s face as she considered the question, as if deciding how much she should say.
“I don’t want to frighten you.”
“Too late.”
Molly leaned forward. “There are some strange people in the world, and most of the time they’re harmless. Some of them like to hang around hospitals. Fantasize about being nurses and doctors. Goodness knows why—there’s nothing very glamorous about our jobs.
“Anyway, these people sometimes sneak into hospitals and pretend to be part of our community. Once we had a woman who haunted the neonatal ward—where the newborns are. She would sneak in and try to hold the babies. We tightened security and caught her. She went to a psychiatric hospital.”
“And you think this Gabriella is some kind of a nutcase too?”
“I don’t know what to think. But you and Rebekah are the only people who’ve seen her, and since Rebekah’s gone, she may come back and visit you again.”
“She already has.”
“What!” Molly sat bolt upright. “When?”
“The night Rebekah left. I ran into Gabriella in the rec room. She walked me back to my room and stayed with me until I fell
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