celebrating Peter’s wedding.”
“Hmmm. Yes. Well, I must be going,” said Stephanie. She pulled a card from her purse and handed it to Ryan. “Perhaps we can meet another time,” she said in a warmer tone than she had used with Brittney. She slipped a look at Brittney before walking off, leaving Brittney seething.
As they made their way to the elevators, Keith burst out, “Wow! She did not like you, Brittney!”
“What did I just walk away from?” asked a confused Ryan.
Brittney looked at Ryan and then Keith. “It’s better if I keep my mouth shut. I have trouble finding anything nice to say about that woman.” She held out her hand, palm up. “Where’s that card?”
Ryan held up the card. Brittney grabbed it and quickly ripped it into small pieces in a fine display of temper.
Ryan raised an eyebrow. “Glad I wasn’t going to call her.”
“Don’t even pretend,” said Brittney hotly. “That snooty—”
“I thought you were going to keep your mouth shut?” said Ryan.
Brittney inhaled deeply, immediately ashamed of her behavior. “I was. Am. Ugh. Sorry.”
“And I’m guessing all this has something to do with Peter?” said Ryan.
“Yeah, you could say that. She’s just looking for a handsome man to hang on when she goes out about town.”
“Handsome, huh?” said Ryan. He waggled an eyebrow at Brittney.
She looked at him and rolled her eyes. “Don’t make me sorry for saving you!”
“I’m not sure ‘saving’ is the right word for what happened back there,” said Ryan, grinning.
Brittney led the way into the locker room and showed Keith how to scrub and put on the isolation gown. Diane looked up as they arrived at the nurse’s station.
“Brittney! What are you doing here?”
“The kid that came in Saturday night, Joshua,” said Brittney. “He’s a friend of the family. How much do you know about his case?”
“He’s looking pretty good so far. Looks like it’s ALL and caught pretty early.”
“What’s that mean?” said Keith.
“ALL is a type of leukemia,” said Ryan.
“And it has an excellent remission rate,” said Brittney. “His chances of survival are very high.” Turning back to Diane, she said, “Can we see him?”
“Sure, just keep it short,” said Diane. “I think both his parents are in there. End of the hall on the left.”
They walked down the hall and knocked on Joshua’s door. Chad answered, his face relaxing when he saw Ryan. “I’m so glad you came!” he said, reaching out to shake Ryan’s hand. “Josh, look who’s here!”
Brittney went over to hug Amy, while Ryan went straight to Josh’s bed, leaving Keith standing uncertainly in the doorway. “Hey, little man. How are you feeling?”
“Okay,” said Josh. “Did you know they have video games here? Can you play with me?”
“Well, to be honest, I’m not that good,” said Ryan. “But, my brother Keith here is top notch.”
Josh looked adoringly at Keith. “You are? Will you play with me?”
“Absolutely!” said Keith, coming to the bedside. “What do you want to play?”
As the two boys got busy on their controllers, Ryan drew Chad and Amy to the other side of the room to talk, and Brittney followed. “How are you doing?”
“Okay,” said Chad. “Doc says he’s pretty sure it’s a kind of leukemia that they can fix.”
“Yes,” said Brittney. “He may get pretty sick during treatment, but they should be able to kill all the cancer cells, and then with some maintenance therapy, Josh can enjoy a long life.”
Chad looked at Ryan. “Will you be ‘round to help us with all that? I know he’s in good hands here, but at home….”
Ryan gave a slight shake of his head. “I’m not sure how much I’ll be around,” said Ryan.
“It’s just all new to us,” said Amy, leaning against her husband, one hand gently rubbing her 16-week pregnant belly. “We’re nervous, but I’m sure it’ll all be fine by the time we go home.”
“The nurses here
“Hmmm. Yes. Well, I must be going,” said Stephanie. She pulled a card from her purse and handed it to Ryan. “Perhaps we can meet another time,” she said in a warmer tone than she had used with Brittney. She slipped a look at Brittney before walking off, leaving Brittney seething.
As they made their way to the elevators, Keith burst out, “Wow! She did not like you, Brittney!”
“What did I just walk away from?” asked a confused Ryan.
Brittney looked at Ryan and then Keith. “It’s better if I keep my mouth shut. I have trouble finding anything nice to say about that woman.” She held out her hand, palm up. “Where’s that card?”
Ryan held up the card. Brittney grabbed it and quickly ripped it into small pieces in a fine display of temper.
Ryan raised an eyebrow. “Glad I wasn’t going to call her.”
“Don’t even pretend,” said Brittney hotly. “That snooty—”
“I thought you were going to keep your mouth shut?” said Ryan.
Brittney inhaled deeply, immediately ashamed of her behavior. “I was. Am. Ugh. Sorry.”
“And I’m guessing all this has something to do with Peter?” said Ryan.
“Yeah, you could say that. She’s just looking for a handsome man to hang on when she goes out about town.”
“Handsome, huh?” said Ryan. He waggled an eyebrow at Brittney.
She looked at him and rolled her eyes. “Don’t make me sorry for saving you!”
“I’m not sure ‘saving’ is the right word for what happened back there,” said Ryan, grinning.
Brittney led the way into the locker room and showed Keith how to scrub and put on the isolation gown. Diane looked up as they arrived at the nurse’s station.
“Brittney! What are you doing here?”
“The kid that came in Saturday night, Joshua,” said Brittney. “He’s a friend of the family. How much do you know about his case?”
“He’s looking pretty good so far. Looks like it’s ALL and caught pretty early.”
“What’s that mean?” said Keith.
“ALL is a type of leukemia,” said Ryan.
“And it has an excellent remission rate,” said Brittney. “His chances of survival are very high.” Turning back to Diane, she said, “Can we see him?”
“Sure, just keep it short,” said Diane. “I think both his parents are in there. End of the hall on the left.”
They walked down the hall and knocked on Joshua’s door. Chad answered, his face relaxing when he saw Ryan. “I’m so glad you came!” he said, reaching out to shake Ryan’s hand. “Josh, look who’s here!”
Brittney went over to hug Amy, while Ryan went straight to Josh’s bed, leaving Keith standing uncertainly in the doorway. “Hey, little man. How are you feeling?”
“Okay,” said Josh. “Did you know they have video games here? Can you play with me?”
“Well, to be honest, I’m not that good,” said Ryan. “But, my brother Keith here is top notch.”
Josh looked adoringly at Keith. “You are? Will you play with me?”
“Absolutely!” said Keith, coming to the bedside. “What do you want to play?”
As the two boys got busy on their controllers, Ryan drew Chad and Amy to the other side of the room to talk, and Brittney followed. “How are you doing?”
“Okay,” said Chad. “Doc says he’s pretty sure it’s a kind of leukemia that they can fix.”
“Yes,” said Brittney. “He may get pretty sick during treatment, but they should be able to kill all the cancer cells, and then with some maintenance therapy, Josh can enjoy a long life.”
Chad looked at Ryan. “Will you be ‘round to help us with all that? I know he’s in good hands here, but at home….”
Ryan gave a slight shake of his head. “I’m not sure how much I’ll be around,” said Ryan.
“It’s just all new to us,” said Amy, leaning against her husband, one hand gently rubbing her 16-week pregnant belly. “We’re nervous, but I’m sure it’ll all be fine by the time we go home.”
“The nurses here
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