Chapter 21

• Rhonda felt numb. The tears had stopped an hour earlier, now she just sat there staring at the people going by and watching the nurses before looking at the clock, again. Her eyes felt dry and her chest was tight. She could only see the nurses’ heads behind the huge desk. Every few minutes one of them would stand up and she would notice the uniforms were no longer a sterile white, but an array of bright colors and patterns. The uniforms where she had been were bleached white and sterile. Do they wear the colors to uplift the patient’s moods or their own, she wondered briefly.
• She glanced at the clock again. How long had they been here? It had to be at least two hours. She watched Owen cradling Leena in his arms as she closed her eyes to rest. Kasey and Chris were sitting close and talking quietly. Kasey was sitting still, a rare thing.
• When they’d all gotten here, they heard Steven had gone into surgery with Patrick. Rhonda could only hope that helped his chances.