【】ry,sasbestfriend,”santhasaid</p>

iatiently.”igaveheryouuer.”</p>

”youuldhavecalledyourself.”shegre</p>

kno,youdhavehadtobooka</p>

flightandissedaion,</p>

youdhavetakeogethere.</p>

besides,katherinesaysasgooddoctors,souyoudo””i</p>

bethere,”hesaid,butthethanhe</p>

igiort.soheadde**st”letsnue,santha.</p>

thisisi.”</p>

”areyoutellihiseallyokay””thatsthe</p>

truthasiheardit.isyoursistersleeping””sheilthe</p>

ph.yfriendscall</p>

intheddleofthenight,”shesaidejack</p>

suspeorethanonce.”dad,togotothe</p>

hospital,butduntakeus.”</p>

”ishetherenoelike</p>

this.todrive</p>

usup.”sheshoutedathephone,ahenithurtjacks</p>

ears,”dunyfather””santha”</p>

jaalledtogetherback.</p>

herreplyuffled.”no,snotdead,butthatcatwillbeif</p>

youdohergo.youreholdiootight,hope.youllhurt</p>

her.”sheretuedtojack.”here.hopestotalk.”</p>

”daddy</p>

”thevoicewasafragilewisp.</p>

jacksheartshifted.”hi,hope.hoie”</p>

”scared.”</p>

”ifiguredthat,butyourdoingfinerightnoono</p>

thehospital.illkhere.”</p>

”ehere,”beggedthesllvoice.</p>

”ieltingattheideathatatleastoneofhisgirls</p>

neededhi”butthehospitalsohere</p>

first.</p>

thenillhaveretoreportwheniseeyou.”</p>

”tellhestopped.</p>

”eon.”shesgagain.heres</p>

dun.”</p>

”dunblighhere.”thevoice.”sthek</p>

edhopeback.butithisnight.”thehatidont</p>

knouch.illbeatthehospitalhinthehour.</p>

dontdrivethep.”</p>

”iutedprotestinthebackground,then</p>

anaggrievedsantharetued.</p>

”daddy,itssicksittingaroundherehere.”</p>

”itstheddleofthenight.”</p>

”likeother.ifsheasks</p>

forus””shesinsurgery,santha.evenifyouthe</p>

hospital,youbeabletoseeher.look,ifyoutodo</p>

sothing,helpyoursister.shesoundsupset.”</p>

”andiot”jackuldhearthetightpanicthatakingher</p>

voianthahope.t</p>

iheyanthawas</p>

fifteengoingonthirty,alittleknoalltakekindlyto</p>

beiedlikeachild.thirteenyearoldhopeiveand</p>

silent.</p>

santhahequestions.hopehe</p>

answers.</p>

”iureyoureupset,too,”hesaid,”butyoureolderthanshe</p>

is.</p>

ybeifyouhelpher,shellhelpyou.giveeachotherstrength,</p>

ykhose</p>