With Malice by Eileen Cook Read Free Book Online Page B

pursed together. “How much would it cost to get a private room for my daughter?” he asked.
    I winced at his tone.
    â€œA lot of patients find it nice to have someone who is going through the same experience,” the nurse said. She yanked the curtain back so the view of the treetops could be seen from the window.
    There was a flush, and the bathroom door opened. A girl wheeled out. Her hair was dyed a flat black, but there was a wide strip of dark brown where it was growing out. That’s what I noticed first. The second thing was that she wasn’t wearing any pants, just a pair of baggy granny panties. She had a pierced nose and huge silver hoop earrings. Beyond huge—you could have lobbed a baseball through one of her earrings like at one of those carnival games. I wasn’t sure what about her I found most disturbing.
    â€œMy catheter was leaking,” she announced to our group as if it was no big deal. “I threw my stuff in the hamper.” She didn’t seem remotely embarrassed to be half naked in front of a bunch of strangers. She looked at me. “I’m Anna Lopez.”
    I nodded and did my best not to stare as she wheeled herself over to the bed by the window and then grabbed the triangle that hung from the ceiling and swung up and onto the mattress. She was like a circus performer. A pantsless performer who used entirely too much eyeliner.
    â€œCan you get yourself dressed?” the nurse asked. Anna was already doing a weird shimmy into a pair of flannel pajama bottoms that were covered with penguins wearing sunglasses. I would not have guessed she was the whimsical jammie type. Her legs were thin, wasted. She picked them up and moved them around as if they were things instead of an extension of her body. The sight of her legs made me vaguely nauseated, and I was glad when they were covered again. I rubbed my cast like it was a genie lamp and said a silent prayer of thanks I hadn’t broken my back.
    I used to play that game with Simone. Which would you choose—to be blind or to be deaf? To be paralyzed or to lose an arm? To be burned or to have your leg caught in a bear trap? Now that it was real life, the game didn’t seem that much fun.
    My dad was staring at Anna as if he’d never seen anything like her. Anyone who looked like they didn’t spring from the pages of
Forbes
magazine gave him the hives.
    â€œI’m Helen,” my mom said. “And this is Jill, your new roommate, and of course Keith, her dad.” My mom smiled. She was the master of social situations. If we were ever in a bank robbery, my mom would be the one passing out snacks from her handbag to the other hostages while making small talk.
    â€œI’m going to have to ask you to check into getting a private room for Jill.” Dad ignored Anna and focused on the nurse. “As I’m sure you can imagine, this is a special situation. I think Jill would be more comfortable on her own.”
    I wished I could melt into the floor.
    â€œThis ward is full of special situations,” the nurse said. “Besides, there aren’t any other options. We don’t have any single rooms. They’re all doubles.”
    â€œWell then, I’ll pay the difference so my daughter can have a double room to herself,” Dad said.
    â€œThis might be fine,” my mom said. “Jill, what do you think?”
    Before I could even open my mouth, my dad cut in. “Don’t be ridiculous. You know as well as I do how interested everyone is in her story. Is that really a temptation you want to put in front of someone like—” He motioned to Anna.
    â€œKeith,” my mom said through clenched teeth. Apparently my dad had confused paraplegia with being deaf.
    Anna waved off my mom’s concern for her feelings. She seemed thrilled to have a front-row seat for this drama.
    â€œI’ll be fine,” I said, my face flushed.
    My dad stared upward and