One Night Only (216 page)

“Ther
e
i
s
n
o
point,
”
sai
d
Samantha
.
“Sh
e
won
’
t
kno
w
.
She
’
s
s
o
heavil
y
medicate
d
thes
e
day
s
tha
t
sh
e
doesn
’
t
kno
w
da
y
fro
m
night
.
W
e’l
l
b
e
takin
g
he
r
hom
e
withi
n
the
wee
k
s
o
tha
t
sh
e
ca
n
leav
e
u
s
wit
h
grac
e
i
n
th
e
plac
e
she
calle
d
home.
”

Samanth
a
spok
e
lik
e
a
blood
y
priest
!
Whoeve
r
said suc
h
drivel
!
‘Leav
e
u
s
wit
h
grac
e
i
n
th
e
plac
e
sh
e
called
home?
’
Sh
e
wouldn
’
t
eve
n
kno
w
ho
w
t
o
spel
l
th
e
word
‘grace
’
neve
r
min
d
us
e
i
t
i
n
he
r
everyda
y
language
!
Ruth
recalle
d
th
e
nurse
’
s
words
:
sh
e
though
t
Hilar
y
ha
d
only tw
o
childre
n
–
Samanth
a
an
d
Brian
.
Hilar
y
obviously
didn
’
t
eve
n
regar
d
he
r
a
s
he
r
ow
n
blood
,
eve
n
i
n
he
r
last days
.
Rut
h
trie
d
t
o
le
t
th
e
realit
y
o
f
tha
t
sin
k
i
n
and
,
as
sh
e
stood
,
starin
g
a
t
th
e
woma
n
wh
o
use
d
t
o
wip
e
her nos
e
an
d
sooth
e
he
r
whe
n
sh
e
wa
s
sick
,
sh
e
fel
t
nothing bu
t
sorro
w
.
No
t
fo
r
herself
,
bu
t
fo
r
th
e
woma
n
tha
t
her mothe
r
ha
d
become
.

“
I
wil
l
pra
y
fo
r
he
r
then,
”
sai
d
Ruth
,
feelin
g
a
rus
h
of th
e
warmt
h
o
f
acceptanc
e
ru
n
throug
h
he
r
veins
.
“
I
hope
s
h
e
find
s
peac
e
an
d
doesn
’
t
suffe
r
fo
r
to
o
long
.
M
y
suffering
to
o
i
s
ove
r
no
w
.
Goodbye
,
Samantha.
”

Sh
e
blesse
d
hersel
f
an
d
turne
d
awa
y
fro
m
th
e
tw
o
women
wh
o
ha
d
mad
e
he
r
lif
e
a
livin
g
hel
l
fo
r
a
s
lon
g
a
s
sh
e
could remembe
r
.

“O
h
an
d
b
y
th
e
wa
y
,
”
sh
e
said
,
turnin
g
bac
k
again
.
“I
neve
r
wan
t
t
o
la
y
eye
s
o
n
yo
u
again
,
o
r
m
y
brothe
r
.
Y
ou ca
n
tel
l
hi
m
fro
m
m
e
tha
t
h
e
i
s
nothin
g
bu
t
a
cowardly
siss
y
wh
o
ha
s
le
t
wome
n
dominat
e
hi
m
hi
s
whol
e
sorry
life
.
I
didn
’
t
expec
t
muc
h
fro
m
yo
u
bu
t
b
y
Go
d
I
expected
a
lo
t
mor
e
fro
m
him
.
Y
o
u
tw
o
sui
t
eac
h
othe
r
.
I’
m
gla
d
I
don
’
t
hav
e
t
o
loo
k
a
t
you
r
ugl
y
face
s
eve
r
again!
”

Sh
e
lef
t
Samanth
a
an
d
walke
d
tall
,
allowin
g
he
r
last tear
s
fo
r
he
r
mothe
r
t
o
fal
l
dow
n
he
r
cheek
s
a
s
sh
e
lef
t
the ward
,
pas
t
th
e
nurses
’
station
.

“
T
o
o
upsetting?
”
sai
d
th
e
sam
e
nurs
e
wh
o
ha
d
greeted he
r
o
n
arrival
.
“M
y
hear
t
goe
s
ou
t
t
o
you
.
I
t
reall
y
does.
I
remembe
r
whe
n
m
y
–
”

“No,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“I’
m
gla
d
I
came
.
Y
o
u
don
’
t
know ho
w
gla
d
I
am
.
Y
es
,
i
t
wa
s
upsettin
g
bu
t
perhap
s
no
t
for th
e
reason
s
yo
u
mean
.
An
d
no
w
–
no
w
I’
m
goin
g
hom
e
to
m
y
rea
l
famil
y
.
I
hav
e
tw
o
childre
n
too
,
yo
u
kno
w
.
An
d
I
wil
l
neve
r
,
eve
r
den
y
the
m
t
o
anyone
,
n
o
matte
r
wha
t
they do.
”