Page 35 of Tear Me Apart
A trill of panic spreads through Lauren’s chest, almost blinding in its intensity.
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
“No, he’s in his office and asked me to grab you. I’ll stay with her while you go. In case she wakes up. I know Mr. Wright isn’t here.”
Lauren nods and stands, carefully folding the blanket and setting the book on top of it. She doesn’t bother to mark her page.
“What’s your name again?”
“Oh, I’m Lolly,” the girl says, her dimples practically boring holes in her cheeks. “I’m doing my oncology rotation. I’ve heard so many good things about Mindy. I can’t wait to meet her.”
Lauren bites back the tears, the snappish comment. This girl looks barely old enough to have an after-school job, much less be training at this level. She forces herself to smile.
“Well, don’t wake her, but if she does, talk to her about anything you want. She’s terribly bored. Most of her teammates, friends, are out on the slopes, and she’s stuck in here.”
“I bet. You go on. Dr. Oliver is waiting.”
Lauren puts her phone in her back pocket and dutifully follows the hallway down to Oliver’s office. He is behind the big desk, the room a warm jumble of photos and books and lamplight. No fluorescents. She closes her eyes and opens them again, realizing the strain she’s been under in Mindy’s all-fluorescent room.
He looks up, his eyes kind, and smiles, gesturing her to a seat across from him.
“What’s going on?”
“Hi, Lauren. I wanted to see how you were holding up.”
“Oh. Well, as good as can be expected. Mindy is such a champion. She’s being so strong, and—”
“But how areyou, Lauren? You and Jasper.”
She is silent for a moment. “Considering we might lose our daughter? Pretty shitty. Excuse my French.”
Dr. Oliver looks delighted. “No excuses necessary. I’m glad to see you still have some fire left. I know it’s hard. For the record, you’ve been amazing. You both have. But I think you need to get yourself together. Go on home. You can come back and get her tomorrow.”
“No, thanks.” She knows she sounded mulish, but what is she supposed to do? Abandon her sick daughter? Never.
The doctor steeples his fingers. “Listen to me. You’re no good to her like this. You are holding up well, considering. But you’re as diminished as she is. She’s watching you fade into nothingness, and it’s hurting her, badly. You’re hurting yourself, too.”
“Did she tell you this? What do you mean?”
“Lauren, the girl’s face is glass. She’s trying to hide it so hard. But yes, she did mention it to me. She’s worried about you.”
“You talked to her? What else did she say?”
“Yes, I talked to her. When I was adjusting her port in our appointment yesterday. I’m not only about the science, Lauren. The psychology of her illness is important to me, too.” His smile moves to something warmer. “She’s so feisty. She wanted to know why you and Jasper weren’t a match. She made me explain the science behind DNA.”
Lauren’s heart skips a beat, then rushes back to life, flooding her with adrenaline.
“You aren’t supposed to speak to her without us.”
“Lauren—”
“And what did you tell her, exactly? What did you explain?”
She sounds harsh and paranoid. She doesn’t care. Oliver frowns briefly.
“We talked about how the DNA match works. You want a rundown? I’d expect you to have already done all your research on it.”
“I have, but—”
