【】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>