Blood From a Stone (145 page)

S
he
che
w
ed
ne
r
v
ous
l
y at
her
t
hu
m
bna
i
l
j
ust
t
h
i
n
k
i
ng about
t
he
i
m
p
li
ca
ti
ons.
I
t
w
as
li
k
e
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
fr
om a
bad
sc
i
-
f
i
m
o
v
i
e.
G
o
v
e
r
n
m
ent
fi
nds
m
an
w
ho
can
heal
w
it
h
h
i
s
b
l
ood and he d
i
sappea
r
s
ne
v
er
t
o be seen a
g
a
i
n.

T
hat
w
as
not
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng she
w
ou
l
d
e
v
er
a
ll
ow
t
o happen.
A
nd
y
et
so
m
e
k
i
nd
of
i
n
v
es
ti
g
a
ti
on
shou
l
d
b
e done
i
n o
r
der
t
o
fi
nd
out
how
t
h
i
s
w
o
r
k
ed
and
poss
i
b
l
y
how
i
t
cou
l
d be
used
t
o
he
l
p
i
n
so
m
e
capac
it
y
,
e
v
en
i
f
i
t
w
e
r
e
on
l
y
f
or an
i
m
a
l
s.

Ma
y
be
she
cou
l
d
fi
nd
a
w
ay
t
o
con
v
i
nce
h
i
m
t
o
a
l
l
ow her
t
o
d
r
aw
a
v
i
al
of
h
i
s
b
l
ood
f
or
l
ab
w
o
r
k
.
P
e
r
h
a
ps at
d
i
nner
t
on
i
g
ht
she cou
l
d
fi
nd a po
lit
e
w
ay
t
o ask
h
i
m
about
it
.

S
he
s
i
g
hed
and
pushed
i
t
fr
om her
m
i
nd,
because
f
or now
her
t
ask at
hand
w
as
k
eep
i
ng
t
he
i
n
j
u
r
ed
littl
e
boy a
li
v
e and
co
m
f
o
rt
ab
l
e
and
hope
f
or
t
he
bes
t
.
S
he
w
a
l
k
ed
t
o
h
i
s
r
oom and
t
ook
h
i
s
v
it
a
l
s,
w
h
i
ch
w
e
r
e
s
t
ab
l
e,
chec
k
e
d
h
i
s
t
e
m
p and
h
i
s
I
V
li
ne, a
rr
an
g
ed h
i
s p
ill
o
w
s and b
l
an
k
e
t
s, and
t
hen headed back
t
o
t
he nu
r
se
’
s
s
t
a
ti
on.

S
asha ca
m
e a
r
ound
t
he co
r
ner
at
t
hat
m
o
m
en
t
. “
H
e
y
…
y
ou o
k
a
y
?
Y
ou
l
ook
upset
o
v
er
so
m
e
t
h
i
n
g
.”

W
ill
ow
s
i
g
hed.
“
Y
eah.
I
’
m
fi
ne.
J
ust
conce
r
ned
o
v
er
t
he
littl
e boy
i
n 556.”

             
S
asha
nodded.
“I
k
no
w
.
N
ot
g
ood.
H
o
w
’
s
t
he
m
om
do
i
n
g
?”

             
“
S
he
’
s
do
i
ng
o
k
ay
,
I
g
uess.
A
s
g
ood
as
can
be
expec
t
ed,”
W
ill
ow
o
ff
e
r
ed,
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
sound
m
o
r
e
po
s
iti
v
e
t
han she
f
e
lt
. “I
j
ust
hope
t
hat
he has
a
t
u
r
na
r
ound.”
S
he sh
r
u
gg
ed.

S
asha
r
eached
ac
r
oss
t
he
desk and
g
r
a
b
bed
a
penc
il
. “
Y
ep.
I
k
now
t
he
f
ee
li
ng  a
l
l
t
oo
w
e
ll
.
N
ot
t
o  chan
g
e
t
he sub
j
ec
t
,
but
a
r
e
y
ou
g
o
i
ng out
t
o
d
i
nner
t
on
i
g
h
t
,
or
a
r
e
y
ou head
i
ng
ho
m
e?”

“
S
a
m
son
’
s p
i
c
k
i
ng
m
e up at
9.”

S
asha
s
m
il
ed.
“
A
aaah.
D
i
nner
t
on
i
g
h
t
, be
f
o
r
e
t
he desse
rt
?”
S
he
l
au
g
hed
li
g
h
tl
y
.