Page 344 of Under Her Skin

“But it’s amazing,” shesays.

Blaine, who was turning away, stops and looks at the woman. “Itis?”

“Yes,” she says, then a smile lights up her face. “That little girl was pulled off the machines last night at her parentsbidding.”

“They pulled her off on Christmas Eve?” Blain asks. “That man stops at nothing to do the most inappropriatethings.”

“I don’t know if he was so wrong this time. Maybe it was a little Christmas magic that helped her. All I know is that she woke up feeling good. When her blood was drawn and sent to the lab, the results were out of this world. Everything was absolutely normal. Not a trace of anyabnormalities.”

“You’re serious?” Blaine asks, then I find him pulling me along behind him as he hurries to the elevator. “We have to go seeher!”

“Blaine, I’m not sure herfather…”

He cuts me off. “He will let us see her. Youwatch!”

The elevator opens up, which I’m thankful for because Blaine was eyeing the door to the stairs. A three-flight run of them would not be anything I’d like todo.

The doors close and Blaine pulls me in for a hug. I can feel his heart pounding hard in his chest. “Maybe our prayers worked,Delaney!”

“Maybe. Like I said, I’ve seen things happen no one could explain. But you need to know that sometimes it looks like things are in remission and suddenly the disease can come back with a renewed vengeance. I just want you to be aware that could happen.” I watch his face and the smile is stillthere.

“I know this doesn’t mean the little girl will never face another bad thing in life. But at least this bad thing may be out of her way. That’s all anyone can ask for.” The doors open and he’s dragging me along behind him, as there is just no way I can keep up. His long legs make such quickstrides.

Every person we pass along the way to Meagan’s room is all smiles. “It’s another miracle!” Nurse Pradhan tells us as we pass her. “A real Christmasmiracle!”

Before we get to Meagan’s room, the door to Tammy’s room flies open, and her mother, Patsy, is wide-eyed. “You two! Oh my God! You’re not going to believethis.”

Blaine smiles at her. “I know. We heard Meagan is making arecovery.”

She shakes her head and grabs my hands. “We just got back the results of Tammy’s blood draw thismorning.”

Blaine’s hand starts shaking in mine as he whispers, “Noway.”

Patsy starts jumping up and down. “She’s normal! Her blood count is perfect! She’s in remission is what her doctor just told me. My baby is going to beokay!”

I hug her as Blaine stands there with his mouth open. “I wonder if anyone else got these kinds of results from this morning’s blooddraw.”

“Congratulations, Patsy!” I call out as Blaine takes my hand and hurriedly goes down the hallway. Little Adam’s room is on the left, only three doors down from Tammy’s, and he stops at it, making a quick knock. “Adam?”

The door is pulled open and Adam’s father, a young man of only twenty-two, opens it. He and Adam’s mother were only seventeen when they had the little five-year-old boy who has a malignant mass under his right arm. “It’sgone!”

“What?” Blaine says and hurries to the little boy who is sitting up on the bed, holding his armup.

“Look, Mr. Vanderbilt,” he shouts as he runs his hand over the smooth surface where a massive lump was only yesterday. “It’s gone. It just went away. I feel so much bettertoo.”

Blaine moves his hand over the place the cancer had been. “This isamazing.”

“We’re waiting on the lab results and for the doctor to come talk to us, but we know it will be great news,” his father tellsus.

Blaine gives the little boy a hug. “I’m so happy for you, Adam. I’ll be back to see what the doctor tells you. I need to check on a couple of other kids.” Taking my hand, he pulls me along as he hauls ass. “Oh, MerryChristmas!”

I manage to pull the door shut behind us as he hurries toward Colby’s room. When he pushes the door open, we both stare at the clean room, void of any of Colby’s things. “What the hell?” I ask as we walk back out and go to the nurses’ station. “Beth, where’sColby?”

“I don’t know,” she says. “I just came on to my shift. I was running a little late. I let the kids open their presents this morning. Rhonda gave me a little time to do that with my family. I’ll check on that foryou.”

“Let’s go see Terry,” Blaine says, then grabs my hand again, and this time I manage to keep up with him as adrenaline is flowing throughme.

I stop him just before he pushes the door open. “Okay, now, don’t get too excited. The chances he’s also got great news are slight. And we don’t want to let him know about the other kids who are doing sowell.”