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“I…uhm.” She tried to think of something, but couldn’t come up with anything. She did nothing but work, work, and work. “Counting my tips in the bathtub, I guess?”
His smile widened. “You’re humoring me.”
“Not really. I don’t have an interesting hobby like yours. I’m a boring girl.”
“Let me be the judge of that, shall I? I look forward to getting to know you better.” He leaned forward and dazzled her with his pearly white smile. “More personal and intimate.”
Her face burned hot. The rhythm of her beating heart quickened. This man affected her in a way that no one ever had done before. What’s wrong with me? She tried to change the subject. “What is it you’d like to talk to me about?”
He straightened his posture, quickly slipping into a businesslike mode. “It’s about your brother. I’ve just finished talking to Emma Viehl.”
“The hospital administrator?” Annalise wasn’t fond of that woman. Viehl was scary. Her obsession was to throw Robby out to the curb and be done with him. Viehl was the one who instructed the doctors to let her brother go and focus their attention on more deserving, paying patients.
“I notified Ms. Viehl that I’ll be taking care of the debt and discussed my plan to remove your brother to another medical facility. I feel that your brother won’t get the superior medical care he needs where he’s at now. I have a couple choices for you to consider. My first pick is Anderson Cancer Center in Texas.”
“Texas?”
“I personally know a few pediatric oncologists in there who are extremely qualified to care for your brother. As you know, even though Robert’s cancer is in remission, his prognosis is highly affected by his vegetative state, making care for him especially challenging.”
Annalise dropped her shoulders. She knew that all too well. Robby used to be an energetic boy and loved sports. He was now reduced to a husk of his former self. He needed a ventilator in order to breathe. His food was delivered via a feeding tube. His skin was moisturized frequently to prevent breakouts and bed sores. His limbs were massaged to prevent blood clots and atrophy. He’d contracted pneumonia and was prone to bladder infections.
Watching her little brother in that condition was slowly killing her inside. But the thought of losing him entirely scared her even more. She wouldn’t give up on him. Robby wasn’t brain dead. Somewhere inside, the Robby she knew was hiding under his deteriorated body. She hoped for a miracle that Robby would open his eyes and became her little brother once again.
She cleared her throat. “Texas, huh? I wouldn’t be able to see him often.”
“You can visit him every week.”
“The traveling cost would be really expensive.”
Sven waved dismissively. “Don’t worry about that. We have a private jet.”
“You own an airplane?”
“Yes. I travel quite often due to my business.”
Annalise mouthed a silent ‘wow.’ She thought about relocating Robby to Texas for a second. “What is the second option?”
“Memorial Sloan-Kettering. They’re located in New York. However, I don’t have any connection to them, unlike Anderson. But I can make a few phone calls and introduce myself.”
“Will you be able to move Robby there?”
“Certainly.”
“Do you mind if I choose this one?”
“Of course not. I had a feeling you’d say that. You want to stay close to your brother?”
She nodded.
“Then Sloan-Kettering it is.”
The heavy burden in her heart suddenly lifted. Robby would get the best care, and she hoped this would give him a fighting chance. She still hadn’t give up on him yet.
Sven tidied up the papers. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, we shall discuss your schedule for the next few weeks. I have liberated some of mine so I can start tutoring you. Let’s see…” He pulled out a neatly typed chart from a folder. “Tomorrow we’ll take care of your brother’s move, and in the afternoon you’ll have an appointment with Jenna Smith. She’s my personal shopper, and she’ll work with you to build your new wardrobe. Jenna will help you procure everything you’ll need.”
“Wardrobe?”
“I must assume you don’t have any business suits, or formal attire for that matter?”
