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“Anyway, Timmy’s peeing blood.”
“I don’t care if it’s gushing from
every orifice. Get him up and out, and find that doctor. Get the vial, then deal with her. I could do without any more bother from the pilot, too. Do you understand what I’m saying, Goliad?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll take care of it. Of both.”
“See to it immediately. And don’t keep us in suspense, either.”
“No, ma’am. I’ll let you know.”
Delores clicked off and recounted the conversation for Richard. “I fear you were right about this Timmy,” she said. “If he’s going to be violent, he should at least be effective. Mallett should be dead.”
Richard laughed softly. “Goliad will take care of it.”
“Of course he will.”
He would. Goliad would do whatever she asked of him. He was madly in love with her.
Chapter 20
7:38 p.m.
In order to avoid the bedlam in the hotel lobby, Brynn and Rye had used a side exit. They’d had to wait only a few minutes until the car he’d called for arrived, but they were prevented from moving as fast as they wished because of heavy traffic on the freeway. At times their speed was reduced to a crawl.
Rye had been right: It was mandatory that Brynn get to Violet before either Nate or the Hunts stopped her. The snail’s pace contributed to her stress.
After a lengthy silence, Rye startled her by asking, “What about nurses? Staff? You show up on Thanksgiving night, won’t that arouse suspicion?” Apparently, he’d been thinking about possible obstacles she might face.
“This facility is like a hotel. There’s an attendant on each floor with basic nursing training. They can replace IV bags, take and record vitals, but they’re there largely to notify the patient’s doctor or emergency staff of any drastic change in a patient’s condition.”
“You have her parents’ permission to use the drug on her, even though she’ll be the first patient it’s been tried on? You’ve discussed it with them?”
“You ask that now?”
“Well?”
“Of course I’ve discussed it with them. None of the stem cell donor registries have found a suitable match for her. Not even her family members came close enough. Her parents see this drug as a lifesaver. They were involved in the application process for the exemption.”
“So they’ll be open to you giving it to her tonight?”
“Without hesitation. This last round of radiation was meant to prolong Violet’s life, not save it. It’s been grueling. It’s weakened her. Her mother and father wouldn’t have subjected her to it, except for the hope of her living long enough for the exemption to be approved. Believe me, Rye, this is the answer to their prayers.”
He said, “What about Lambert? You said he sees Violet routinely. Won’t her mother wonder why he’s not in on it?”
“She’ll probably ask. I’ll tell her that he’s seeing another patient. Which I’m sure is the case. As precarious as my situation is, I wouldn’t want to be in Nate’s shoes right now.”
“Lambert,” he said with scorn. “Between the senator and the girl, there was never a question of who he would give the drug to, was there?”
Rye’s question may have been asked rhetorically, but it caused Brynn to think back on her frequent debates with Nate. From the outset, he had argued in favor of Richard Hunt, citing the contributions an influential congressman could make to society and the nation, whereas Violet had a long way to go simply to catch up to her grade level in school.
He also padded his arguments by comparing their physical preparedness to get the drug. Senator Hunt’s illness had only recently been diagnosed and was in the primary stages. Since his system hadn’t yet been weakened by other treatments, he had more stamina. He suffered no other health issues. Overall, the drug had a far better chance of succeeding with him than with Violet, whose system had been ravaged.
Brynn had argued that because of Hunt’s superior condition, he had more time to wait out the FDA’s approval. Violet didn’t.
“It’s an unwritten law not to criticize a colleague,” she said. “And, regardless of Nate’s abrasive and unlikable personality, he is brilliant. But, yes, I believe his decision was influenced by Richard Hunt’s status. And money.”
“He used a sick little girl as his bargaining chip to drive up the price.” Rye mumbled a foul deprecation. “Do the girl’s parents know about the competition?”
