Malcolm phased them through the roofof the building and down to the fourth floor. They stopped outside a patient room.
“Wait a minute. This is critical care.”
“That’s correct.” Malcolm let go of Holly’s hand and opened his arm toward the door.
Holly hesitated. “Is her family in there?”
Joy released her hand and patted her shoulder. “No, not yet.”
Holly didn’t respond. Instead, she floated through the door.
Joy turned to Malcolm.“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
He shrugged. “It’s part of the reality of her future.”
“I’m not so sure. It’s not as if Sophia has told her about Thea. I still don’t see how this will help Holly be open to change or deepen her relationships. Sophia is far too needy for Holly to take on. It just seems like additional heartache for her when she’s already suffered enough.”
Malcolm’s eyes narrowed.“Others have suffered far worse. This is important for her to deal with and for the later ramifications.”
The man’s tone had lowered, almost as if he, himself, had been the one to suffer greater loss. If he planned to force Holly into feeling whatever he felt, they were not going to get along at all. “Care to enlighten me on those ramifications?”
“No.” Malcolm turned away from her and floatedinto the patient room.
She headed for the room as well then halted. Emotional reactions to others’ rudeness never worked out well. Taking a cleansing breath, she exhaled and proceeded through the wall.
Holly leaned over the sleeping eighteen-year-old. “She’s so much thinner than the last time I saw her. I thought Thea was getting a bone marrow transplant.”
Malcolm hovered at the foot of thebed. “She was supposed to, but they found more cancer and had to do additional chemo.”
Holly’s scowl was all for Malcolm, and it gave Joy a certain tiny pleasure. “And how did that go?”
“It went well.” Malcolm floated to the other side of Thea’s bed. “She had to gain her strength back from that and while she recuperated at home, her boyfriend kissed her, unaware that he had the flu. It compromisedher immune system. They brought her here to help her, but it doesn’t look good.”
The tears in Holly’s eyes tugged at Joy’s heart, and she floated over to her, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. “I know it’s hard.”
Holly’s head snapped around to look at her. “Are you saying she’ll die?”
Joy looked away, unwilling to make the pronouncement.
Malcolm, though, had no compunction. “Aye.” Bythe way he said it, Joy was almost sure he enjoyed telling Holly the hurtful news.
Holly narrowed her gaze at him. “When? What time period are we in. I don’t see a Christmas tree in here like last year when I visited with Coco and Ian.”
Malcolm’s gaze didn’t waver. “This is two years later and aye, it’s Christmas.”
Holly floated up to Malcolm. “Then how come there’s no tree or decorations.Where’s her family? Where’s Sophia?”
Just then the door to the room opened and Sophia walked in. The smile she had on her face immediately disappeared once she saw that Thea was asleep. The woman walked past Malcolm and Holly to reach the side of the bed where Joy floated. She moved out of the way to observe Holly’s reaction.
“Oh, poor Sophia.” Holly pointed. “She looks haggard.”
Sophia satnext to the bed and moved the blanket farther up Thea’s body. “You need to pull through for me, sis. You’re all I have left. Mum’s and dad’s house is too big for just me. I can’t lose you, too.”
Sophia gave a half-hearted grin. “That’s right, you heard me. It’s all about me. You have to live because I need you.”
Joy had to steel herself against Holly’s frown. She looked on the verge of tears.It would be easier to trust Malcolm if he didn’t look so smug in the face of Holly’s heartbreak.
Holly stared accusingly at her and then Malcolm before she fled the room.
