"Nothing, no one is worth that risk," she said.
"Why do you say that so firmly, Grace? Haven't you loved other people since your father's death? You seemed to have been very fond of your stepfather, Winston Montgomery," I said, noting Anderson's comments in her file.
"And look what happened to him."
"He wasn't a young man when he died."
"He wasn't an old man, either." she retorted. I could see the fury in her eyes now, but it was a fury she was directing at herself then. Willow,
"No, he wasn't, but people get sick and sometimes it isn't anyone's fault. That's true, too, isn't it. Grace?"
She didn't answer, and when she didn't want to answer, she turned away so I couldn't see the thin, glassy shelf of tears cover her eyes.
It's so important to get a patient to believe he or she isn't so much unlike you or everyone else. You have to create that bond and that trust.
'I remember when my mother died," I began, and she turned back to me slowly. "I was finished with medical school and I kept thinking I should have noticed something. I should have been there for her. I blamed myself and for a long time, too."
She raised her eyebrows again. "What happened to her?"
She had a stroke, a massive cerebral stroke. Thankfully, she wasn't in a coma long."
"That was different," she said after a moment. "Why?"
"You thought you should have seen physical things and gotten her same medicine. You didn't bring her bad luck."
"Why should someone have the power to bring someone else bad luck?" I asked her.
"It's not a power; it's a curse!"
"Why should someone have such a curse put on
her?"
"Fate decides that before you're born." she told me.
I didn't smile. I nodded. "Well, that's something you will have to explain mare to me."
"I don't want to," she said and pressed her lips together like a defiant child.
"I can wait until you do." I said.
She threw a furious look my way, and I could see she was getting angry at me, so I looked at her file and then looked at the clock.
"I bet you're tired with the trip here and all, aren't you?" She nodded.
"We have lots of time to talk. Did you get a good tour of our clinic?"
She shrugged, "That nurse moved and spoke very fast."
"Yes, she can be that way," I said. smiling. "I'll call Nurse Gordon and ask her to show you back to your room." I said, and then I decided no. I'll show her back. "Why don't I escort you. myself." I said. She looked happier about that. "It isn't all that much longer until dinner. I'm sure you'd like a little rest first, take a shower, change your clothes, do whatever you want."
"I can't do exactly whatever I want." she replied. "Your nurse made that very clear with her list of rules."
"Well, whatever she told you is designed to keep you and the others here safe, but we don't want you to feel like you're shut away, Grace. This is simply a place where all the people who can help you come together and concentrate on you Give it a chance." I urged.
She nodded and stood. Her eyes perused the office, and she saw the picture I had of your stepmother. I saw the curiosity in her face.
"Is that your wife?"