Sherry’s eyes burned. It was all too much. The worry about Jake, Ms. Fielding’s crazy offer, the amazing treatment Jake was getting… She swallowed against the lump in her throat. She never had and never would cry in front of him. “That’s nice, baby.” She was about to pick him up when the nurse touched her arm. “I have a wheelchair here, ma’am.”

“Oh.” Sherry let go of Jake, caressed his flushed cheek, and stepped back.

Nurse Tayler helped Jake into the wheelchair before pushing him out of the room. The fact that he didn’t complain showed how exhausted he was.

Sherry and Ms. Fielding fell into step behind Nurse Tayler. It was surreal. This stranger was walking with them as if she were part of their family. And that’s exactly what she wants everybody to believe. The thought made her queasy. It was just wrong. “What if I don’t do it?” she whispered.

“Not here, dammit. We can talk about it in a second. When we’re alone.”

Sherry had no choice but to nod.

When the elevator opened, the smell of disinfectant and something else she couldn’t identify hit Madison like a punch in the face. Memories of the last time she’d been in this hospital, on a floor exactly like this one, crashed over her like a wave. The bleeping of machines, the pale face of her mother, distorted in pain, and her clammy hand holding Madison’s much smaller one.

“Ms. Fielding?”

The nurse’s voice pulled Madison back to the here and now. Everybody but her had left the elevator.

Two big steps and she stood in the hall before the doors could close.

“There we are.” The nurse entered a room and switched the light on.

Sherry’s big eyes seemed to pop out of her head. “Th…that is Jake’s room?”

“Um, yes, ma’am.”

“What… How much does it cost?”

“Honey, I told you already that I’ll pay for it.” What was her problem? To the nurse, Madison said, “Do you need my information for the bill?”

“If you would be so kind. You can do it on your way out at the nursing station. We will pass the information to administration for you.”

Madison nodded. Actually, it would be ridiculous if they charged her anything at all considering how much her family had donated to this hospital over the decades.

Sherry helped the boy into bed. Afterward, she pulled off his shoes and placed them beside the nightstand. “I haven’t brought his pajamas. Usually, they send us home.”

Jeez, would this never end? Madison spun toward the nurse. “Do you have something for him to wear?”

“I could bring him a hospital gown.”

“Thank you,” Sherry said. “I’ll head home in a minute. It’ll do for the moment.”

“Mom, I don’t wanna wear a gown. Only girls wear gowns.”

It seemed that the boy was feeling better, because until now, he hadn’t said a thing, for which Madison was grateful. She would probably get along with him just fine if his complaining now was an exception.