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Back The Surrogate Save as PDF
Chapters (65)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Part One
  5. One
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-One
  26. Twenty-Two
  27. Twenty-Three
  28. Twenty-Four
  29. Twenty-Five
  30. Twenty-Six
  31. Twenty-Seven
  32. Twenty-Eight
  33. Twenty-Nine
  34. Thirty
  35. Thirty-One
  36. Thirty-Two
  37. Thirty-Three
  38. Part Two
  39. Thirty-Four
  40. Thirty-Five
  41. Thirty-Six
  42. Thirty-Seven
  43. Thirty-Eight
  44. Thirty-Nine
  45. Forty
  46. Forty-One
  47. Forty-Two
  48. Forty-Three
  49. Forty-Four
  50. Forty-Five
  51. Forty-Six
  52. Forty-Seven
  53. Forty-Eight
  54. Forty-Nine
  55. Fifty
  56. Fifty-One
  57. Part Three
  58. Fifty-Two
  59. Fifty-Three
  60. Fifty-Four
  61. Fifty-Five
  62. Fifty-Six
  63. Acknowledgments
  64. About the Author
  65. About the Publisher

Sam had been sitting by my side when Ruth barged in and yelled at me. How’d she know I was here? I rubbed my stomach; something about seeing her made my incision hurt. I was in shock, and I might have passed out for a bit. Had she followed me?

I explained everything to Sam. And Vera. Vera had come in during the chaos of Ruth. “That was her,” I said, when things were calm. “She’s the intended mother. The one who hired me. To be her surrogate.”

“Yes, dear, that was the sense we were getting.” Vera seemed worried.

“I don’t know how she found me,” I said, squinting at the doorway. “Where’d she go?”

“The security people took her,” said Vera. “She was making quite a scene.”

“And I hope those guards keep her away,” said Sam. “You don’t need that kind of stress.”

“But where’d they go?” I wanted to find her. I needed to tell her about Digger and the cabin and Deena’s address. Maybe she could find Nell.

“I believe I heard her say ICU,” said Sam.

“Where is that?” I said, sitting up and reaching for the IV pole on wheels. My head was light, but I felt a rush of adrenaline and purpose in my chest.

“Second floor, why?” said Sam, watching me prepare to get out of bed. Concerned.

“Where’s that paper you gave me with the address?” I looked around my bed and found it under an extra pillow. I pulled the clip off my finger and unbuckled the monitor from my waist. I felt a flash of shyness as I stood in front of Sam. Under my hospital gown, I was naked, but I’d put on a second one, so I was covered. “I’ll be back,” I said.

“What? No,” said Vera. She sat forward in her chair with a manila envelope in her lap and a concerned look on her face. “Sam, do something,” she said, as if Sam could have stopped me, even if he’d wanted to.

Sam merely shrugged and stood up. He escorted me to the door. “Do you want me to come with you?” he said.

“No,” I said, “stay here and tell them I went to the bathroom or something.”

Sam nodded, and I took off alone, scuffling and wheeling my IV pole as quickly as I could. When I came to the nurses’ station, I slowed down and tried to act like an innocent sick patient. As I turned the corner, I picked up the pace. My legs and stomach were weak, but I needed to find Ruth.

Finally, I reached the elevator, got in, and pressed 2.

Forty-Nine

Ruth

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2002

Morning