vived a plane crash. The city noise-the blare of horns, the chatter of pedestrians-was a dull roar in he

ficial transaction. The words echoed in her head, cold and clinical. He had stripped away all pretense o

answered it without looking, des

ve you been? I'

urce of comfort, now felt like an intr

ting," she said,

The concern in his voice was genuine, but it only made her f

Jeff. Just

m's medical bills. My dad knows some people at St. Luke's. He thinks he can get the hospita

yment plan. Reduced charges. It was a kind offer, a generous one. But it was like trying

offering a patch. He w

Are you

ng like dust in her mouth. "That's... really kind

se it's necessary! You can

assumption that she was a problem to be solved, a project to

said abruptly. "I'

fferson's world was one of manageable problems and helpful connections. Her wor

al, more tangible. It was a monstrous, unthinkable choice. But was it any more monstro

s came back to her: I a

f his office, she didn't just hear the cold