“I need somewhere to go,” I said.
“You have one,” she answered.
Outside, Daniel kept demanding that the staff send Emily away. The doctor returned carrying a rigid back brace and set it beside the bed.
“Before we discuss discharge,” she said, “you need to understand what the spinal damage may mean.”
Emily’s hand tightened around mine.
The doctor looked directly at me. “You may need help standing, bathing, and walking for a long time. So I need to ask you one question before anyone makes plans for you.”
She glanced toward the locked door.
“Who do you trust to help you when you cannot get up by yourself?”
I did not have to think about the answer.
“Emily,” I said. “I trust Emily.”
My sister bent forward until her forehead touched the back of my hand, and for the first time that night I felt someone crying without making my pain about them.
