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When, finally, she stopped, her sinuses were swollen shut Her eyes burned and watered What in the world?

“Oh no, no, no,” Fiona said, backing away fro sick?”

World’s most vicious patient? “I’m not that bad,” she insisted But she did want to screas

“I know You're worse! You e monster, half diaper baby when you’re sick”

Rage monster? Diaper baby? As if First of all, she was as sweet as sugar Always Second, she was nothing like those wi I’ in the air And I dare anyone to say otherwise”

“Sure, sure I agree hatever you’re saying, hon” Backing away No, not just backing away but s now No suddenout, blazing past Jane, calling, “I’m off I’ll see you soon, but probably not too soon Goodbye for at least a week, hon”

“I’ain Surely her trip to the doctor’s office—her investigation—hadn’t led to illness But had the terees? “I think I’ll rest for a couple minutes,” she told no one “But only a couple minutes”

Chapter Six

Daniel Smith

Beloved City Works Employee

One Way Do Not Enter

Plot 765, Garden of Memories

Colds sucked Life sucked Everything sucked, and Jane hated everyone everywhere except Rolex, and only wanted to scream and scream and scream And also sob Maybe sleep a while Or forever

For an endless eternity—or three days—she existed in a coughing, sneezing void, rising froe tones jerked her to attention Or she rethought her decision to follow Grandma Lily as caretaker and instead focused on a new career in standup comedy, certain she would set the world on fire with her brilliance She’d already developed a top-ten list on the differences between people who preferred salt and those who favored pepper A real gut-buster She just had to reined talking to Conrad or Beau

During one of their conversations, Conrad had stayed on the line with her for hours, listening to her complain, because she hadn’t wanted to be alone for once He was so sweet She ain In her mind, she picked up her cell phone and keyed up his number

His husky voice purred inside her head “I hoped you’d call”