A Family To Cherish Read Online Free PDF Page A

rental car waiting for us in San Francisco.”
    Barbara and Doug said little to each other during the drive to the airport and the flight to San Francisco. Each was tight-lipped, their thoughts turned inward, their emotions on hold.
    They arrived at San Francisco International shortly after five a.m. The airport was nearly deserted, with only a few passengers milling around or catching a catnap on some iron bench. The huge superstructure with its endless high-ceilinged corridors was so silent and everyone so hushed that Barbara had the feeling she was walking through a mausoleum. The only immediate sound she heard wasthe echo of her own heels on the hard tile floor as she and Doug traversed the long hall to the baggage carousel. After retrieving their suitcase and securing their rental car, Doug got directions, and they drove the twenty miles to St. Mary’s Hospital north of Hillsborough. Again, mostly in silence.
    It was nearly six a.m. when they entered the hospital lobby. Daylight was already filtering through the windows, giving the room a smudged, hazy cast, as if the darkness were reluctant to relinquish its hold. Doug went straight to the information desk and asked where he could find his sister. The receptionist checked her charts and directed them upstairs, to the third floor, the Intensive Care Unit. “Dr. Glazier is on call.”
    They took the elevator upstairs to the ICU nurses’ station, and Doug asked to see his sister, his voice tight with anxiety and impatience.
    â€œI’ll page Dr. Glazier,” said the nurse. “Please have a seat in the waiting room.”
    Doug held his ground. “I just want to know if my sister and her family are okay. Can’t you tell me that much?”
    â€œI’m sorry. You’ll have to speak with the doctor.”
    Doug’s tone hardened. “Listen, I am a doctor. A surgeon. And I want some answers. Now.”
    â€œDr. Glazier is on his way, Doctor. Please have a seat.”
    Doug was about to protest again, but instead hethrew up his hands in a gesture of futility and muttered something under his breath. He and Barbara crossed the hall to the waiting room and sat down on a green vinyl couch beside a tall potted palm. Nearby stood a table with a carafe of coffee and foam cups. Barbara got two cups of black coffee and handed one to Doug. “Maybe this will help.”
    â€œThanks. Some news would help even more,” he snapped. “All I want is a little information about Nan, and you’d think I was after top government secrets or something.”
    Barbara thought of something. “What about Pam and Benny? I wonder if anyone’s called them.”
    â€œLet’s wait until we have some news to report.”
    Finally, a lanky man in a white lab coat approached; he had a narrow face, thinning hair, and a small black mustache. He held out his hand to Doug. “Mr. and Mrs. Logan? I’m Dr. Glazier.”
    â€œIt’s Doctor Logan,” said Doug. “How’s my sister?”
    â€œI won’t sugarcoat it, Dr. Logan. It’s serious. Your sister has sustained multiple injuries, including a lacerated liver and spleen. We operated immediately, but there was too much damage. She’ll need further surgery, but at the moment she’s too weak. If she can gain some strength in the next day or two…”
    â€œWhat about her husband, Paul?”
    Dr. Glazier’s brow furrowed. “I’m sorry. Yoursister’s husband was killed on impact. A drunk driver crossed into their lane and hit them head-on.”
    â€œAnd their daughter?” asked Barbara, choking back a sob. “Did she make it?”
    Dr. Glazier’s voice brightened slightly. “Yes. She was asleep in the back seat. She sustained only minor injuries. She’s in the pediatric wing. Barring any complications, we should be able to release her in a few days.”
    â€œWhen can I see my sister?” asked