Written in blood, finger smudges across the tiles, was the symbol:
#
“Nothing!” Kate shouted instinctually. “It’s nothing. Help my sister! Help her!”
The EMTs carried her until they got outside, where they had a stretcher waiting. Kate stayed close, not letting her sister out of her sight. When she got to the street, a dozen flash bulbs blinded her, and she was peppered with questions from every direction. She waved them all away, jumping in the back of the ambulance, its siren piercing a swath through the Sunset Strip.
At Cedars Sinai, she tried to muscle into the ER. A rather large orderly, assisted by a female security officer, teamed up and forced her to the waiting area. There she marched back and forth forever. It seemed like hours. Actually, it wasn’t long until a doctor came to find her. He didn’t need to say a word. His gloomy eyes said it all.
“E-E-Eva?”
She wept openly and fell into his chest. He patted her on the back, tenderly.
“I’m sorry.”
7.
Kate didn’t want to stick around another second. Despite multiple pleas from the hospital staff for her to stay, she slipped out back, avoiding the phalanx of paparazzi already gathered in the main parking lot, and caught a taxi.
“Just drive,” she told the cabbie, then cringed when her cell phone went off. She really didn’t feel like talking to anyone. She knew she’d have to call her mother, and dreaded that conversation.
“Hey,” the driver peered at her in the mirror. “You’re that actress. The one who’s sister…” he lowered his stare. “Sorry.”
“I said drive,” her phone kept ringing. She decided to look at the caller ID, just to see if it was her mother. She was sure Mom had seen the news already, and Kate didn’t know what to say to her. The screen, though, showed no information at all. Blank. Then the electronic ringtone played again, and a single symbol popped onscreen:
#
“What the hell!” she jammed her finger on the call end icon. Before she took a breath, the phone rang again, and she felt a wave of unmitigated fury. To hell with these…things that killed her sister! And her friend! She gathered the courage and punched the screen to accept the call, then screamed: “What! What do you want from me! Why are you doing this! Why are you killing everyone around me! WHY!”
She fought for breath and listened to static on the other end. Then a meek voice, almost a whisper, came through.
“Kate?” it was her agent.
“Jan? Jan is that you?”
“It’s me, Kate. How are you? You okay?”
“Not really, Jan,” she huffed a fake laugh. “Not really.”
“Kate, I’m so sorry. I saw on the news. Everybody’s covering it.”
Kate sat silent, slumped in her seat.
“Kate, I-I know this is a terrible time to bring this up, but this is too important, and it can’t wait. I have to have a decision today. I think I’ve landed a role for you, this is the one. The big one. I know you’re hurting right now, but I have to think about you, and how all this affects your career.”
“My career? My career?” Kate was incredulous. “How can you think about that shit right now, Jan. My sister just died, for chrissake! My sister!”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry. Listen, I’ll just tell the studio you’ll take the part. I know right now you don’t want to think about this stuff, but trust me. This’ll be the role of a lifetime. Everyone in the whole world will be saying your name.”
“No!” she screamed so loud the cab driver swerved and almost hit a transsexual crossing the street. “Don’t! I don’t want the role, you hear me!”
“But, Kate—”
“NO! I mean it! I’m done with this…I’m done with acting! I just wanna get out of this town and go back home!”
“Kate, you can’t just quit now.”
“Watch me!”
She rolled down the window and chucked her
#
“Nothing!” Kate shouted instinctually. “It’s nothing. Help my sister! Help her!”
The EMTs carried her until they got outside, where they had a stretcher waiting. Kate stayed close, not letting her sister out of her sight. When she got to the street, a dozen flash bulbs blinded her, and she was peppered with questions from every direction. She waved them all away, jumping in the back of the ambulance, its siren piercing a swath through the Sunset Strip.
At Cedars Sinai, she tried to muscle into the ER. A rather large orderly, assisted by a female security officer, teamed up and forced her to the waiting area. There she marched back and forth forever. It seemed like hours. Actually, it wasn’t long until a doctor came to find her. He didn’t need to say a word. His gloomy eyes said it all.
“E-E-Eva?”
She wept openly and fell into his chest. He patted her on the back, tenderly.
“I’m sorry.”
7.
Kate didn’t want to stick around another second. Despite multiple pleas from the hospital staff for her to stay, she slipped out back, avoiding the phalanx of paparazzi already gathered in the main parking lot, and caught a taxi.
“Just drive,” she told the cabbie, then cringed when her cell phone went off. She really didn’t feel like talking to anyone. She knew she’d have to call her mother, and dreaded that conversation.
“Hey,” the driver peered at her in the mirror. “You’re that actress. The one who’s sister…” he lowered his stare. “Sorry.”
“I said drive,” her phone kept ringing. She decided to look at the caller ID, just to see if it was her mother. She was sure Mom had seen the news already, and Kate didn’t know what to say to her. The screen, though, showed no information at all. Blank. Then the electronic ringtone played again, and a single symbol popped onscreen:
#
“What the hell!” she jammed her finger on the call end icon. Before she took a breath, the phone rang again, and she felt a wave of unmitigated fury. To hell with these…things that killed her sister! And her friend! She gathered the courage and punched the screen to accept the call, then screamed: “What! What do you want from me! Why are you doing this! Why are you killing everyone around me! WHY!”
She fought for breath and listened to static on the other end. Then a meek voice, almost a whisper, came through.
“Kate?” it was her agent.
“Jan? Jan is that you?”
“It’s me, Kate. How are you? You okay?”
“Not really, Jan,” she huffed a fake laugh. “Not really.”
“Kate, I’m so sorry. I saw on the news. Everybody’s covering it.”
Kate sat silent, slumped in her seat.
“Kate, I-I know this is a terrible time to bring this up, but this is too important, and it can’t wait. I have to have a decision today. I think I’ve landed a role for you, this is the one. The big one. I know you’re hurting right now, but I have to think about you, and how all this affects your career.”
“My career? My career?” Kate was incredulous. “How can you think about that shit right now, Jan. My sister just died, for chrissake! My sister!”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry. Listen, I’ll just tell the studio you’ll take the part. I know right now you don’t want to think about this stuff, but trust me. This’ll be the role of a lifetime. Everyone in the whole world will be saying your name.”
“No!” she screamed so loud the cab driver swerved and almost hit a transsexual crossing the street. “Don’t! I don’t want the role, you hear me!”
“But, Kate—”
“NO! I mean it! I’m done with this…I’m done with acting! I just wanna get out of this town and go back home!”
“Kate, you can’t just quit now.”
“Watch me!”
She rolled down the window and chucked her
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