Tailspin(66)

“So they’ll be open to you giving it to her tonight?”

“Without hesitation. This last round of radiation was meant to prolong Violet’s life, not save it. It’s been grueling. It’s weakened her. Her mother and father wouldn’t have subjected her to it, except for the hope of her living long enough for the exemption to be approved. Believe me, Rye, this is the answer to their prayers.”

He said, “What about Lambert? You said he sees Violet routinely. Won’t her mother wonder why he’s not in on it?”

“She’ll probably ask. I’ll tell her that he’s seeing another patient. Which I’m sure is the case. As precarious as my situation is, I wouldn’t want to be in Nate’s shoes right now.”

“Lambert,” he said with scorn. “Between the senator and the girl, there was never a question of who he would give the drug to, was there?”

Rye’s question may have been asked rhetorically, but it caused Brynn to think back on her frequent debates with Nate. From the outset, he had argued in favor of Richard Hunt, citing the contributions an influential congressman could make to society and the nation, whereas Violet had a long way to go simply to catch up to her grade level in school.

He also padded his arguments by comparing their physical preparedness to get the drug. Senator Hunt’s illness had only recently been diagnosed and was in the primary stages. Since his system hadn’t yet been weakened by other treatments, he had more stamina. He suffered no other health issues. Overall, the drug had a far better chance of succeeding with him than with Violet, whose system had been ravaged.

Brynn had argued that because of Hunt’s superior condition, he had more time to wait out the FDA’s approval. Violet didn’t.

“It’s an unwritten law not to criticize a colleague,” she said. “And, regardless of Nate’s abrasive and unlikable personality, he is brilliant. But, yes, I believe his decision was influenced by Richard Hunt’s status. And money.”

“He used a sick little girl as his bargaining chip to drive up the price.” Rye mumbled a foul deprecation. “Do the girl’s parents know about the competition?”

“No. They don’t even know there is another patient similarly afflicted, or about this smuggled dose. I didn’t want their hopes raised in case I failed to intercept it.”

“They may have qualms about it being ill-gotten.”

“They won’t.”

“You’re sure?”

Softly she asked, “What if it were your child?”

“I’d have busted down the door of the lab and stolen it myself.”

She smiled at his vehemence.

“You think I’m kidding.”

“Not at all. I know you’re deadly serious.”

“What about Violet? Will she be afraid to get it?”

Brynn shook her head. “Her parents and I agreed never to mention the GX-42 to her.”

“In case it doesn’t work.”

“To hold out the hope of a miracle cure and then have her hopes dashed? That would be too cruel.”

“She knows she’s terminal?”

“The word hasn’t been used around her, but she’s clever enough to realize that she’s very sick. All the treatments she’s undergone, the grueling testing. And she’s made friends, known other children who succumbed.”

“Jesus.”

“Yet, miraculously, she retains a child’s sunny outlook. She loves Disney princesses and talks of becoming a ballerina. When she’s teased, she giggles. She squabbles with her brothers. Except for having a rare blood cancer, she’s an ordinary little girl.”

Rye rubbed his fingers across his brows, and, for several minutes he looked out the rain-streaked car window without saying anything.

She said, “You’re mulling over all the moral and ethical implications, aren’t you?”

He turned back to her. “Fair to say they’re ambiguous?”

“Fair to say. You’ve had only an hour to contemplate them. I’ve had months, Rye, and don’t believe for a moment that the conclusion is clear cut. It is playing God. Who gets the kidney, the lung, the heart? The choice is never easy.

“True, I favored Violet. But not because she is an adorable little girl, and Hunt is, well, Richard Hunt. I didn’t base my decision on who I liked best. For me, the decision came down to one thing. Time. He has it, Violet doesn’t.”

“Okay. I believe you, and I agree.”

“Then why are you gnashing your teeth?”

“What if you’re caught?”

“I will be. Because I must document every single aspect of her progression.”

“Or digression.”

“Or digression. The records will help determine the future of the drug, so they can’t be fudged. But I’ve looked at it from every angle and—”

“Every angle you know about. There are probably dozens of angles you don’t foresee, any one of which could ruin you.”

“I’ve weighed the risks, Rye. To my reputation. My career.”

“As of last night, your life was put at risk.”

“Yes! By a crashing airplane!”

He moved his face closer to hers so he could make himself heard without the driver listening in. “By two men in dark suits, Brynn. Their marching orders came from Hunt. If I hadn’t been there, what lengths would they have gone to to get that box from you? How far had they been instructed to go?”