Read Cherringham--Final Cut for Free Online Page B

,” Jack said, “had never happened before?”
    She shook her head.
    “Nothing like that.”
    Sarah looked at Jack, wondering what he was making of all this. Whenever he started to think over things — events, what people did, what they say they did — she could see his eyes glaze over, as if he was lost in an internal maze, looking for all the exits.
    Then, emerging from that wandering, he had another question: “And just before you went onto the set, did—”
    But with that question, the hospital room door opened, and a young woman walked in, white coat, stethoscope, long black hair.
    The doctor was not much older than Zoë herself.
    She nodded to Jack and Sarah.
    “Dr. Manjeep,” she said, smiling, extending a hand. “I wonder if I could have a few minutes alone with Zoë … then — perhaps — we can all talk?”
    Sarah thought … the doctor knows something.
    “Of course,” Jack said, and he walked out, and Sarah followed, as the doctor shut the door behind them.

8. The Doctor’s Report
    Sarah watched Jack walk past a line of vending machines slowly, as if deliberating the purchase of a new luxury car.
    He may look like he’s deciding which crisps to buy, Sarah thought.
    But knowing Jack like she did, she knew this was more of his thinking about what’s going on.
    Patience, she cautioned herself.
    When he’s ready, he’ll come back to talk.
    Finally, like a disappointed customer, Jack turned away from the snack machines and walked back to the plastic sculpted chairs, bolted to the floor, that made up this unwelcoming waiting room of the Cotswolds Hospital.
    “I’d be willing to pay more than, um, a penny for your thoughts, Jack …”
    He smiled. “You mean, pence? Don’t see too many of those coins around.”
    He sat down beside her leaning forward, hands folded on his knees.
    “I could say let’s wait until we hear from the doctor. But I can tell you what my gut is telling me … right now …”
    “Exactly what I want to hear …”
    “That Zoë — told us the truth. She doesn’t know what could have done that. And a reaction like that, needing CPR? Lucky girl to be alive.”
    “Something congenital, you think? Something she didn’t know about?”
    “Sure, guess that it could be that. But I doubt it. No symptoms her whole life, and out of the blue? Something — as we say — fishy here. I want to ask her some more questions when we get back in.”
    Jack’s words had a chilling effect. Sarah still held onto the idea that something had happened to Zoë that could easily be explained.
    In minutes, they’d learn what it was.
    But with Jack feeling quite the opposite, Sarah knew to trust his instincts.
    “I do hope –for Zoë’s sake — that you are not right,” she said to her friend.
    Jack looked up from his gaze locked on the linoleum floor. “So do I Sarah. So do I.”
    And then the door to Zoë’s room opened; Dr. Manjeep walked out, no smile, a nod.
    Then:
    “Perhaps you can come in?”
    Jack got up and Sarah followed as the doctor led the way back into Zoë’s room, again pulling the door closed behind her.
    *
    Once in, Sarah could see that Zoë’s face was visibly ashen, eyes wide. Whatever she had learned in here … was serious.
    The doctor walked over to the windows, and turned so she could address all three of them.
    “I asked Zoë … if it was okay if I shared the results of our tests.”
    Sarah saw Zoë look to the doctor then over to Jack and Sarah — her new friends … her new guardians.
    “She says I can share everything with you …”
    Something here, Sarah could tell.
    “We ran a full spectrum blood test, urine analysis, checked all of Zoë’s vitals.” The doctor paused. “We also — to be safe, and due to the intestinal contractions — performed a gastric suction.”
    Sarah looked at Jack. He turned to her, again the veteran of many a hospital room conversation …
    “Stomach pumping,” he said. Then to the doctor: “You felt that beyond the