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Show 253 Dr Chappie has children of her own and realizes that this denial is a natural process but she is needing to make him understand enough of this possibility to prevent any regret he may have if he does not say good-bye this night. "It's true," she is saying, "that she may live through the night." She is going over to him, putting her arm around his small shoulders. "But she also may not." Her voice is soft and gentle. "She may die." These words are knocking against hollow spaces in my own soul as I receive them and I cannot imagine what they are doing to my children. How does a child hear that his mother is dying? Hy is comforting one child and two have crawled into my bed next to my growingly flaccid body but one son is still refusing to take comfort from anyone. He is pulling away from Dr. Chappie, turning from the window to look at me and my eyes meet his steady gaze. "You have to believe me," he is saying. "You are not going to die." His gaze is entering somewhere deeper and suddenly my mind is ringing with the words of a blessing pronounced upon my head so very long ago. By a righteous man of our faith, speaking, I |