When Love Dies

by Francine Pascal

  But Jessica wasn’t really thinking about Elizabeth at that moment. Her mind was on Jeremy Frank. She pictured herself at his bedside, clasping his hand while he gazed up at her in grateful adoration. In her fantasy she’d just saved his life. Someone had given him the wrong medication, and he would have died if she hadn’t called the nurse in time. Jeremy was so grateful that he was practically begging her to be a guest on his show.

  * * *

  “Sounds like a good idea,” Mr. Wakefield said at the dinner table after the girls had explained their plan. “I’m all for anything that keeps you out of trouble.” He winked to show he was only kidding.

  “It’ll be a wonderful experience,” Mrs. Wakefield put in. “I learned so much the year I was a candy striper.” She sighed. “It seems like yesterday. I can hardly believe I have daughters that age now.”

  It was easy to imagine Alice Wakefield as a teenager. She didn’t look much older than the twins, with whom she shared the same sunny blond hair and blue-green eyes. Though she worked as an interior designer, her lithe, tanned figure showed that she spent as much time outdoors as possible.

  “We’re going to the hospital after school tomorrow to sign up,” Jessica said. “When I called the personnel office, the woman said they’re really short of volunteers right now and they could use the extra help. The more the merrier, she said. Wow, think of all the people we’ll be helping!” But there was one person in particular Jessica was thinking of.

  “It’s not all fun,” Mrs. Wakefield said. “Some of it’s hard work. I don’t want to spoil your excitement, but I think you should know what to expect.”

  Jessica frowned, but Elizabeth was quick to say, “A little hard work isn’t going to kill us, Mom.”

  Jessica brightened. “Sure. The more you do for people, the more they appreciate you.”

  Mrs. Wakefield laughed. “Not always. I’ll bet you didn’t notice I cleaned up your room, did you, Jess?”

  “It would take a week of cleaning before anyone would notice the difference,” Elizabeth teased.

  Jessica’s room was a sore spot, and the butt of many jokes in the Wakefield house. Besides being in a constant state of uproar, Jessica had painted it in a hideous brown color, earning it the nickname of “The Hershey Bar.” To Elizabeth it looked more like a mud-wrestling pit crossed with a rummage sale.

  “Thanks, Mom,” Jessica said sweetly, ignoring her sister’s comment. “From now on I promise to keep it neat as a pin all on my own.” When she became a television star they might want to interview her in her own house, the way Barbara Walters did, so she might as well get into practice keeping it presentable.

  Elizabeth groaned. This was too much! Jessica was becoming so nice she no longer seemed like herself. It seemed too good to be true. Elizabeth couldn’t help feeling the tiniest bit suspicious.

  “By the way, Dad,” Jessica said, “I heard about the new family that’s moving into the Godfrey mansion. Is it true?”

  Mr. Wakefield smiled. “Word sure travels fast in this town. Well, I guess it’s no secret. The deal is closed. The Morrows are planning to move in next week.”

  “What are they like?” Elizabeth asked.

  “So far the only one I’ve met is Mr. Morrow,” he said. “You may be interested to know that our humble town is about to acquire a genuine celebrity.”

  “I’ve never heard of him,” Jessica said.

  “Kurt Morrow played football for the Hawks at one time,” he told her. “He was their star quarterback.”

  “I thought you said he was in the computer business,” Mrs. Wakefield put in.

  “He is now. Started up his own company a few years ago and it really skyrocketed. Made him a millionaire several times over.”

  Jessica perked up. “Really? What else do you know? I heard they have a son the same age as Steve.”

  “They also have a daughter your age. I’m sure you’ll be meeting her soon. She’s going to Sweet Valley High.”

  Now Jessica was really intrigued. Between Jeremy Frank and the Morrows, life in Sweet Valley was getting more interesting by the minute.

  Four

  The following day after school, Elizabeth and Jessica drove over to Joshua Fowler Memorial Hospital. Both girls were silent as they parked the car in front and walked inside. Elizabeth couldn’t help remembering how close she’d come to dying in this place after the motorcycle accident she’d been in with Todd. She’d lain in a coma for days. She shuddered at the memory.

  At the same time Jessica was thinking about when Annie Whitman had tried to commit suicide after she hadn’t made the cheerleading squad. Fortunately she survived, but Jessica never passed by this hospital without feeling a twinge of guilt. She remembered how agonizing it had been to admit that she was just a teensy bit responsible for driving Annie to it.

  A plump, middle-aged woman named Mrs. Simpson greeted the twins at the front desk, on the main floor, then took them on a tour. “A lot of people look down their noses at volunteer work,” she told them as they followed her down the spotless linoleum corridor. “But in a hospital this size, everybody’s job is important, no matter how small. I like to think of Fowler Memorial as a big clock. If one little part breaks down, the whole clock stops running.”

  “Gee, and I don’t even own a watch,” Jessica whispered to Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth nudged her sister in the ribs to make her keep quiet.

  The twins would be responsible for supplying the patients with nonmedical needs such as liquid refreshment, books, and magazines, as well as handling the gift and notions cart. They would also be expected to do some light clerical work and whatever other small tasks the nurses assigned them. Often it would be running errands or just keeping someone company. A lot of the patients were lonely and needed someone to talk with, Mrs. Simpson explained. The nurses were usually too busy to stop and chat for long, but a candy striper’s time was more flexible.

  Jessica knew exactly which lonely patient she intended to spend her time with. Her first job would be finding out which room Jeremy Frank was in. Meanwhile, as the personnel director droned on, Jessica kept busy scouting the hallways for handsome doctors.

  When the tour was over, Mrs. Simpson gave them a stack of hospital literature to read at home and told them where they could pick up their uniforms. They would be on a flexible schedule, working two different afternoons every week, starting the next day after school.

  Elizabeth was excited as they drove home. “You were right, Jess. We really will be doing some good. Did you see that poor old man sitting out in the hallway in his wheelchair? He looked like he could use some cheering up.”

  “Ummmm,” Jessica responded distractedly. She was daydreaming about Jeremy Frank, imagining that he was holding a microphone in front of her and saying, “Tell us, Jessica, what’s it like being a celebrity at the age of sixteen?”

  But the next day Jessica was disappointed to learn she’d been assigned to the maternity ward. No chance of running into Jeremy there. She trailed dispiritedly after Mrs. Simpson, who showed her around the ward, then introduced her to the head nurse, Miss North, a grim-faced woman who reminded Jessica of a marine sergeant. Miss North glowered at Jessica from under a heavy shelf of gray eyebrows.

  “Do you know anything about babies?” she asked.

  “Uh—well, not exactly. Except that I used to be one myself.” Jessica smiled disarmingly, hoping to win the head nurse over with a small dose of humor.

  Miss North didn’t seem to find her remark funny in the least. If anything, she glowered even more fiercely. “I hope you take your job seriously, Miss Wakefield,” she snapped. “Because I certainly do.”

  Jessica flushed. “Uh, sure I do.” Help! she thought.

  “Good. You can start with this then.” Miss North handed her a bulging white plastic garbage bag.

  “What is it?” Jessica asked.

  “Dirty diapers,” she barked in reply, pointing the way toward the disposal unit.

  From
then on it seemed to grow progressively worse. Jessica’s next chore was finding a vase for a bouquet that had arrived for one of the new mothers. When she brought the flowers into the room, she noticed that the woman was holding her baby.

  She beamed up at Jessica. “Isn’t he the most adorable baby you’ve ever seen?”

  Jessica stared down at the squirming red bundle on the bed. It was working itself up into a fury, waving its fists, opening and closing its toothless mouth like a fish.

  Jessica gulped. “Absolutely,” she lied.

  She spent the remainder of the hour telling the same lie to every new mother who thrust a baby or a photo of one into her face. She must have looked at a dozen before it was time to take a break. Jessica took the elevator upstairs to look for Elizabeth, who had been assigned to the second floor. She found her sister wheeling her cart past the nurses’ station.

  “Save any lives yet?” Elizabeth teased, her eyes sparkling.

  “Ugh! Are you kidding? All I did was look at a million Polaroids of babies.”

  “It doesn’t sound so bad,” Elizabeth said.

  “How’d you make out?” Jessica asked. She helped herself to a cup of orange juice from the cart.

  “Great! Listen, Jess, this is the best idea you ever had. I’ve met a lot of interesting people so far. I’m even thinking of asking Mr. Collins if I can do a piece for The Oracle on it. Do you know who I met when I was passing around magazines?”

  “Let me guess. Some fascinating old man who told you all about how he fought in the Civil War, right?” Jessica yawned.

  Elizabeth grinned. “Hardly.”

  “OK, I give up. Tell me who.”

  “Jeremy Frank. He’s in two-thirteen.”

  “Jeremy Frank! You saw him? You actually saw him?”

  “Sure. We even talked. He’s nice.”

  Jessica was clutching her chest. “I can’t believe you actually talked to Jeremy Frank. What did you talk about?” Of all the unfair things—Elizabeth had gotten to see him first!

  Elizabeth shrugged. “Um, let me see.… We talked about his show mostly. I told him I really liked it and that I was thinking of majoring in journalism when I went to college. Then he thanked me.”

  “He thanked you? What for? You didn’t kiss him, did you?”

  Elizabeth laughed. “No, I didn’t kiss him. Honestly, Jess, where do you get such strange ideas? All I did was get him a glass of water. He was thirsty. It was no big deal.”

  “Not to you maybe,” Jessica muttered.

  “Oh, sure, I know he’s a big celebrity and all, but I don’t see any reason to start acting weird about it. He’s probably sick of people who treat him like he’s some kind of god. He’s just as human as anyone else. In fact, right now he doesn’t look like much of a celebrity with his leg in a cast sticking up in the air.”

  “Didn’t you even ask him for his autograph?”

  “No.” Elizabeth smiled. “I did give him my autograph, though. He asked me to sign his cast—in case I turned out to be someone famous someday. Jess!” She grabbed her sister’s arm. Jessica looked positively green. “Jess, what’s the matter? Are you sick?”

  Jessica swallowed. “Listen, Liz, do you think they’d let me change wards? I think the one I’ve been working on might be contagious. Maybe I could help you out on this one.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “Gosh, I hope it isn’t contagious. You did say it was the maternity ward, didn’t you?”

  Jessica shot her sister a dirty look. “Very funny.” Trying to sound casual, she asked, “Hey, by the way, what room did you say Jeremy was in?”

  “Two-thirteen. Why do you—?” Elizabeth stopped as realization dawned. “Jessica, you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking. Give the poor man a break! He’s sick. He needs rest. What he doesn’t need is you.”

  “Why, Liz, I can’t imagine what you could possibly mean,” Jessica replied innocently. “I only want to see what he looks like in person. That’s all. Just a tiny peek.”

  “Why don’t I believe you?” Elizabeth said and groaned.

  Once Jessica had a certain male in her sights, Elizabeth knew there was no stopping her. She would do anything to get him. In Jeremy’s case, Elizabeth could certainly see the attraction. He was awfully cute. If she weren’t so much in love with Todd, she might even be attracted to him herself. The other problem, of course, was that Jeremy was too old. Mid-twenties at least. Their mom and dad would flip if they knew Jessica was chasing after a man that age!

  Jessica was frowning in annoyance. “It’s so unfair. I’m stuck downstairs with a lot of screaming babies, and you’re living it up with Jeremy Frank. If I’d known how it was going to be, I never would have—” She stopped, realizing she’d said too much.

  Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed. “You knew, didn’t you? You knew all along that Jeremy Frank was here with a broken leg. That’s why you wanted to be a candy striper! All that talk about making sacrifices and doing good deeds for the sake of mankind. I can’t believe I swallowed it!”

  Jessica edged around to the other side of the cart. “You’ve got it all wrong, Liz.” She darted a strategic glance at the clock over the nurses’ station. “Listen, I’ve got to run. My time’s up. Sorry.” She crumpled her paper cup and tossed it into a wastebasket on her way to the elevator. “Talk to you later!” she called.

  Elizabeth sighed. Once again she’d been had by her sister. Except this time she really didn’t mind so much. However selfish Jessica’s motives had been, the results were good. Elizabeth was glad she’d volunteered for this job. The work was fun and interesting, and it was only for a few hours a week, so it really wasn’t going to take up too much of her time. Only one problem remained. She’d have to find a way of warning Jeremy that Hurricane Jessica was on her way.

  Elizabeth was so wrapped up in her thoughts as she pushed her cart down the corridor that she didn’t see the dark-haired orderly who had stopped to look at her. But she was alerted by the loud crash as the tray he was carrying slid from his grasp.

  Elizabeth rushed over to help him pick everything up. As she bent down, she noticed his hands were trembling. Poor guy! Maybe he was afraid of losing his job, or maybe he was just embarrassed at appearing so clumsy. She smiled reassuringly at him.

  “Don’t worry. It was an accident,” she said sweetly. “Anyway, I know what it’s like. I’m always dropping things.”

  The orderly was short and husky, about twenty-five or so, with a hawkish nose and the darkest eyes Elizabeth had ever seen. At the moment they were fixed on her with an intensity that sent a rash of goosebumps skittering up her spine. Why was he staring at her like that?

  “I’m Elizabeth,” she said when he didn’t respond. “This is my first day here.”

  He nodded. “My name is Carl,” he said in a low, husky voice, as if having to speak were painful. Elizabeth felt sorry for him. He was probably just terribly shy.

  She reached over to retrieve a paper cup that had rolled out of his reach. When she handed it to him, their fingers touched briefly. Elizabeth experienced a cold shock. As the man hurried off, she couldn’t help thinking that there was something strange about him. Or was it just her writer’s imagination getting out of hand again? She tried to push her thoughts of him out of her mind as she went back to her cart and continued down the long hospital corridor.

  She was nearing the end of the ward when she spotted someone up ahead who looked familiar. Though it was a warm day, the girl was bundled in a heavy sweater. Her head was tucked low, but there was no mistaking the bright cloud of strawberry-blond hair that floated about her hunched shoulders.

  “Tricia!” Elizabeth called out.

  Tricia Martin paused and looked up, her eyes wide as a startled deer’s as she recognized Elizabeth. Then, with a furtive expression, she scurried ahead without a word of hello, vanishing around the corner.

  What was Tricia doing here? Elizabeth wondered. And why had she run away like that? Did she think the whole Wakefie
ld family was against her because of Steven? Or—an ugly thought intruded—had she been visiting someone she didn’t want Steven to know about? A new boyfriend, perhaps? A lot of the orderlies who worked here were Steven’s age.

  One thing puzzled Elizabeth more than anything else. It was clear to her, even after a brief glance, that Tricia was no happier than Steven was these days. In fact, she looked truly awful, as if she hadn’t slept or eaten in a week. She’d lost weight, and there were dark smudges under her eyes.

  The breakup had been Tricia’s idea, but she certainly did seem miserable.

  * * *

  Jessica paused outside the door to Room 213. She’d doubled back up the stairs after leaving the elevator. Now she glanced about furtively to make sure Elizabeth was nowhere in sight. Satisfied, she pushed her way inside.

  The first thing that caught her eye was a huge plaster cast suspended in midair by a system of cables and pulleys.

  “Did you forget something?” asked a pleasantly deep voice.

  Jessica’s gaze shifted to the tanned, angular face resting against the pillow. Jeremy Frank’s ice-blue eyes sparkled at her, and his mouth was curved up in a smile, revealing deep dimples that creased his cheeks all the way to his jawline. Jessica noticed there was also a darling cleft in the middle of his chin. Jeremy Frank was definitely better-looking in person than he was on TV. Jessica was struck speechless for a moment.

  “You were in here a few minutes ago,” he prompted. “Elizabeth isn’t it?”

  Jessica cleared her throat. “You’re thinking of my sister. She’s Elizabeth. I’m Jessica.”

  His smile broadened. “Twins.”

  “Identical,” Jessica chirped. “That is, we look exactly alike, but if you want to know the truth, Elizabeth is a lot shyer—almost a hermit sometimes. I have to work at getting her to come out of her shell. But that’s OK, ’cause I love helping people. That’s why I volunteered for this job.” She shot him a dazzling grin. “Can I get you a drink of water?”

  “Thanks, but I’ve had plenty.”