I had a failing plan until a certain favorite nurse of mine was transferred to Everly's floor.

I had an unblood brother who had the Greek motto " " tattooed on his arm, and an ability to create a diversion like none other.

Tatum found me during one of my overnight rotations. "Scary Brighton is in the lab. You have ten minutes tops. Go."

At the other end of the hallway a very upset man with his blood-type on his boots was trying desperately to find his troops that didn't exist. Security ushered toward him as he pushed all of the paperwork from the nurse's station into a fit of disarray.

"The politicians are reptiles!" Nick shouted. "Listen to me! The entire House of Congress showed up and ate the heads off my entire platoon!"

I rushed to Everly's room and closed the door. Her eyes were closed as if she were sleeping. She didn't hear my footsteps as I inched closer. There wasn't anything I wanted to say more than I wanted to kiss her. She fluttered awake as my mouth touched hers. I pulled away briefly and then gave another light kiss on her lips. She gasped and tried to speak, but I cupped my hand gently over her mouth.

"I'm not supposed to be here. Just listen for a moment, all right?" She nodded. "Why did you leave the attic?"

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not mad, quick tell me."

"I wrote a letter. I felt like if he heard from me why I ran away it would offer some type of closure. I was gonna stick it in his mailbox. I remember counting the cracks in the pavement and then everything went black."

I nodded. "Well he knows everything now."

"Are you in trouble?"

"No, worse. I'm forbidden."

She rested on her pillow and blankness overtook her gentle face. The only way she wasn't beautiful was when she was hopeless.

"I had to take you to him, Topolina. I didn't have a choice when I found you on that sidewalk. You might have died."

She kept her eyes on the plastic railing of her bed. "You should have left me there. You said you wouldn't interfere with my death if it meant I wouldn't have to suffer any more. Tomorrow I'll have my blood swapped for some strangers. Now I don't even have a say about what body parts they can take away and replace. I won't even be me anymore."

I had seen her chart, so I knew he was making the right medical decision. But trying to convince her was pointless. She was right, too. It was her body, her life, and no one had consulted her wishes.

Her silence was her fear. I touched her cheek and she closed off completely, eyes pressed tightly as if she could wish me away.

"I'll do it for you," I said.

She cried, "Do what Callum?"

"I'll be your donor."

She sighed tiredly. "You understand what a blood transfusion is right?"

"You're O-Negative, and so am I. I won't be able to compensate all of it, obviously, but I'll give you as much I can. Unless . . . you know . . . you want me dead for bringing you back to Timothy. I'd completely understand. And in that case you can have it all. Just write me a nice eulogy, all right?"

She opened her eyes. "I'm going to use just in every sentence."

I smiled down at her and when she let me kiss her face it finally hit me-how scared she truly was, how much she had to bear simply to stay alive.

"601, Everly Anne."

She hid her face in my shoulder. "Yeah," she whispered, "you're still my favorite too."

I brought him a brown paper bag.

"Sorry about the wrapping, but it was the best I could do on short notice."

Truscott took the bag from my hand and rolled the top down. Inside he found a coffee cup filled with chocolate gold coins.

"Everly asked me to bring you this," I said. "I'm not really sure why. I guess it's a Christmas present."

He smiled weakly. "She kept her promise."

"What promise?"