Chapter 5

The Griffin house,5:11 PM

"Hi,Mrs.Griffin,this is Quinn Morgendorffer.I need to talk to Sandi,like,right now.It's kind of important."

"Hold on....SANDI!STOP CHASING YOUR BROTHER AND GET DOWN HERE!IT'S QUINN!"

Flashing her brother Sam a glare that could have melted the snow off Mount Everest,Sandi left her bedroom and made her way to the downstairs phone.Behind her,her fellow Fashion Club members Stacy Rowe and Tiffany Blum-Deckler were trying to duck a salvo of spitballs from Sam and his brother Chris."Little jerks."Tiffany snapped.

"Takes one to know one."Chris shot back.

"Christopher,Samuel,get back in your rooms and stop bothering your sister's friends."their mother ordered as Sandi picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Listen,Sandi,I can't make it to the mall tonight."Quinn said."I have to go to the hospital with my mom and dad..."

Sandi's eyes widened."Whoa!What happened?Did you come down with something?"

"I'm OK,Sandi."Quinn assured her."It's my sister...she was at her friend Jane's house and I asked her to get a book from the library for me on her way home,only she got hit by another car and they had to call an ambulance..."

"OK,tell me what hospital she's at."Sandi had already started shifting back into her take-charge mode."We'll meet you there later."

"It's Lawndale General...you know,the place where Stacy had her tonsils out?Anyway,they should be admitting Daria soon.Soon as Mom and Dad have talked to the doctors,I'll let you know how she's doing."

"Got it."Sandi nodded;after a short pause,she said,"Listen,Quinn...."

"Yeah,Sandi?"

"Tell your parents I hope Daria pulls through."

"Me too."Stacy piped up from behind Sandi.

Tiffany,picking a stray spitball out of her hair,said,"Hey,Quinn,I just had an idea....whenever my dad got really sick as a kid,his parents used to light a candle for him down at church.If you want,one of us could light one at the hospital chapel for Daria..."

"Thanks,guys.We could use all the support we can get right now."

Sandi was about to say her goodbyes to Quinn and hang up when she noticed Linda pointing at the phone's cradle,indicating she wanted to talk to Quinn herself."Hold on,"she said,"my mother's about to pick up on the extension..."

The Morgendorffer house

"Quinn,"Linda said,"I don't want to hold you up too long....I just wanted to tell you that if you or your sister need anything,don't hesitate to call me."

"Sure thing,Mrs.Griffin."Quinn answered,genuinely touched--and a bit surprised--by Linda's sympathetic tone.Spotting Helen's SUV coming up the street,she said,"My mom's here...I'll call you guys later from the hospital,okay?"

"Okay."With that,Linda exchanged goodbyes with Quinn and hung up;Quinn then put the cordless phone back in the kitchen and briskly strode out to the driveway to meet her parents.

The Lane house,5:14 PM

"Hospital?"Jodie Landon's stunned voice echoed softly in Jane's ear.

"Afraid so."Jane said;out of the corner of her eye,she could see Trent at the family computer,downloading a map with directions from their house to Lawndale General."She was starting to drive up to the Public Library on her way home when this blue-gray sports car came out of nowhere and T-boned her dad's Lexus."

"Was he in it?"

"No--which was lucky for him,because the sports car was going at close to seventy-five when it nailed Daria.The last I saw of her,the EMTs were carrying her out of the car and putting her on a stretcher."

"Where's Quinn?Does she know about this?"

"Probably."Jane replied."While I was waiting for the cops to show up,I called Helen's office and left her a message about the accident...she must be on her way home to pick up Quinn by now.Soon as Trent gets off the computer,he's giving me a ride to Lawndale General..."

"Want me to meet you there?"Jodie asked.

Glancing at her watch,Jane said,"Yeah,I think you'd better.This thing's got me pretty shook up--God knows what her parents and Quinn must be going through right about now.You know how to reach the hospital?"

"I was a volunteer there last summer.I practically have the directions memorized."

"OK."Jane nodded."I'll see you in the waiting room."She hung up and followed her brother out to his car,hoping the engine wouldn't quit before they reached the hospital.As Trent backed the car out of the driveway and steered it towards Lawndale General,Jane,looking out the passenger side front window,winced at the sight of the debris still scattered around the accident scene.