Read Online No Regrets by Joann Ross - Free Book Online Page B

commonplace, sometimes laughter truly was the best medicine. And the only way to stay sane.
    â€œThis is the first in the series of HIV tests, isn’t it?”
    â€œNow, aren’t you a clever girl. Anybody’d think you were a health-care professional, or something.” Yolanda took the fangs out of her wide mouth, put them in her pocket and pulled out a rubber tourniquet. “Hold out your arm.”
    Molly did as instructed.
    â€œLordy,” Yolanda complained, shaking her head as she studied Molly’s freckled arm. “You call those veins? Those are purely pitiful, girl.” She wrapped the tourniquet around Molly’s upper arm.
    â€œLucky thing you’re in the hands of an expert. Health services tried sending up one of their lab vampires, but I cut him off at the pass. They tend to spatter the stuff all over, and with that pale white skin, I figured you didn’t have any blood to spare.”
    When she took a needle out of another pocket and uncapped it, Sister Benvenuto rose. “I believe it’s time I let you get some rest, dear.”
    Molly didn’t blame the nun for escaping. Hating having blood drawn even more than she disliked drawing it, Molly would have left if she could.
    â€œI’ll return during visiting hours,” Sister Benvenuto assured her. “Sister Joseph is making those fudge brownies you used to enjoy. She’s making enough to bribe the medical staff into giving you preferential treatment.”
    â€œAs if anyone would have to bribe us to take care of our own,” Yolanda muttered after the older nun had left the room.
    â€œShe means well.”
    â€œI suppose so. Although she reminds me an awful lot of that harridan who used to rap my knuckles whenever she caught me chewing gum at Sacred Heart Academy.”
    The needle slipped into the vein as smoothly as a hot knife through butter. Although accustomed to the sight of blood, seeing her own filling the cylinder was an entirely different matter.
    â€œAll done.” Yolanda capped the cylinder and released the tourniquet. “I have to ask you if you do IV drugs.”
    â€œYou know I don’t.”
    â€œJust following procedure. So, how about safe sex?”
    Molly laughed at that, but the sound held no humor. “Before or after Christmas Eve?”
    â€œPoint taken. I’ll have the lab rush this and either Reece or I will let you know as soon as the results come in. You’ve got three more of these over the next ninemonths. When you test negative on the third one, you’ll be home free.”
    â€œThank you for saying when and not if. ”
    â€œPositive thinking is a powerful thing. Sister Crack-the-Whip who just left might call it praying, and existentialists might call it meditating, but the way I see it, it’s all the same thing.”
    Although she knew Sister Benvenuto would probably have her down on her knees saying an Act of Contrition and countless rosaries for such heresy, Molly decided she’d be willing to pray to God, all the saints, Mohammed, Buddha, the Dalai Lama, even some ancient druidic pagan oak tree if only she could dodge this deadly bullet.
    â€œIf I get AIDS, I’ll just die,” she muttered, more to herself than to Yolanda.
    She and her longtime friend exchanged a gloomy look. Then burst into laughter.
    Â 
    â€œShe’s going to be all right,” Reece assured Lena once again as they drove home from the hospital together. Although he never would have wished such horror on Molly, he couldn’t deny being grateful for the change seeing her sister victimized seemed to have made on his wife these past days.
    â€œI know.” She put her hand on his leg. “Thanks to you. If you hadn’t done all that you did…”
    Her voice drifted off and she stared out at the brilliant lights of the city as they drove up the curving road to their Pacific Palisades home. The house, situated on a cliff