Dead Is the New Black by Marlene Perez Page B

she said. "There are a few chairs and some magazines right over there." She pointed to a tiny waiting area and I sat. I grabbed a magazine and thumbed through it while I tried to figure out my next move. For the next several minutes, I watched as people passed by—orderlies transporting patients, visitors, and even a doctor or two.
    A bell went off somewhere and the nurse hurried down a corridor, but I couldn't make a move because the hallway was still clogged with people. A few minutes later, the traffic died down and the hallway was deserted. I kept an eye out for the desk nurse and casually ambled in the direction of the nurses' station. I reached over and grabbed Rachel's file, stuffed it under my shirt, and took off. My heart was pounding so hard it sounded like someone chasing me.
    I went into the bathroom and locked the door. Until I exhaled deeply, I hadn't realized I'd been holding my breath.
    I flipped through Rachel's chart and realized that I had no idea what I was reading. I didn't speak medical. I grabbed some paper towels from the dispenser and dug in my purse for something to write with. I scribbled down several words that seemed important and shoved the paper into my purse.
    I took another deep breath and stuck the file back under my shirt. I grabbed my purse and left the bathroom.
    From across the waiting room, I could see that the nurses' station was empty. I eased the folder from under my shirt and was about to put it back in its rightful place when I heard my name being spoken. Panic flooded my body. Busted. The folder whizzed across the room and landed on the desk.
    I turned and saw Poppy.
    My shoulders slumped with relief. "Poppy, thanks so much!"
    "Thanks for what?"
    I didn't know why she was being so modest. She'd just saved my butt by using her telekinesis. I dropped it, assuming that she just didn't want to talk about her powers in public or something, even though she'd never shown a sign of false modesty before now.
    We both turned as we heard footsteps approaching.
    "Don't say anything," I whispered. "I'll explain later."
    It was the same nurse from before. "Some of the girls have left," she said. "So you can go visit your friend now."
    I grabbed the flowers, and Poppy and I headed to Rachel's room.
    "What are you doing here?" I asked her.
    "Same as you," she said. "Visiting Rachel." It made sense. Rachel and Poppy both hung with the popular people, but I wasn't convinced. I raised an eyebrow.
    "Okay," Poppy said in a whisper, "I was snooping, obviously, just like you were."
    Rachel had a private room, which was decorated in peach and white. The spicy smell of the roses and lilies masked the antiseptic hospital odors.
    Samantha was the only visitor left in the room. She'd pulled her chair up next to Rachel's bed and was whispering something in her ear when we walked in.
    Rachel was lying in the bed, propped up with several pillows. There was an IV drip attached to her arm, and unidentifiable machines surrounded her. An uneaten dinner lay abandoned on the tray. She smiled when she saw us standing in the doorway.
    I smiled back, but the sight of her made me want to cry. In the few days since I'd last seen her, her appearance had deteriorated. Rachel was naturally slender, but she'd lost weight she couldn't afford to lose. She looked ghastly, like one of the consumptive patients from Rose's science books. Her skin and lips were so pale she looked as though she'd been drained of blood. Her skin was almost translucent. The white streak in her hair had grown so wide it almost covered the entire crown of her head, which made her look my grandma's age.
    She was barely recognizable as the Rachel we knew. It was as if the beauty had been sucked right out of her.
    I focused my gaze on Samantha. "Where have you been?" she snapped.
    "The nurse wouldn't let us come in," I said. "Too many visitors." I smiled at Rachel. "It seems you're as popular as ever."
    Samantha frowned but didn't say anything else.
    "I have