Wall rubbed the back of his neck. “Let’s see if you can get board approval to tie the hospital and foundation into all of this. Then let’s see if the funds become a reality and move on from there.”
“So we have your blessing?” asked Jerry.
“Yes. But remember, this hospital has a lot of sick children and an incredibly dedicated staff of professionals. If you do anything to make our kids or staff look foolish, I’ll stop this in its tracks.” He looked the two men straight in the eyes, one at a time. “Got it?”
“Got it!” they said in unison.
Nick and Jerry rose quickly from their chairs. Shelly stood and began to follow them out the door when Dr. Wall stopped her.
“Shelly, you really think these guys have a clue what they’re
asking for?”
“They want to help, Greg.” Shelly had come to realize that they spoke from different vantage points. “They don’t see people die every day. They don’t understand cancer the way we do. They just want to do something, and this idea has never been tried before, so why not? And I give them a lot of credit.”
Dr. Wall looked at her. She wanted him to believe again, the same way she was starting to believe again. Having someone save your life and being with them throughout its course can be challenging, as Shelly had found out. He was her hero, her lifesaver. But that was over thirty years ago. Seeing the passion in his eyes again would breathe some life back into the hospital.
“And just so you know, this is not their idea. It’s Nick’s dad’s idea—the man who recently lost his wife to the very disease we fight every day. The man who lost a son to cancer. How many times did he hear, ‘There’s nothing more we can do’? He wants to help. That’s what motivates him and Nick and Jerry. Helping is what motivates us.”
“Yes, it does.”
“Nick’s right. There is an army of hurting people out there that are tired of hearing, ‘There is nothing more we can do.’ And his father has this idea and connections that at least will get people to stand up and take notice. What is it you always tell me? ‘Our job is to save lives, no matter what it takes’? And what if they are right and something happens and God gives us something we never expected? Somewhere, someone comes up with the idea that ends