Chapter 10
“Are you going to explain to me what’s going on?” Bo asked.
“What do you mean?” Thirteen asked.
“Come on, Mom,” Bo said. “What are you hiding?”
“Bo,” Thirteen said. “There are some things I don’t want you to have to know yet.”
“Like that you’re dying?” Bo asked.
“We’re all dying,” the voice came from behind them. Thirteen and Bo turned to see Kutner standing in the doorway. “Bo, do you want to go get lunch in the cafeteria?”
Bo hopped off the chair she was sitting on and took the ten dollar bill Kutner was holding out.
“Next time,” she said. “If you want to talk to her alone, just tell me. It won’t cost as much.” But she left them alone all the same.
“Smart kid,” Kutner said, sitting down. Thirteen ignored him. “She looks like you,” he was trying desperately to make conversation.
“I know you’re going to tell me I should have told her,” Thirteen said after a minute. “But I know what I’m doing. I don’t want to her to know until she has to.”
“So you want her blindsided when you start getting sick?” Kutner asked. “She’ll handle it better then if she knows now.”
“Will she?” Thirteen asked. “Do you know that for a fact? Have you been through it before?”
“I can tell you it would have been a lot easier for me when my parents died if I ‘d been prepared,” Kutner answered. That caught Thirteen off guard. She’d forgotten about Kutner’s parents.
“Being prepared isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” she replied.
“So how old were you when she was born?” Kutner asked. “Just wondering,” he added when she looked up at him. “I promise I’m not reporting back to House.”
She hesitated. “I was nineteen,” she sighed.
“One little mistake right?” Kutner asked.
“One big mistake,” Thirteen corrected. “The biggest mistake of my life, in fact.”
“Well I wouldn’t say that,” Kutner said. “I mean, at least Bo gets to be alive.”
“That’s the problem,” Thirteen answered.
“What do you mean,” Kutner asked.
“I haven’t had her tested,” Thirteen replied. “There’s a fifty percent chance that she’s doomed to the same fate I am.”
“Oh,” Kutner answered.
“That’s why I don’t want her to know about me,” Thirteen explained. “So she doesn’t have to know about her.”
“Are you going to explain to me what’s going on?” Bo asked.
“What do you mean?” Thirteen asked.
“Come on, Mom,” Bo said. “What are you hiding?”
“Bo,” Thirteen said. “There are some things I don’t want you to have to know yet.”
“Like that you’re dying?” Bo asked.
“We’re all dying,” the voice came from behind them. Thirteen and Bo turned to see Kutner standing in the doorway. “Bo, do you want to go get lunch in the cafeteria?”
Bo hopped off the chair she was sitting on and took the ten dollar bill Kutner was holding out.
“Next time,” she said. “If you want to talk to her alone, just tell me. It won’t cost as much.” But she left them alone all the same.
“Smart kid,” Kutner said, sitting down. Thirteen ignored him. “She looks like you,” he was trying desperately to make conversation.
“I know you’re going to tell me I should have told her,” Thirteen said after a minute. “But I know what I’m doing. I don’t want to her to know until she has to.”
“So you want her blindsided when you start getting sick?” Kutner asked. “She’ll handle it better then if she knows now.”
“Will she?” Thirteen asked. “Do you know that for a fact? Have you been through it before?”
“I can tell you it would have been a lot easier for me when my parents died if I ‘d been prepared,” Kutner answered. That caught Thirteen off guard. She’d forgotten about Kutner’s parents.
“Being prepared isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” she replied.
“So how old were you when she was born?” Kutner asked. “Just wondering,” he added when she looked up at him. “I promise I’m not reporting back to House.”
She hesitated. “I was nineteen,” she sighed.
“One little mistake right?” Kutner asked.
“One big mistake,” Thirteen corrected. “The biggest mistake of my life, in fact.”
“Well I wouldn’t say that,” Kutner said. “I mean, at least Bo gets to be alive.”
“That’s the problem,” Thirteen answered.
“What do you mean,” Kutner asked.
“I haven’t had her tested,” Thirteen replied. “There’s a fifty percent chance that she’s doomed to the same fate I am.”
“Oh,” Kutner answered.
“That’s why I don’t want her to know about me,” Thirteen explained. “So she doesn’t have to know about her.”