“Exactly. With Mr. Stone out of the house, we won’t have much of a show at all. So I was thinking, what if we brought the hospital into the house? I’ve done some research, and by all accounts, Saint Ignatius is the best medical facility in the city, and if I understand correctly, it is governed by the Church.”
“Interesting. But tell me, Mr. Overbee, given our public stance on your show, why would we want to help you?”
“Yes, why?” Sister Benedict couldn’t help but add her voice to the conversation.
“First, it will put the fate of this man’s soul in your care.” Ethan had written that line down and memorized it. “Second, you will be able to preserve his life for as long as your doctors are able. And third”—here Ethan put his hands on the desk and leaned in—“the publicity for your parish will be unprecedented.”
The Cardinal shook his head. “Mr. Overbee, I appreciate why you’re here. You need to sell advertising dollars, and you concocted this scheme to both neutralize our criticism and help your show at the same time. Right?” Ethan, who was normally impervious to such things, was caught under the Cardinal’s spell.
“Yes, Your Eminence, something like that.”
“While we cherish all life, we don’t have any desire to interfere with God’s plan for Mr. Stone. If it is his time to be called home to our heavenly Father, then it is not for our Church or your television station to interfere.” Ethan noticed the nun visibly bristle at this. “Nor do we care,” the Cardinal added, “for the kind of publicity your show is generating.” Ethan was starting to think he’d miscalculated and had run into a dead end.
“However,” the Cardinal continued, “I am willing to arrange for medical care to be provided to Mr. Stone in his house, to keep him comfortable and ease his suffering as he exits this world, but I have conditions.”
Ethan felt the ground grow solid beneath him. He was back in familiar territory. “Not to be crass, Cardinal Trippe, but how much?”
The Cardinal’s eyebrows arched in such surprise that they nearly left his forehead, and then he laughed. “No, no, Mr. Overbee, you misunderstand me. We don’t want your money. We want your show to pay heed to Mr. Stone’s spiritual as well as his physical well-being.”
“You don’t want money?” Ethan was so flummoxed that he didn’t quite know how to react.
“We want your viewers to see Mr. Stone’s soul prepared for its journey into the hereafter. We want religion injected into the narrative.”
Ethan wanted to laugh. He wanted to hug this foolish priest and his troll-like nun and thank them for restoring his faith in all the things that he, Ethan, found holy. “Of course, Your Eminence. We can feature a short segment each night where a priest tends to Mr. Stone’s—how did you put it? Spiritual well-being?”
“Very good,” the Cardinal answered. “Only, I wasn’t thinking of a priest.” At this, Ethan followed as the Cardinal turned his gaze to Sister Benedict. The nun, for her part, looked for a moment like she’d been slapped, then she looked like she’d won the lottery.
Ethan sized her up. She reminded him of the alien in E.T. He knew instantly that her approval ratings would be in the sewer, but that was okay. America liked to have someone to revile. Yes, he thought, this could work. “Welcome, Sister,” he said with a smile like a jackal, “to the cast of Life and Death.”
One problem down, Ethan thought, one to go.
***
The knock on Jackie’s bedroom door woke her up. She was pretty sure she knew who was on the other side.
Three hours earlier Jackie was in the kitchen being accosted by Andersona. The Life and Death producer exorcised no small number of personal demons through the verbal lashing she gave Jackie. The rant was loud enough and long enough that Andersona had to be restrained by another member of the crew. “How could you post that shit online?” she was shouting as she was pulled away. “I let you be my friend, you fucking bitch!”
“Bet they won’t show that on TV,” Jackie muttered to herself as she retreated to the safety of her room and stayed there. Her parents were out visiting her father’s doctor, and Megan wasn’t home, so Jackie was, for all intents and purposes, trapped.
When she found Max online, he was bubbling over.
Max
Solnyshko! Have you see how much people watch our video?
Jackie
Hi, Max. I did. It’s pretty good.
Max
Pretty good? More than 100,000 people, and she says pretty good!
Jackie
I’m sorry, you’re right. It’s great. You did such a good job on it.
Max
Nyet, Jacquelyn, WE did good job, together. Are you not excited?
Jackie
Well, Andersona was pretty mad. I feel kind of bad about it.
Max
No, Solnyshko, Andersona is enemy. She is one who make your father look bad. She spins web of lies.
Jackie
Are we any better?
Max
Yes, we show truth. Pravda!
Max was right, Jackie knew, and it was making her feel better. Still, she was certain there would be repercussions, and not knowing what they were was hard. She said as much to Max.
Max
What is repercussions?
Jackie
It means consequences. That I will be punished.
Max
Your parents will punish you?
Jackie
No, the network.