"A phone call?" The nurse glanced away from her survey of the crowd in the cafteria, looking mildly surprised. "Oh, no, Mr. Jenkins. I'm afraid that's not possible at all," she replied, shaking her head in what looked like either sympathy or pity. Or both.

"Why don't you just go on to breakfast, then? Maybe you can write a letter to your family later today." With a smile that seemed more suited to coddling a small child, she made a little shooing gesture with one hand and motioned toward the food line. "You wouldn't want to miss out on breakfast, would you?"

[tiassa]