CHAPTER 43As Mara and Sam descended the stairs, they could see Ping and Diana standing in front of the television, staring down at it. Entering the room, Mara noted that Buddy’s apparition remained seated on the couch, apparently entranced by the screen as well. Sam tapped his mother’s and Ping’s shoulders, and they parted, standing back to reveal the news report in front of them. A reporter was doing a voice-over of a large hospital ward comprised of rows of beds with shedding victims standing next to them in their hospital gowns. A Breaking News label flashed at the bottom of the screen and below that scrolled: Just one minute ago at Northwest Memorial Hospital, “shedding” victims awaken from their comas to speak. More than twenty patients stood stiffly and stared blankly at the televisi
