Chapter 110 The Only Hope

The list was long, and the screening criteria were extremely strict. Lila didn't sleep a wink. She cross-checked every candidate's pathology report against Vernon's chart. By first light, she had a name in mind—Owen Carter, 78 years old, with an acute neurologic injury that had a 90% match to Vernon's symptoms. His address on file was a private nursing home in the western suburbs of Evermere. Lila drove straight over. The nursing home was quiet and peaceful, shaded by tall trees. A nurse's aide showed Lila to Owen's room. Lila pushed the door open and found three people inside. Owen lay in bed, a little weak but more alert than Vernon. A middle-aged man and woman, Jason Carter and Mary Mitchell, stood by the bed. Jason was wringing out a towel, getting ready to wipe Owen down, while Mary stood by, worry written all over her face. Lila was surprised. She hadn't expected Owen's family to be here at this hour. Jason paused, cutting her a skeptical look. "Who are you?" Lila l