: A

ux was dead whe

d at th

d L

clipboard before

, but she's still unconscious. She's suffered a serious

around the back of

all right,

mise yet. The next few

omething reassuring. Anything that would tell me Lana was

a sympathetic nod

ight," Gabrielle

towards m

n't kno

does that doctor. She's al

he chair. My legs felt

da wa

was a

two facts I had, and

r Lana's frightened breathing. Remember the mome

en too

she'd do something li

x, s

th a gun, Gabrielle. She

now she was comin

have prote

can't take responsibility for

oked

d could change what had happened. Lucinda had bro

ho

s and laughing at each other's terrible suggestions. She'd insisted that the place needed a proper wor

ghed and

g about the blood on the sh

I asked when a

sed. We'll let you know

iting was the last

e me. Neither of us

ouch I'd been given earlier. Inside was Lana's engagement ring, rem

nd tipped the r

ked so

me. I could still remember the way she'd stared at it b

since, especially when she was thinking

e smooth band, rolling it

ll plans to make, details to argue over,

ime I held her ring, she'd be lyi

ed that back," Gab

y fingers

get it

to beli

ntually app

been transferred to recovery, but she ne

the ring back into its pouch b

wn the corridor and

n IV attached to her arm and monitors beside

t, she looked as thoug

to her

an

dn't r

It was warm against mine, and I held on a

took out the ring again, rolling

to wake up and put thi

ontinued its

refully in my palm a

house, all the things you keep telling me we need to plan. You c

oat ti

e me to do any o

st my lips, then lowered

out Lucinda in my life. I couldn't begin to

fingers arou

wake u