LITMIR.BIZ

      After what he’d just learned in the E.R., Ronnie wished he’d been able to see Annie on his own, but he could hardly deny Dana Sue the right to be there when they’d both been waiting half the night for the chance to see their little girl. At the very least, he wished they’d been able to lean on each other for support, but aside from that one moment of weakness when he’d first arrived, and the brief contact she’d permitted in the elevator, Dana Sue had kept her distance. Even now, she was walking ahead of him as if determined to reach Annie’s side before he did, as if it was some sort of contest.

      He had so many questions it took every ounce of restraint he possessed not to let them come pouring out. The doctor was right. There would be time enough for questions and accusations later, once he’d seen Annie and developed a real sense of just how bad things had gotten in his absence.

      At the door to Annie’s ICU cubicle, Dr. Lane paused. “Remember what I told you both,” he said sternly. “Five minutes and no arguing.”

      Ronnie nodded. “We understand.”

      He held the door and Dana Sue walked in ahead of him, then swayed backward. He steadied her with a hand on her waist.

      “You okay?” he asked, regarding her with concern.

      She squared her shoulders and met his gaze. “Of course,” she said, then moved quickly to Annie’s bedside.

      Ronnie was slower to approach. The room had the same antiseptic smell as the emergency room, which was disconcerting enough. But here there was an odd stillness, as well. Annie was never still, never quiet. The silence was broken only by the steady beeping of some monitor and Dana Sue’s barely contained sigh as she sat down beside the bed.

      “Hi, sweetie,” she whispered, taking Annie’s hand in hers. “Mom’s here. So is your dad.”

      Ronnie finally managed to propel himself forward, but when he caught sight of his daughter’s wan, gaunt face and the IV hooked up to her arm, the oxygen being fed through her nose, he almost stumbled.

      “Oh, my God,” he gasped, horrified not just by all the tubes and monitors, but by the teenager who was so thin she barely made a ripple in the sheets.

      Dana Sue cast a warning look in his direction and he managed to smother the damning accusations on the tip of his tongue. Instead he moved to the other side of the bed and sat. Since the IV was attached to that hand, he settled for stroking a finger along Annie’s thin, icy arm.

      “Hey, angel. You’ve given your mom and me quite a scare, but you’re going to be fine. The doctor says you just need a little rest. Mom and I will be right here, okay? We’ll be in the waiting room right outside. If you need us, all you have to do is tell the nurse and she’ll get us. And we’ll be in to talk to you every time they let us.”

      “That’s right,” Dana Sue confirmed. “We’re not going anywhere. All your friends are here, too. Sarah’s mad as heck at you for spoiling the sleepover. She says she’s expecting you to throw another one ASAP. And Raylene says she’ll keep track of all your assignments at school, so you won’t fall behind. I think she said it because she’s jealous you’re going to miss a few classes, and wants to be sure you don’t get out of any of the homework.”

      Ronnie couldn’t be sure, but it almost looked as if Dana Sue’s words stirred a faint hint of a smile on Annie’s face. He glanced up and saw the nurse motioning to them. He walked around the bed and laid a hand on Dana Sue’s shoulder, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to Annie’s forehead.

      “We have to leave you for a little while—they won’t let us stay,” he told her. “See you later, kiddo.”

      Dana Sue stood reluctantly, her eyes filled with tears. “You’re going to be fine, sweetie. I promise. We’ll be back soon.”

      Outside the room, she wobbled on her feet. As furious as he was at his daughter’s condition, Ronnie took her elbow and steadied her.

      “We need to talk,” he said tightly.

      “Not now,” she pleaded.

      “Yes, now. We’ll go to the cafeteria. You look like you’re about to pass out. You need some food.”

      “I can’t eat.”

      “You can,” he said firmly. When her chin jutted stubbornly, he asked, “Do I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you down there? I will, you know. As mad as I am, the prospect of causing a scene doesn’t bother me in the slightest.”

      Her defiant gaze clashed with his, and for a second he thought she might test him. But she finally gave him a disgusted look and started down the hall on her own.

      He followed her to the cafeteria, got a tray and began piling on food. Juice, fresh fruit, a bagel and cream cheese, scrambled eggs, pancakes and two cups of coffee.

      “You feeding a lumberjack?” Dana Sue asked when he reached for a second plate of pancakes.

      He studied the array of food on the tray and decided there was enough for the two of them. He knew Dana Sue. Despite her claim that she wasn’t hungry, she always ate in a crisis. And it had been a very long time since that fast-food dinner he’d had the night before.

      “I guess this will do,” he conceded, paying the cashier. Then he led the way to a table just being vacated near a window. After all those hours in which time had seemed to drag, he was surprised to see the sun well up in the morning sky.

      The cafeteria was bustling with visiting families and staff. It was a far cry from the few exhausted customers who’d been here when he and Maddie had come down for coffee earlier.

      Ronnie put all the dishes on the table, then placed the empty tray on a neighboring one. He divided the eggs and pancakes between them, put a plate in front of Dana Sue and began to eat. When she continued to sit perfectly still, her food untouched, he grinned at her.

      “You’re going

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