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Later, when I've rejoined my family in the waiting area while they're running some tests on Luna, the ER doors slide open and Alex steps in, looking pale and scared.
"What is he doing here?" I hiss, and get to my feet.
"I called him," Damien says, standing up.
"Why?" I shout.
"Because he's her family, too. And he obviously loves her. And she needs all the love she can get right now."
He comes up to us. "Look, I just... I just want to know how she's doing."
I sigh. "We don't know. The doctor thinks she'll be okay. But it depends on how she holds up over the next few hours. She lost a lot of blood and she's still at a really high risk of infection since, um, it looks like the knife that was used was... dirty."
"Shit," Alex exhales. "Can we see her?"
"I can. Because I'm family."
He bristles. "I'm her family too, Kingsley. Maybe more than you are."
If I had any fight left in me, I might have decked him for saying that. "Then what was she even doing alone? Why weren't you with her?"
"It's none of your business, okay? Where were you? You’re the one she went looking for!"
He doesn't need to remind me. I'll remember it for the rest of my life.
"Guys, this fighting isn't going to help her, okay? Alex, why don't you come sit down. And if the doctor says she can have more visitors, maybe you can go in for a few minutes. Like Damien said, the more support she has, the better for her," Kiara says, giving me a firm look.
I'll say this, none of us picked shrinking violets for partners. And I guess that's one more similarity between us.
Alex nods and picks a seat out of my eyeline, bending over, his head in his hands.
And I can only wonder if he's as drenched in guilt as I am.
"You know what I was thinking? We should take a trip somewhere soon. We haven't gone anywhere since that first night at Watergate Bay. And you were still pretending that you didn't want to rip my clothes off at every chance that you could get at that time, so maybe we should redo. I think I have an idea where we can go," I whisper, pressing my lips to the top of her sleeping head. "You need to get a bit better though. I'm not carrying all the bags myself. Okay, fine. I'll carry most of the bags, but you have to come and carry the baguettes. Who else will tear off the end and gnaw half way through it between the car and the house? So, you get better, and I'm going to get the doctor to get you out of here as soon as possible, okay? Becausethere's a question I need to ask you, and it helps if you're awake to answer the question when I do."
An orderly comes up to me with a box.
"Mr. Baxter, here are some of Miss Pham's things. There's not much, we had to cut her out of the dress, and this is some of the jewelry she was wearing."
I take it from him. "Thank you. Did she have her purse with her? Her phone? I don't remember if they were on her when I brought her."
"I don't think so, sir. No."
I nod another thank you and sink back into my seat, hugging the box to my chest.
"You want me to go back and look to see if her purse is still there?" Matthias asks, sitting in the chair opposite me.
"It's okay. I'm going to check on the tracker," I flick my eyes guiltily to Damien who just looks back at me with a shoulder shrug.
I open the app, not sure what I expect, but then her phone shows up, flashing, in a neighborhood not too far from here.
Fury takes over my body, and I jump up from my seat.
"Kingsley," Matthias says. "Where are you going?"
But I just keep walking.
There's no turning back right now.
