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“Hey, why the tears?” His brow dipped low. “Tish?”
Kiana shook her head. “I don’t know. They took her back for a CT scan and other tests a while ago. No one’s come out to tell me anything yet.”
“Did she wake up?”
More tears filled Kiana’s eyes. “No.”
“Let’s ask.” He slipped an arm around her waist and walked with her to the reception desk.
At that moment, the doctor emerged from the door marked authorized personnel only. When he spotted Kiana, he headed straight for her.
Dev’s arm tightened around her waist, and he pulled her gently against him.
Kiana leaned into him, dreading what the doctor might say.
“The CT scan showed us what we expected. Ms. Jenkins has bleeding on the brain.”
All the air left Kiana’s lungs, and a humming sound filled her ears, muffling the doctor’s next words.
“We consulted with the neurosurgeon on call. He wants to monitor her for now. If the swelling worsens, he’ll have to perform surgery to relieve the swelling. We’ll keep a close watch over her in intensive care and keep her blood pressure down.”
“Has she woken up?” Kiana asked, already knowing the answer.
The doctor shook his head.
“Any idea when she might regain consciousness?” Again, Kiana knew his answer but had to ask.
“No. She could be out until the swelling goes down, or she could be in a coma for days or months.” The doctor grimaced. “There’s no way to predict with head trauma. She’s being moved to the ICU. As soon as she’s settled, they’ll let you know. Visiting hours are limited, but she’ll have the finest care.”
“Thank you,” Kiana said softly.
When the doctor left them, Kiana turned and buried her face against Dev’s chest.
Both of his arms came up around her, holding her close. “She’s going to be okay,” he assured her.
“How do you know?” Kiana said into his shirt. “Even the doctor can’t promise anything.”
He tipped her chin up. “Is she anything like you?”
Kiana sniffed. “Like me?”
“Yeah,” he said with a smile, “strong, independent.” He brushed a strand of Kiana’s hair back behind her ear. “A fighter.”
Her brow knitted. “She’s pretty badass. But how can she fight against a brain bleed?”
“Fighters always manage,” he said and pressed a kiss to Kiana’s forehead.
“Dev!” a deep voice called out behind Kiana.
Dev looked over the top of her head and grinned. “Oh, good. He got here quick.”
“Who?” Kiana spun to see a familiar face.
“You remember Reid Bennet?” Dev held out a hand to his friend. “Glad you made it so fast.”
“We left Maui about the same time as you did in a boat. Hawk sent supplies from the big island to Maui. They arrived a few minutes after your plane left this morning. Angel and I escorted them here, courtesy of one of Leilani’s tour boats. Hawk figured you might need some of the items in your search for Ms. O’Neal.”
Dev tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow at his teammate. “If by supplies, you mean what I think you mean...”
