hurt.â
âSheâs already been hurt many times. You canât keep it from happening again.â
âNo, but I can warn you that Iâd take a dim view of anyone toying with my sisterâs affections.â
âThatâs an old-fashioned thing to say, Dougherty.â
âIâm an old-fashioned guy.â
He was also a brother with a younger sister he worried about. That, at least, was something Nikolai could identify with. âI have no intention of toying with anything.â
âIâm glad to hear that. Come on. It looks like radiology is this way.â They turned down a long corridor, walked through double doors and nearly bumped into Jennaâs parents.
âKane. Nikolai. Glad we ran into you. Jenna is on the way back up to her room.â Jennaâs father looked worn, his eyes shadowed.
âHow is she?â Kane asked the question Nikolai wanted to and frowned as Richard shook his head.
âWe wonât know until the doctor finishes reviewing the CAT scan results.â
âHow long will that be?â
âAn hour or so.â
âThatâs an hour too long.â
âIâm sure your sister feels the same way. We promised her a hamburger and a milk shake while she waits. How about we all go to the cafeteria and see if they have anything resembling that?â
âOne of us should be up there with her.â Kane spoke up, and Nikolai knew that any of the Doughertys would be happy to sit by Jennaâs side. Whether or not she wanted them there was another story. The last thing Nikolai had wanted when heâd been confined to a hospital bed was sympathetic family sitting beside him watching with sad-eyed concern.
âWhy donât I go up?â he asked, and all three family members turned their attention his way.
âI think Jenna would be more comfortable with one of us there.â Kane responded before his parents could.
âActually,â his mother broke in, âJenna insisted that we all get something to eat before we joined her. Sheâs got a splitting headache, and she wants some time for the pain medicine to kick in.â
âIâll wait outside the room, then, until sheâs feeling better.â Because there was no way Nikolai was going to let her lie alone in a room waiting for whoever had shot at her to find her there.
âThatâs a wonderful idea, Nikolai. Would you like us to bring you something to eat or drink?â Once again, Mrs. Dougherty spoke up, offering a smile that reminded Nikolai of her daughter.
âNo. Thanks.â
âAll right, then. Jenna is in room 306. We wonât be long. Ready?â She took her husbandâs hand, hooked an arm around Kaneâs and steered them both down the hall.
Nikolai didnât waste time watching them walk away. The more he thought about Jenna alone in a hospital room, the less he liked the idea. Sure, there were people milling around the hospital, but that didnât mean Jenna was safe.
He hurried up to the third floor, bypassing a nursesâ station, and stopped in front of Jennaâs room. The door was closed, so he knocked, waited until he heard a muffled response and then walked in.
Jenna stood a few feet away, an IV dripping fluids into her arm as she buttoned a short-sleeved black shirt. She paused as he entered the room, her eyes wide with surprise. âI thought you were the nurse.â
âIâm afraid not. I can find a nurse for you, though, if you need one.â
âThatâs okay. I was just trying to figure out what happened to my socks.â
âSocks?â
âMy feet are freezing.â She was still wearing the black slacks sheâd worn to the funeral, and her bare toes peeked out from beneath the hem.
âIf you were in bed, they wouldnât be.â
âIf I were in bed, Iâd be thinking aboutâ¦â Her voice trailed off, and she turned away, tugging the IV