No matter which channel popped on the television in her hospital room, it could not hold Raisa for longer than it took for one thought to cross her mind. She tried to push it away but it popped back up over the music and words that streamed at her from the little elevated box. She fought the tears too and the lump in her throat that came with them.
To the gentle knock on her door, she croaked, “Okay,” though she was far from okay.
Saffron and Rex stumbled in, tripping over the lead position as they approached her bed. Raisa noticed how Rex dropped back, his face frozen in a half-smile, as he yielded to Saffron. Saffron steadily maneuvered her huge belly up to the bed railing and took Raisa’s hand.
“How are you doing, lady?” she asked.
“My head hurts,” Raisa replied. She searched Saffron’s brimming eyes and could tell by the way they rested on her, by the twitch of her mouth, and the squeeze of her hand that she knew.
“Sydney,” Rex muttered. He came forward and rested his hand on Raisa’s foot. “He was there, wasn’t he?”
“I don’t remember.”
“I’m sure of it.”
“Forget that now, Rex,” Saffron admonished. “Raisa needs you to be right here in the present, supporting her with all you’ve got.”
“I’m not letting that skunk off the hook,” Rex growled.
“He didn’t make her sick,” Saffron pointed out.
“He put her life in peril with his thoughtless antics. He’s going to pay for that and it’s high time he paid for all his selfishness.”
Saffron groaned.
“I’ll talk to Angel,” Rex continued. “He saw Sydney running off and even tried to catch him. He’ll help me. He’ll understand what needs to be done. I won’t rest until he’s on his knees.”
“Don’t…please don’t,” Raisa blurted. “I can’t be responsible for hurting Sydney.”
Rex batted at her toe and walked out the door, snarling to himself. Raisa covered her mouth and choked back her sobs as best she could.
“He’ll get over it,” Saffron soothed. “People often try to find someone to blame when they first get bad news. If he doesn’t come down himself, Angel will find a way.”
