She had to split her time between the boys and the hospital with Izzie. Somehow, she managed. Izzie was still in guarded condition, but they were about to upgrade her to stable. Annie suspected Cage and Allen were just being cautious. Even if it irritated Izzie.
Not that Izzie could do much about it right now. She was in and out from pain meds most of the day. Annie used that time to try to track down the attorney the Boethe Street committee had hired with the limited funds they’d been able to collect.
She was starting to think the attorney needed to be disbarred. He wasn’t exactly competent.
Annie had no idea what she was supposed to do about this, or how she had ended up the de facto spokeswoman for the neighborhood.
She wasn’t even certain if she wanted to fight it any longer.
As long as she had a place for the boys to live, she would be ok.
It was her neighbors’ fates that concerned her more. The stress of fighting was starting to get to all of them.
Izzie shifted in the bed. Annie put aside her notepad and watched the other woman for a while. No doubt Izzie would be hurting for a while—even with the pain meds.
Damn Wallace Henedy for what he’d done.
There was no explanation for why he’d done any of it. None.
Someone knocked on the door quietly. She looked up.
Nikkie Jean stood in the doorway, wearing scrubs decorated with dancing beagles. “Hey.”
“Hey. I see the jailers have let you out.” Caine and his twin had ganged up on her, making her take the past week off. “How are you feeling?”
“Better. The bruises have faded. I felt the baby move—I think. Caine brought home a Doppler from storage last night. He wanted to let the kids hear the heartbeat. We finally told them.”
“And?”
“Dalton thinks it’s a doggie in my belly.” She shot a grin at Annie, but her worry was still there as her gaze went to Izzie. “Keller is thrilled. Everett is hesitant. Just as we suspected. Caine thinks he’ll be ok with time. He associated his mother’s leaving and death with Dalton’s birth.”
“I get it. You guys will make it work, I’m sure of it.” They were meant to be a family. Nikkie Jean had taken to motherhood like a natural. Even in the short time since the tornado. Caine’s three children adored her, and even though they weren’t married and hadn’t set a date yet—Nikkie Jean refused until Izzie was ok, and able to be one of her two friends-of-honor, as she’d said it—the kids were already calling her Mom.
Annie knew just how special that could be.
And how terrifying that responsibility could be.
“I hope so. The last thing I want to do is fail the kids.”
“You won’t. Just love them. Trust me, I have twenty-three months and four days’ experience talking here. Love them and know that your job is to teach them how to survive as adults. To let them know how much you love them, and that you will always be there for them.”
“I’m not sure how to do that. I haven’t exactly had great experiences with parents myself. Nor great examples to emulate.” There was no bitterness in Nikkie Jean’s tone. Just quiet acceptance.
“No, but you’re the kindest person I know, Nik. That matters. Kindness, understanding, an openness, and forgiveness. Heart. Don’t ever forget that…” a quiet voice said from the hospital bed.
Annie hurried to her side. She’d been in and out for days. And not always lucid. “Iz—”
“Hey, Ann.” Izzie blinked up at her. “You look terrible.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Izzie looked around. “403.”
“Yep. It’s starting to get a reputation.” Every time someone Annie knew from the hospital was hurt or ill, they were ending up in room 403. The Cursed Nurse’s room. Annie suspected Wanda was putting them there on purpose.
Wanda liked to perpetuate the myth of the Cursed Nurse—a young woman who had supposedly been murdered in the room when the building had first been constructed—over a hundred years ago. Annie wasn’t a believer in ghosts—far from it.
But she’d spent enough time in this room as a patient now not to be so sure.
Sometimes it felt like someone was in there with you at night.
“I’m really starting to believe this room is cursed…” Izzie said a few more things, but she was tiring. Before long, she was out again.
But this was the first day she’d been able to have some sort of lucid conversation.
Annie looked at Nikkie Jean as hope finally started to overtake the fear. “I think she’s going to be ok.”