around the hospital, trying to figure out where Sean would be, I was led to a waiting room where Randy was pacing the floor and talking on his phone. I gathered that he was trying to cancel or delay Sean’s engagements for the next week.
Looking around, it was clear that this was the swanky part of the hospital. Probably a VIP wing or something. Did hospitals have those? Either way, I was glad. Fewer people here. Maybe even better security.
“Mr. Michaelson,” a nurse said, trying to get Randy’s attention. He immediately hung up on whoever he’d been speaking with and gave her his full attention, motioning for me to join him.
The nurse looked at me, hesitant. “Is she…”
“She’s fine,” Randy insisted. “What’s going on?”
She gave me one more worried look before jumping into an explanation of Sean’s injuries. The glass had cut deep into his hand in several places and he had a concussion. “He’s conscious now, and he’s just coming back from x-ray if you’d like to see him.”
Randy sighed and then pulled out his phone. “You go, Libby. I’ve got fires to put out and he’d want to see you anyway.”
“Are you sure Mr. Amity’s security guy won’t have a problem with it?”
While the delay she was causing irritated me, I couldn’t help but appreciate her caution.
Randy pulled the phone away from his mouth to address the nurse. “She’s Mr. Amity’s best friend. She’s one of his emergency contacts and is on a first-name basis with all his security. Take her back, please.”
The nurse nodded and turned immediately to lead the way, walking quickly, any reticence now gone. “Sorry about that,” she said to me with an easy smile. “I just wanted to double check—”
“I understand. I’m glad you aren’t letting people run around up here. Thank you for protecting him.” I tended to be suspicious of most females when it came to Sean, but this woman looked like a mother with grown children, so I decided not to worry.
“I’ve only worked a case like this once before, and I have to be sure to remember the extra protocols. I do not want to be the woman who accidentally lets a journalist near him.”
The smile that crossed my lips surprised me.
“I’m Claire, by the way, and”—she gestured to a door—“this is our stop.”
Tucker stood guard outside the door, giving me a nod of acknowledgement before facing his eyes forward again.
Nurse Claire went on her way, but I just stood there, unable to make myself go in. Several times I tried, telling my feet to move forward. But I had to concede defeat, and instead sank down into the chair across the hall, bracing my hands on my knees as I tried to get a grip on myself. Knowing Sean was hurt was one thing. Seeing it was another.
A doorway down the hall opened and a young woman stepped out, closing the door carefully before coming to sit in the chair next to mine. She looked as ragged as I felt, so I did my best to give her a friendly smile.
She smiled weakly in return, then said, “So, who are you here to see?” before letting out a roll of slightly hysterical laughter. She scrubbed at her tired eyes. “I’m just kidding, of course. If you’re visiting someone in these rooms, chances are you don’t want to talk about who you’re visiting. Bad PR, being in the hospital.”
“Is this a VIP wing or something?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Not officially. But money talks. And this is one of those times when I’m glad. My dad’s here,” she went on to say. “And I’m going a little bit crazy.”
“I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say.
She shrugged. “I need to go home and sleep.”
I looked over at her, wondering why she was so chatty. I didn’t necessarily mind; it was just odd. And she was right about needing sleep. “Yeah, you don’t look so good.”
She let out another burst of tired laughter. “Believe me, I know.” She turned to me. “So, who are you here to see?”
I raised an eyebrow at her. She was the one who’d just said no one in this corner of the hospital discussed it. Plus, she was in her twenties. Just the age to be a raving Sean Amity fan. “Looking to sell a story?” I asked without trying to keep the suspicion out of my voice.
She snorted. “Hardly. I don’t talk to the press unless I absolutely have to.” She let