Running Blind by Shirlee McCoy

for complete disclosure. That way if it’s bad news, they can come in and break it to me gently.”
    â€œOr they’re waiting in a long cafeteria line.”
    â€œYou forget, I’ve been through this before. Come on. We’d better find them.” She grabbed his hand, her palm warm and dry against his as she walked to the door.
    He could have protested. He might even have convinced her to wait for a while longer. But if he’d been in her position, he’d have gone searching, too, and he allowed himself to be pulled into the hall. Allowed himself to be pulled deeper into Jenna’s life. At least that’s what it felt like when she punched the elevator button and smiled up at him. That’s what it felt like when they stepped off the elevator and saw her family talking to a man in a white lab coat.
    â€œThey don’t look happy,” Jenna whispered, stopping a few yards shy of the waiting group. “And I’m not sure I really want to know why.”
    â€œWhatever the doctor has to say, it’ll be okay.”
    â€œYou can’t know that.”
    â€œNo, but as you said, God is in control. I do know that, and it’s enough. Come on.”
    â€œOkay.” She took a deep breath, holding tight to his hand as she took the first tentative step forward.

SEVEN
    I t was bad news.
    If it weren’t, Jenna’s father wouldn’t have his game face on. If it weren’t, her mother wouldn’t look pale and shaken. If it weren’t…
    â€œJenna, what are you doing down here?” her mother asked, and Jenna was sure there was a note of panic in her voice. Lila Dougherty never panicked.
    So it was bad.
    Worse, probably, than Jenna had been imagining.
    â€œThe same thing you are. I want my test results. Sitting around waiting for someone to come give me the news is driving me crazy.”
    â€œI was just on my way to your room when your parents found me. You really should have waited for us there.” Dr. Shaw, a sixty-something man with a perpetual frown line between his brows, shot Jenna a look of disapproval.
    â€œPerhaps if you’d come a little sooner, she would have.” Nikolai’s dry comment was met with another disapproving look.
    â€œAs I said, I was on my way up, but I saw Jenna’s family and wanted to tell them that the police are in the waiting room. They’d like to speak with her.”
    Was that the bad news Jenna could see in her parents’ faces? “That’s fine.”
    â€œActually, Jen, we already had a run-in with them, and itmight be best if we put off their questions for a while longer.” Kane frowned, his gaze falling to Jenna’s hand. The hand that was clutching Nikolai’s. She dropped it quickly, her face heating. What in the world was she doing? Obviously, the pain medication was making her loopy.
    â€œI don’t mind talking to the police. The more questions I answer the more likely it will be that they’ll find the guy who tried to shoot me.”
    â€œYou’d think that would be the direction they’d be heading.” Kane muttered as he glanced up the hall.
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œHow about we discuss this after Jenna returns to her room?” Dr. Shaw broke in. “It’s best if she rests as much as possible.”
    His words sent Jenna’s pulse racing, all her anxiety rearing up again. “Why? What did you find?”
    â€œThat you haven’t been taking care of yourself since your release from the hospital. You’re dehydrated, anemic and obviously exhausted. The best thing you can do for yourself is get proper nutrition, plenty of fluids and a lot of rest.”
    â€œThat’s it?” Relief poured through her, and she felt light-headed and dizzy with it.
    â€œAside from the healing fracture in your occipital bone, the CAT scan was clean.”
    â€œSo I can leave?”
    â€œHow about we discuss this in your