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I was so used to pouring out rade-that I was actually shocked to find a bunch of doctors and nurses clustered around her bed I couldn&039;t even see her, much less talk to her Not to mention, usually there was just one nurse, and that was only if it was ti off to one side, watching with his jaw clenched so tight I could see the

He sawanother round of che of a nine-day wonder Everyone&039;s been invited"

"But-" Shocked, I shifted Babyjon tohe wouldn&039;t wake up "But she just had a round of it!"

"It&039;s a hard cancer to kill"

"But-but-I have to tell herum, stuff" Careful, I said to myself Nick&039;s poor scras weren&039;t normal at the House O&039; Vampires "I mean, I came to talk to her"

"Well, you can&039;t" Clearly distracted, he ran his hands through his thick blond hair Even though his black suit was rumpled and he had a ketchup stain on his navy blue shirt, he looked like a ian features-cheekbones you could shave with!-and ice blue eyes Before I&039;d died, he&039;d been the closest thing to a boyfriend I&039;d had for years And we hadn&039;t been that close, frankly Friendly, not friends

See, the Fiends had attackedbefore I knehat a Fiend was) And like a good citizen, I reported the assault to the police Nick had helpedshots, and we&039;d shared a Milky Way That was it The big ro creaether

Not that Nick knew any of this, and not that I had any plans to enlighten the good detective

"They&039;re not letting anybody talk to her," he was saying, bringing me back to the present with a yank "But I want to talk to you"

My heart instantly went out to him Sure, I loved Jessica as much as I loved Sinclair and Manolo Blahniks But she and Nick had gotten pretty tight over the last few months This couldn&039;t be easy for him, either

"Sure, Nicky, honey" I took his elbow and led him out into the hall "What&039;s on yourto another room I stepped in after him and saas an empty patient&039;s room "Put the baby on the bed"

Somewhat puzzled, I did so Babyjon never twitched, bless hi toout with Jessica because he couldn&039;t have et worse! Should I let him? Should I knock hiot hit by a bus?

I turned to hian, "Nick, listen, I don&039;t think you&039;re in your right-"

I stopped talking as I realized so cold and hard was pressed under es to growing up with a oing out with Jessica to get to ed, so totally shocked that he had drawn his police-issued firearm and tucked it under my chin before I had tiun away I was e

"Betsy I like you a lot Even before you died, I liked you But if you let Jessica die of this thing, I will shoot you in the face I&039;ll ereen eyes I don&039;t know h for you to grow your brain back Such as it is"

My jaw sagged in shock; the gun never wavered "You-you knew?" Once Jessica got over the new che to kill her! "And what&039;s that supposed to mean, &039;such as it-

"Of course I knew," he said iave his report-you reeous blond woman who chased off a vaers?"