Grief hit her so hard, she felt dizzy. She clutched the bedpost, clinging to it for support.
Mad Dog appeared beside her, curled an arm around her shoulders, and drew her close. The steadying warmth of his touch penetrated the soul-deep chill in-her bones.
With an exhausted sigh, she let herself lean against him. He reached for the settee beneath the window and dragged it to the bedside. Together, they sat down.
"Mariah?"
She winced, knowing what was coming next and not wanting to hear it. She licked her paper-dry lips and stared at the wooden floorboards. "Yes?"
Mad Dog let out a quiet sigh. "Hes in a coma. "
She nodded, feeling strangely as if shed left the room. There was someone else inside her now, a remote inner core that made her body move, made her lips speak, made her head nod. But there was no feeling in her, no emotion, nothing except an icy coldness. She knew what he was going to say next. Shed heard it before.
"Uh-huh. "
He swallowed so loudly, she heard it. "Doc Sherman says hes . . . not going to get better. "
"Docs wrong. " She tried to make the words sound strong, but they eked past her lips as a frail whisper.
"Maybe," he said quietly.
Tears scalded her eyes. "There . . . there could be a miracle," she said throatily.
"Do you believe in miracles?"
The question almost killed her. She sagged, feeling suddenly agonizingly brittle and unprotected. "No. "
"Doc says he doesnt have much time. "
She bit down on her lip, trying to hold on. "How long?"
"Maybe a week . . . maybe tonight. " He placed his hand on hers, squeezed. "You need to say good-bye. "
She turned to him suddenly, looked at him for the first time since theyd come into the room. He didnt understand. No one did. Loneliness and sorrow smothered her, pressed cold hands against her chest. "You think that will help?" she said, unable to keep bitterness from her voice. "Saying good-bye?"
"Its all you have. "
She gasped at his words. "Oh, God," she whispered, feeling beaten and afraid. "I . . .
I cant say good-bye to Rass, too. " Tears clogged in her throat, burned in her eyes.
A pounding headache filled her head. "I cant. "
He stroked her hair gently. "I wish I knew what to say to you, Mariah. "
The words touched nothing in her, left her feeling as cold and dull and dead as before. "Theres nothing anyone can say. "
"No," was all he said, but in that simple, single word, she knew he understood, knew hed faced a loved ones death befare. He curled his arm around her, held her close. "Im here. "
For now.
Mariah heard the words as clearly, as loudly, as if theyd been spoken aloud.
He was here with her for now. But soon he would be gone, Rass would be gone, Jake would be gone, and she would be alone.
Utterly, desperately alone.
She hung her head and wished she could cry.