Trey gritted his teeth. “At least let one of us go. She shouldn’t be alone.”
“There’s a girl with her, so she’s not alone.”
Trey sat down next to Travis as he consoled Nia, who sat in his lap. He put his head in his hands and waited.
“The doctor said you could go back for a minute. It’s curtain 3B. They’ll be moving her up to a room soon.”
The three nodded and headed through the double doors.
When Trey got his first look at her, he wanted to howl. Jenna’s complexion blended in with the white sheet she lay on, she was so pale. Her white skin made her injuries stand out starkly. Purplish bruises covered her face, and she had several cuts on her arms and probably her legs.
Nia went to the bed and stood looking down at her.
“What happened?” Travis asked Kyla.
“He broke in through a window,” she said quietly, so she didn’t disturb Jenna.
“What are her injuries?” Trey asked.
“Nothing’s broken, but she has bruised ribs where he kicked her. I think she has bruises all over her body. He wouldn’t stop. I jumped on his back, and he threw me off.”
“Did you get hurt?” Trey asked.
“Just a few bruises. I called 9-1-1 and then took a lamp and busted it over his head.”
Trey nodded. “Good girl. Did the cops catch the guy?”
She shook her head. “He heard the sirens coming and went out the window and onto the fire escape.”
“Goddammit,” Travis cursed.
The nurse came in. “I’m sorry, but you’re all going to have to go back to the waiting room. She’ll be in a private room within the hour, and you can see her then.”
“Can we wait in the room for her?” Nia asked.
The nurse nodded. “If you stay out of the way. Go to room 302.”
Trey smiled. “Thank you.”
In the room, Kyla and Nia sat on the sofa in the room, held hands, and whispered while Travis leaned against the wall and Trey paced.
He stopped suddenly when the door opened, and two men came in with a gurney. Trey and Travis stepped out of the way and watched them transfer Jenna to the bed.
A nurse came in to set up the IV and take her blood pressure.
“How’s she doing?” Trey asked.
The nurse turned toward him. “She’s doing well.”
“Why won’t she wake up?”
“We sedated her when she got here. She was very agitated and yelled at everyone to back off and let her go home.” The nurse smiled. “She’s a fighter.”
Trey nodded. She was going to have to be a fighter to put up with him, he thought.
Darian and Larkin rushed through the door, and Larkin put her hands over her mouth.
The nurse scowled. “You all can stay if you’re quiet. But I’ll ask you to leave if I hear you. She needs her sleep.”