Page 56 of Little Hearts

“How’s Naomi? I heard she was listed in serious condition.”

“She’s in there.” Jonathon nodded at the door behind them. “The doctor is with her. She was bleeding internally, she lost a lot of blood. Her spleen ruptured so she underwent surgery to have it removed. She has a concussion. The second one she’s sustained in six months so she’s going to need to be monitored carefully for a while.”

Nick had read the police reports about the attack that had left Naomi fighting for life after she had tried to save Clara’s life. “She’s going to be okay though?”

“She should be. They're keeping her under light sedation for the moment. Naomi doesn’t like to rest, she’s like a whirlwind. Drugging her is the only way to keep her in bed.” Clara lifted her head and brushed at her eyes.

“Hey, she’s all right.” Jonathon cradled her face in his hand and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Don’t cry, honey.”

“Naomi could have died. Again.” Clara visibly shivered and rested back against Jonathon.

“I saw the car. You guys are all lucky to be alive.” When he’d received a phone call about an hour ago to say that the Candella sisters and Jonathon had been in a car accident he went straight to the scene. Since there was some indication that the car may have been tampered with, it hadn’t been moved yet, it wouldn’t be until a thorough investigation was completed. Nick wasn't sure whether anyone had told Jonathon and Clara yet that the accident might not have been so accidental.

“Yeah, we are,” Jonathon agreed, one hand was smoothing Clara’s hair repetitively. Nick suspected the action was intended to calm both of them.

“There’s something we need …” he broke off as a doctor emerged from Naomi’s room.

“How is she?” Clara pulled herself free from Jonathon’s arms and all but ambushed the doctor.

“She’s doing well.” The doctor used what Nick assumed was her dealing with patients and their families voice. “I'm going to want to keep her here under observation for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours, but assuming there are no changes in her condition then she should be able to go home.”

Clara sagged in relief, Jonathon caught her before she hit the floor, dragging her close. “See? Naomi will be okay, she just needs time and rest.”

“Naomi’s stable?” Nick asked the doctor.

“Yes. As Detective Dawson said, she just needs time and rest to recover.”

Jonathon’s light brown eyes sharpened. “What’s wrong?” he asked once the doctor departed.

“Wrong?” Clara lifted her head. Confused, she looked from him to Jonathon and back again.

“If Naomi’s awake, I’d rather talk to all three of you at once.”

“I don’t think we should disturb her,” Clara protested.

“She wouldn’t like being left out, you know that.” Jonathon took her hand and drew her with him through the door.

Nick followed. The room was mostly dark, the only light shining through the half-closed bathroom door. Naomi lay still on the bed, and even though he didn’t know the woman, he sensed that was unnatural for her. Her head was heavily bandaged, as was her shoulder. She was hooked up to several machines and an IV, and a clear tube looped across her pale face, helping to deliver oxygen to her lungs.

“The force of the car hitting the tree and her body getting thrown against the airbag damaged her healing shoulder,” Clara explained, sitting beside the bed and taking her sister’s hand.

Naomi’s eyes fluttered open. “What … where?”

“Here, drink this, go slow though.” Clara held a straw to her lips. “You're in the hospital, remember?”

“Yeah.” Naomi’s gaze flitted around the room and settled on him. “What are you doing here?”

“He has to tell us something,” Jonathon answered. “It wasn't an accident, was it?”

Clara gasped. “What? No.”

“Yes,” Naomi said tiredly. Her eyes were dulled by the medications dripping into the back of her hand and weren’t focusing quite right, but apparently that wasn't any indication of her mental alertness, she seemed completely on the ball. “The brakes weren’t working right.”

“Someone sabotaged Naomi’s car?” Clara looked to him like she needed to hear him say it before she could believe it.

“Yes,” he confirmed.

“Who would do that?” Clara was staring at him in shock.

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