"No, not a medical. I'm Sam, Delia's father."

"We're okay here," Eve said carefully, and set the bowl aside. "She's doing whatever she's got to do." "Yes, of course." He backed up awkwardly.

"A healer then?" Louise asked, studying him with interest.

"I'm a sensitive." His gaze was drawn to Eve's face again, and pity for the pain rose in him. "Empathic?"

"A bit." He shifted his soft eyes to Louise, smiled. "Medicals rarely put any stock in sensitives or empaths."

"I like keeping my mind and options open. Louise Dimatto." She rose to step off the platform and offer a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Sam." "Why don't you two go have a drink downstairs," Eve said dryly. "Get acquainted."

"Unfortunately"-Louise glanced back over her shoulder-"I can't say her rudeness is a result of her injuries. She was born that way.

Obviously a genetic defect beyond the scope of medical science."

"If you can't be rude in your own bedroom, where can you?" Eve picked up the bowl again, sulked over it. "If I could just have a private word with her?" Sam asked.

"Sure. I'll just step outside."

When they were alone, Sam walked up to the bed. "You're in considerable pain." "I've had worse."

"Yes, I'm sure you have." He lowered himself to the side of the bed.

"You don't want chemical blockers, and while I'm sure Dr. Dimatto can relieve some of the discomfort externally, I can do more. It won't happen again, Eve," he said before she could speak.

"Because I'm prepared. I know you're not sure if you can trust that, but you can. I don't lie, and I wouldn't offer if I wasn't sure of your privacy."

She pushed at her ice cream with the spoon. No, he didn't lie. "Will what you can do get me on my feet faster?" "It should, especially in conjunction with the medical."

"Okay. Let's just get it done. I've got work."

It was mortifying as neither the healer nor the medical had bothered to mention she'd have to strip down to the skin for the exam and treatment. They discussed her anatomy as if she were a science droid in a lab, so that she finally shut her eyes in defense.

She jerked at the first touch of fingertips, at the spread of cool, then of warmth along the blade of her hip that had rudely met pavement, twice.

The palm of another hand pressed to her injured cheek, and she clenched her teeth. But the sting passed, and she was floating. Not like the ride on blockers that was like a giddy trip on a carousel, but like a weightless drift on a cloud.

She could hear them speaking, but their voices were insubstantial.

"She's gone under," Louise said quietly. "You're very good."

"Her hip's causing her a great deal of pain. Most people would be screaming."

"She's not most people, is she? If you'll work on that, I'll deal with the head injury. I think we can get the swelling down a bit more." "Will I be in the way?"

Roarke. At the sound of his voice, Eve struggled to surface. "No, shh.

Lie still," he told her. "I'm right here."

Because he was, she let go again.

When next she woke, it was dark. There was a terrible moment when she thought she'd gone blind. Even as she tried to sit up, she saw a shadow move and knew it was him. "What time is it?"

"Late." He sat on the side of the bed. "You're to rest. Lights on, ten percent."

The faint glow brought her a flood of relief. Enough that she didn't snap at him when he moved closer to examine her pupils. "What's the date?" "Depends. Is it before or after midnight?"

"Clever girl."

"I know where I am and when I am. And that we've got an anniversary coming up in a couple days. And, Carlo, I've never loved you more."

"I feel exactly the same way, Miranda." He touched his lips to her forehead, a sneaky way of checking for fever. "If you're feeling better perhaps I can let the children come in. Carlo Junior, Robbie, Anna, and little Alice are anxious to see their mum."

"Trying to scare an invalid. You vicious bastard."

"Go back to sleep." He brought her hand to his face, rubbed it against his cheek. "I will if you will. I'm not going to sleep with you prowling around and lurking over me."

"I'll have you know I was valiantly standing watch over my concussed beloved." He slipped in beside her, settled her head gently on his shoulder. "Pain?"

"A little achy maybe, nothing major. Hey, remember? I got hit in the face right before our wedding, too. Now it's like a tradition." "And so uniquely us. Quiet down now, and go to sleep."

She closed her eyes. "Roarke?" "Hmm?"

"I almost had her."

The next time she awoke, the room was dim. She spent the first twenty seconds worrying that this time she was going blind, then realized he'd lowered the sun screens on all the windows, including the skylight above the bed.

Okay, so her mind wasn't real sharp yet. She lay still and took mental inventory of the aches and pains. Not so bad, considering, she decided, and when she cautiously sat up was pleased there was no violent throbbing or disorienting dizziness.

She inched over to the side of the bed, planted her feet on the floor.

After a bracing breath, she rose. The room bobbled a bit, but steadied quickly. Her head felt like it was caught in a vice, but at least nobody was tightening the screws.

As she was naked still she frowned down at the Arena Ball-sized bruise on her ribs, the raw, scraped area on her hip. The bruising in both areas was a miserably faded gray and yellow, and that was a good sign. Well into the healing stage, she decided, then tested her shoulder.

Stiff, but not painful. She turned her head to examine the impressive bruise on that area as well. Roarke stepped off the elevator. "You're not to get up without clearance."

"Who says?"

"Common sense, but when have you listened to that particular individual?" "I want a shower."

"As soon as Louise looks you over. She'll be up in a minute. She's just having breakfast." "I have a conference at eight hundred."

"Rescheduled for nine." He got a robe out of her closet.

"Tentatively."

She snatched the robe and would have shot her arms through if her shoulder had cooperated. Instead she eased into it. But when she started to stalk past him, he shifted to block.

"Where are you going?"

"To pee," she snapped. "Is that allowed?"

"Even recommended." Amused, he wandered to the AutoChef while she marched into the adjoining bath. He counted off the seconds, and thought it might take her eight.

"Holy shit!"

"Seven," he murmured. She was moving faster than he'd expected.

"You should have seen it a few hours ago." He walked in behind her and stood while she stared at her face in the mirror.

The same sickly combination of gray and yellow- with a tinge of green-which she'd found on her hip and ribs, flowered over the entire right side of her face. It was a mottled pattern, a bit heavier along the ridge of cheekbone and around the eye where her skin puffed out and sagged like a deflating balloon. Her hair sprung out in untidy spikes, matted from sweat and blood, she imagined.

Her bottom lip looked tender and when she poked a finger at it, she found it felt the same way. "Man, he really slammed me."

"Must've had a hand like a jet train."

"He was a big guy," she remembered, turning her head a little to study her profile. It wasn't any better than the full-on view. "I hate getting punched in the face. People are always staring at you and making moronic comments: Oh, ran into a wall? Wow, gee, does it hurt?"

He had to laugh. "Only you would be more pissed off about that than the blow."

"He was goony. Didn't know what he was doing. Bitch set me up, then didn't have the balls to come at me herself." "As you'd hoped."

Her eyes met his in the mirror. "When I take her down, she's going to pay for this." Eve tapped fingers lightly over her jaw. "And she won't look so fucking pretty when I toss her in a cage."