At Quentin''s words, the faint curve at the corner of his mouth vanished.
Those two had never managed to get along.
Rosita''s eyes flickered. She clung to Stewart''s arm, her delicate frame half- copsing against his chest, her tear-filled eyes looking up at him for support. "Stewart, tell me why did Irwin fall down the stairs?"
Stewart lowered his gaze to her, speaking softly. "It was my oversight. I''m sorry."
"I''m not ming you..." Rosita''s tears spilled over, streaming down her cheeks. "I just don''t understand. He called me not even an hour ago he sounded so happy. He told me his mom, Bryn, hade home to spend New Year''s with him. Why... why would he suddenly fall down the stairs?!"
Irwin had called Rosita?
Stewart asked, "What else did he say to you?"
"He told me he couldn''te home tonight-that Ms. Kensington was upset, and he wanted to stay with her. Irwin''s always so considerate, and I was d to hear it. I told him not to worry about me, that he should look after Ms. Kensington. I even said, if Ms. Kensington knew how thoughtful he was, she''d be truly touched."
"Irwin was so happy to hear that. He wished me a happy New Year, and then hung up." The more Rosita spoke, the more her voice trembled, her tears falling like beads from a broken string.
"Stewart, I''m not ming you, and I''m not using Ms. Kensington either. It''s just... as a mother, I need to know why my child got hurt. I just want to know the reason, that''s all..."
Stewart gently tried to calm her. "Rosita, it was truly an ident. Please don''t worry. Dr. Faust is already here-Irwin will be all right."
Rosita sobbed, nodding through her tears. "Yes, you''re right. Irwin''s such a sweet, good boy. Nothing''s going to happen to him..."
Standing nearby, Quentin listened to Rosita''s words, a shadow passing over his brown eyes behind his sses.
He nced at Briony.
Just then, the doors to the emergency room swung open. A nurse stepped out, announcing that Irwin had lost too much blood and needed a transfusion.
But the blood bank was out of type A.
Irwin was type A. So was Quentin.
Quentin spoke up immediately. "I''m type A. Take mine!"
"You can''t!" Rosita grabbed Quentin''s arm. "Irwin can''t have your blood!"
Quentin frowned, confused. "Why not?"
Rosita froze, momentarily at a loss for words.
Stewart noticed something was off as well. "Rosita, why can''t Director Lockwood donate blood to Irwin?"
Rosita lowered her eyes, panic shing across her face.
Suddenly, her expression changed. She looked up at Quentin through a fresh veil
of tears. "Quentin, did you forget? You''re on medication."
Quentin met her gaze, reading the unspoken message in her eyes.
He cleared his throat and turned to Stewart. "She''s right. I almost forgot—I''ve
been taking medication. I really shouldn''t donate blood."
Stewart paused, his eyes flickering briefly over to Rosita.
"So we''re just supposed to wait around?" he snapped, his tone dark and heavy.
Rosita flinched, bowing her head and sobbing anew.
Quentin instructed the nurse to find someone on staff who could donate, offering a generous reward.
Thankfully, everything worked out.
Irwin received the transfusion in time. He''d suffered a minor skull fracture, but was now out of danger and moved to intensive care.
Once Irwin was settled, Stewart finally remembered Briony.
When he returned to the waiting area outside the emergency room, he found
Milo''s ck coat draped quietly over an empty chair.
Briony was already gone.
Stewart walked over and picked up the coat.
It was still warm.
He stood there for a long moment, staring down the silent, empty corridor, his hand tightening around the coat.
Briony had borrowed a phone from a nurse to call Ste.
Ste drove straight to the hospital and brought her back to Dolphin Cove.
Briony didn''t say a word the entire way, and Ste didn''t press her.
Once they got home, Ste guided her over to the couch.
"Here, take a look." Ste handed Briony Julia''s phone. "Julia left you a message on it."