***
Ambulance took the girl and her companion to the same hospital where Henry Evanford was taken before being transferred to the private clinic. They were both examined by the same doctor. Kevin was waiting in the corridor, trying to forget what institution he's in. The bag with the book was on his lap – when he took in from the kitchen, Haurot was gone, as expected.
“Come in,” the doctor opened the door, glancing at Evanford with some suspicion.
The girl was lying at the bed. She looked even more pale than usual, and surprisingly calm. Kevin got used to his acquaintance always chatting and being quite expressive, so seeing her like that was strange, even unsettling. Of course, her appearance is the last thing to worry about right now...
“How are you related to her?” doctor was trying to speak casually, but the suspicion in his voice was even more obvious than in his look.
“She is my... friend,” Kevin replied after some hesitation. That's what he wrote when filling the papers, but it wasn't as easy to say out loud. Kevin never called anyone his friend – he didn't like to fling the words around, and he didn't have enough basis to give that title to anyone he knew. “What's the diagnosis?”
“I'll tell you the same thing I told the inspector,” doctor said dryly. “Broken hand, concussion of the brain, bruises. But she's in a coma.”
“What's the probability of her waking up?” Kevin's voice didn't give anything away, but his fingers were squeezing the bag handle.
“Chances are the same as your uncle has,” doctor decided to express his thoughts after all. He gave the visitor another grave look and left.
Kevin approached the bed. Certainly, there were many times when he wanted to get rid of that obnoxious girl's company, but he didn't expect everything to turn out this way. Come to think of it, she wasn't all that intolerable – she was trying to help him, was risking, getting the answers out of “The Door”s author... Young man was feling awkward: Selena might be reckless by nature, but he certainly realized perfectly well how this may end, and didn't intervene. Evanford could admit his mistakes when he made them.
“I'm sorry,” he spoke. Kevin never repeated his confessions twice. He's only left to hope that she has heard it.