Marvis checks the time. “Tell you what. I’ll lock you in with him for fifteen minutes, as long as you leave when the nurse comes by to give him his medication.”

“Deal.”

The security guard escorts her to room 714, then hands her the transmitter pen linked to his beeper. “Better take this. He was violent earlier.”

“No, I’ll be okay.”

“Take the pen, Dominique, or you don’t go in.”

She knows better than to argue with Marvis, who is as thorough as he is kind. She pockets the device.

Marvis activates the intercom. “Resident, you have a visitor. I’ll allow her to enter once I see you fully clothed and seated on the edge of your bed.” Marvis peeks through the spyhole. “Okay, he’s ready. In you go.” Marvis opens the door, then locks it behind her.

The lights in the room have been dimmed. She sees a dark figure sitting up on the bed. “Mick, it’s Dom. Are you all right?”

Mick is leaning back against the wall. Dominique sees his face as she approaches, the left cheekbone badly bruised, the eye swollen shut.

Her heart races. “Oh, God, what did they do to you?” She grabs a hand towel, soaks it in cold water, then presses it to his face.

“Ow.”

“Sorry. Here, keep this on your eye. What happened?”

“According to the official report, I slipped in the shower.” He looks at her, his half smile causing pain. “I missed you. How was FSU?”

“Not good. My advisor doesn’t think I’m handling my responsibilities in a professional manner.”

“He thinks you’re emotionally distracted by me, is that it?”

“She, and yes. As of tomorrow, I’ll be assigned to a new resident. I’m sorry, Mick.”

He squeezes her hand, then places it over his heart. “If it matters,” he whispers, “you’re the only one who’s ever been able to reach me.”

She swallows the lump in her throat. Don’t fall apart again. “What happened while I was gone? I saw what you did to Raymond.”

“He took the first shot.”

“I heard you wouldn’t leave the computer room.”

“I needed to access the Internet.” He releases her hand and removes several sheets of crumpled printouts from his pocket. “A major piece of the doomsday puzzle hit me today. It’s so unbelievable that I had to verify the facts before I could accept it.”

She takes the pages from him and begins reading.

THE CHICXULUB CRATER.