“Oh, brother,” Claire said. She pointed at Ryan. “Do you see what I have to deal with? Will one of you call OSHA?”

“I don’t know,” Jared said. “You looked fairly pleased when we walked in.”

Ryan took another bite and then smiled. “She acts tough every time someone visits. She doesn’t fool me, though.”

“Who else has visited?” I asked.

“Mom. Kim. Beth. Chad. Josh…yeah. That’s about it. No, wait….”

“How did that go? With your mom?” I asked.

Claire frowned, and Ryan winked at her. “It went fine. She’s developed a theory. Since the last time I was in a hospital you showed up, and now Claire’s here, Mom thinks I’m getting myself hurt over girls.”

“Aren’t you?” Jared said with a wry smile.

“Shut it, Jared,” Claire warned.

I handed Ryan his cup of soda. “You know, this is becoming a habit.”

His whiskers were far beyond a five o’clock shadow, and his hair had grown downright shaggy. He looked so much older than the last time I’d seen him in that hospital, and nothing like the Marine in the photos he'd sent with his letters. “Tell me about it. I thought I said two hospitalizations ago that it was your turn?”

“I took a turn.”

“Yeah, so you almost bled out, big deal. I’m three to your one.”

“Well, I’m pregnant, so I’m due for a hospitalization this year,” I said, processing the words as I spoke them.

Ryan laughed. “Wait…what?” he said, his face morphing from amusement to concern.

I looked to Claire. “You didn’t tell him?”

She shrugged, her platinum, angled tresses bouncing when she did so. “It’s your business to tell. Way to dump it on him, stupid.”

I frowned. Ryan mirrored my expression. “Congratulations,” he said. He glanced to Jared, sent him a lightning-fast dirty look, and then returned his focus to me. He pushed up in bed, sitting taller.

“Say it,” Jared said.

Claire watched the exchange, clearly unhappy. I wasn’t sure if she was just sensing Ryan’s change in mood, or if it was her own reaction to the sudden, unpleasant turn in conversation.

“It’s not my place to say anything,” Ryan said.

“You have my permission,” Jared said. After his last word, he gestured for Ryan to continue.

Ryan rolled his eyes and looked to Claire. “Isn’t this exactly what none of you wanted to happen?”

Claire seemed uncomfortable answering for her brother, but she quickly shrugged it off. “Yes and no. Not going along with the prophecy in Shax’s book would have been the safer route—in theory—but Hell would more than likely still anticipate its completion. Now that it’s happened, it’s a means to an end. We have a better chance at getting Heaven on our side.”