“That’s my girl,” Nick said, his eyes closing. “True blue.” His hand found hers, and he linked their fingers.

No matter what the circumstances, he always knew how to handle her, and Sam didn’t mind being handled as long as he was the one doing it.

“I don’t think either of them needs more than rest and fluids. Unfortunately, it’s got to run its course. If they get any worse, don’t hesitate to call 911 and get them to the hospital.”

“That’s it? That’s all we can do?”

“For now. I’ll be checking in with you, and we’ll keep tabs on how they’re doing. Try not to worry. I know it’s hard to see them so sick, but you should see a big improvement by tomorrow. The most important thing is keeping them hydrated. Push the fluids.”

“All right. If you’re sure.”

He kissed her forehead. “I’m a phone call away if you need me. I promise they’re going to be fine.”

For the first time since she’d seen Nick looking like death warmed over, Sam relaxed ever so slightly. She wouldn’t completely relax, however, until they were both back to normal.

After she and Harry checked once more on their sleeping patients, she walked him downstairs and gave him a hug at the door. “Thanks for coming.”

“Anytime. Don’t hesitate to call me if they get any worse, okay?”

“You’ll be the first to know.”

He passed Lindsey McNamara on the ramp, and they exchanged a few words before Brant admitted Lindsey.

“Is it safe to come in?” Lindsey asked.

“Enter at your own risk,” Sam said. “We’re down hard with the flu.”

“Yikes.”

“At least my suspension is well-timed. I’m needed here for the next few days.”

“Silver lining,” Lindsey said with a smile. She glanced at Josh, who sat on the sofa, his leg still bouncing nervously. “Are you going to tell me what this is about?”

“I can’t. Not yet anyway. But suffice to say it’s a matter of paternity, and if it turns out to be something, it’s gonna be huge.”

“Say no more.”

Sam introduced her to Josh, and Lindsey explained the process of obtaining a cheek swab to test his DNA.

“How long will it take to get results?” he asked.

“I’ll put a rush on it, but it could be four or five days.”

“How will you know if someone is a match to my DNA?”

Lindsey glanced at Sam before she replied. “The basic DNA fingerprint or profile that we use for law enforcement or human identity purposes is called the nuclear or autosomal STR profile. STR means short tandem repeat, which describes repeating segments of DNA code at particular locations on the human genome.”

Josh’s eyes glazed over as Lindsey explained the technicalities.