“That’ll work,” Bill said. “We’re getting along fine. We’ll put a second coat on the outside tomorrow morning. I’ve already got two of my boys working on the inside. They started in the attic, and they’re working their way down toward the front of the house.”

“If nothing happens, I’ll be by tomorrow to see,” Hunt said, and hung up. He didn’t know if Birdie was back at work, but he knew Emma would be free and gave her a call.

* * *

Emma was coming out of Franklin’s Florist when her cell phone rang. She put the flowers she was carrying on the hood of her car, then answered.

“Hello.”

“Emma, it’s me, Hunt. I need a favor.”

The fact that he was asking was like a gift. She smiled.

“Sure thing. What do you need?” But when he began to explain, she was quickly horrified. “Oh my God! Is she going to be okay?”

“I hope so. I think so. But she’s not conscious, and I’m staying in the hospital with her tonight.”

“Of course,” Emma said. “Where are you now?”

“They moved her to the third floor. Room 300.”

“I’ll be right there,” Emma said. “And it’s okay if the painters have a key? Because if it bothers you, I can easily meet them tomorrow to let them in.”

“No, it will be okay, and thanks. I’ll see you in a bit,” he said, and disconnected.

He headed for the elevator, while Emma grabbed her flowers and jumped in the car. She’d deliver the flowers to the cemetery later. Right now, the living needed her more.

Karen and Larry were in Ava’s room when he walked in.

“Any change?” Hunt asked.

“Her vital signs are all good,” Larry said.

“Then why isn’t she awake?” Hunt asked.

“I don’t know. The doctor said it would happen when she was ready.”

Hunt sighed. That sounded like doctor talk for they didn’t have a clue, but Ava was alive, so he wasn’t going to complain.

“I’m staying with her,” Hunt said.

Karen glanced at Ava and then nodded. “We thought you would. We can stay if you need to—”

“Nothing in my world is more important than her,” Hunt said.

Larry nodded. “Understood. And in ours…but they don’t need all of us up here. We’ll stay a while. You promise to call us if there’s any change?”

“Absolutely,” Hunt said.

“If she wakes up, you tell her we were here,” Karen said.

Hunt nodded.

“And we’ll be back in the morning anyway,” she added.

Hunt hugged her.

“I’m so sorry this happened.”

“You saved her life,” Larry said. “You made the difference.”

Hunt moved to the side of Ava’s bed and slid his hand beneath her palm. Before, she would have clasped it immediately. The limp feel of it against his skin scared him, but Elliot said she would be reborn, and Hunt wanted to believe, so much, that she would wake up and be all that she had been.