Should have brought the shotgun onto the porch, should have been firmer with her concerns over Jamie Bennett, should have allowed Ethan to go after the boy, should have gone with him into the mountains, should have… And then awake, fully awake.And alone.The hospital room was dim but not dark. Ethan’s chair empty. That was fine. He’d left for some reason, and he would return. She had been asleep for a long time.The minutes passed and he did not return and at length she grew uneasy alone there in the room and pressed the call button above the bed. A nurse arrived within seconds, asking if she was in pain.“A little, sure, but I’m…I’m fine. I was wondering where my husband is?”“No idea, Mrs. Serbin. He left some time ago.”“What do you mean, left?”“I’m not sure. How’s the pain? On a one-to-ten scale, if you could estimate what the—”“He’s not been here?”The nurse gave her an uncomfortable look. “I really couldn’t say. He didn’t consult with me when he left.
