"I'm----I'm his fiancee," Laura said. "We were going to be married.
But--" She stopped, forcing the tears to remain back. It was almost
the truth, wasn't it? Why did this woman have to stand in her way,
blocking her when Dan lay perhaps dying upstairs?
The nurse's expression softened further. "Let me check upstairs.
It's irregular to have visitors admitted this late, but we do make
exceptions in--in certain instances." She picked up a telephone
receiver and asked for an extension. Laura listened eagerly as she
spoke to a nurse upstairs. "Yes ... ask the doctor if Bittner can have
a visitor."