want to talk to you about it! You're as bad as Carlos—you just think of me as a walking medical kit, not a person!”
He moved closer, taking the shopping bag from her hands. “You know I don't think of you as that. I'll take this to the car. By the way,” he said as he walked to the door, “your leather jacket is in the closet.”
Kayla opened the closet door. She yanked the jacket from the hanger and pulled it on. The warm smell of leather touched with a hint of Ramon's ­aftershave surrounded her. This is what I'm going to be, she thought. As tough as leather, as hard as the studs on this jacket. It's what I have to be.
There were several safety pins on the dresser. She took out the silver hoops and dropped them into her jeans pocket. She fastened a safety pin in each of her ears, then followed Ramon downstairs to the car, where Carlos and Roberta were already waiting.

They were halfway up the steps to the hospital entrance when Kayla stopped, unable to walk any further.
“Come on, it's too dangerous to stand out here,” Carlos said impatiently, glaring at her.
The sensation of pain and fear emanating from the hospital crawled over her skin, tightening around her throat. She couldn't speak, almost