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“I’m not on my deathbed.”

“Your face could have fooled me. Really, you look like shit.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Have you seen yourself?”

Bridget shook her head. “I’m not allowed up yet.”

“Where’s your phone?”

“No clue. Did it survive?”

Eli narrowed her gaze but pulled her cellphone out of her pocket. She turned the camera on and turned it to face Bridget, holding it out. Bridget clenched her jaw as she looked at herself. Her hair was a stringy mess all around her face, no doubt in tangles that would take weeks to comb out. Her left eye was black and blue, the bruise spreading down her face to her jaw. Her neck was equally bruised from the IV they’d stuck in and pulled out.

“Holy shit.”

“Exactly,” Eli responded. “You look like shit.”

“I didn’t…I didn’t realize I looked this bad.”

“So if the pretty nurse from the ER thinks you’re cute like this, I think you’ve caught yourself a winner.”

“Shut up, Eli.”

Laughing, Eli let Bridget have the phone for as long as she wanted, staring at herself and judging every injury she could see. “What the hell happened?”

“Wish I knew more than what I do.”

Bridget handed the phone back and fell silent. She did want to answer Eli’s first question, but she wasn’t really sure how to. They’d had such a strained relationship over the last few years, but she’d known Eli would show up without hesitation if Bridget needed her.

“I didn’t have anyone else to call.” She was so quiet when she spoke, she was worried Eli hadn’t heard and that she’d have to repeat herself. Luckily, when she finally raised her gaze, Eli looked as though she’d definitely heard. “I didn’t want Sharon and Edward here, but I didn’t have anyone else to call, and I couldn’t be alone.”

Eli leaned in, covering Bridget’s hand and giving her a gentle squeeze. “You know I’ll always come if you call, right?”

“That’s why I called.” Bridget blinked back more tears, wishing them away but she couldn’t help when they flooded her eyes and dripped down her cheeks.

Eli moved in, standing and bending over the bed, her arms moving around Bridget’s shoulders and neck in as much of a hug as they could manage. Bridget closed her eyes, breathing in Eli’s familiar musky scent, and let herself be enveloped in the embrace. She needed this, far more than she could ever explain or share with Eli, but she was so very glad Eli had come, that she had answered Bridget’s call. Because she couldn’t do this alone. Not anymore.

CHAPTER3

Eli had stayedwith her for several days, even after they transferred her to another room and out of ICU. Bridget couldn’t be more grateful for her best friend, and she was beginning to recognize that Eli was still very much that. She needed Eli like she needed oxygen. They had her up and moving around as much as she could during the day, and Eli had stayed through her ankle surgery, but as soon as Bridget was out of recovery and back in her room, Eli had begged off to check her cattle.

The time she’d spent alone in the room had become longer as each day passed, but she understood. Eli couldn’t abandon her life to spend the entire week with her, but equally, Bridget needed to learn to be on her own too. She was still groggy from the surgery, but she was honestly feeling better than she had days before, even though the pain medicine had been increased temporarily.

She was going to have to stand before bed. The doctors had told her that much, and she was not looking forward to it. The amount of physical therapy she was going to need to do in order to get back into shape and pass her physical was outrageous. She’d be lucky to be back in the field inside six months.

Bridget turned her nose up at her dinner but grimaced her way through the first bite when there was a knock on the door. Eli wasn’t due back that night, at least she didn’t think, and she’d told all the nurses on the floor to never let her parents in without warning her first, and not that day. They hadn’t even come in for her surgery even though they knew it was happening.Typical.

Turning her chin toward the door, she was surprised to find the beautiful young nurse eyeing her back. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Bridget answered, eyes widening. She at least felt better for this conversation and no doubt looked less black and blue, though she was still that sickly yellow and green color. It would fade with time, or so the doctors told her.

“You said I could check on you?” She asked as if it was a question, but it wasn’t. Bridget had agreed to allow Jerica in.

“Come in.” Bridget motioned her into the room. Luckily she had it to herself, and she was so glad she hadn’t had to share it with someone else yet. That would only add salt to her wounds. “Are you finishing up a shift?”

“I am.” Jerica gave her a sweet smile and sat on the edge of the mattress. “Is your friend around?”