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“Be right back,” she called.

The searing pain made me gasp for every breath and I wanted to rip my left arm off my body. I figured I’d pass out before Glenda got back with the fuckin pills.

She was quicker than that and fast on her feet. Probably because the floors were so fuckin cold. Glenda came running back with water and the pills and she helped me sit up enough to swallow them down.

“Lay back and wait for them to work. I’ll get the coffee going and start the stove.”

“You don’t…” I started to protest, but she was already gone. Nothing I could do but flop back on my pillow, close my eyes and wait for the drugs to work.

When I woke the next time, the air in the house was warmer and I could smell bacon cooking in the kitchen. It was like having Billy back on the job, only Glenda slept in my bed and kept me warm and Billy didn’t go quite that far.

She came running into the bedroom to check on me. “Can you get up? I made breakfast and you should try to eat. I think you’re probably feeling weak and woozy.”

“Yeah, you’re right about that. I’m light-headed and close to…something. Let me sit on the side of the bed for a minute. I’m starving.”

“You shouldn’t try to work today, but you probably have to.”

“The prisoners have to be taken to their arraignment.”

“Can Billy do it?”

“Alone isn’t a good idea. I need to help him.”

“I should get my car from the hospital parking lot. I might get a ticket or something.”

“You can get it when we go to see Tammy.”

“Sure, that will work.”

“Okay. I’m getting up. Hand me my jeans.”

She picked them up off the floor and wrinkled her nose. “Do you have a clean pair? These are covered in blood and they’re stiff with it.”

“Bottom drawer.”

She reached into the bottom drawer of my dresser and grabbed a clean pair. “Here you go. Meet you in the kitchen.”

Took me a minute to get dressed using only one arm, but Glenda was right about me being weak and needing food. I was a wonky mess as I walked down the hall to the kitchen. A couple of times I had to reach out for the walls to stay upright. I had to get better than this if I was going to court in two hours.

When I sat down at the kitchen table, Glenda was talking to her sister and telling her she wasn’t coming to the dress store.

“Sorry I screwed up your life, Glen.”

She smiled as she put a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of me. “My life has never been this exciting.”

She sat down and ate a piece of toast and a couple of slices of bacon. “What else do you have to do before you go to the station?”

“Feed my horse and make sure his water ain’t froze over.”

“I can do it. Tell me what to give him.”

“I’ll go with you when I’m done eating. I have to get walking better before we go to court. I don’t want anybody looking at me.”

“People looking at you is the least of your worries. You almost bled to death, Travis, and you shouldn’t be up walking around today.”

“Can’t be helped. Nothing else for it.”

“You have to wear the sling to support your arm. You can’t let that arm hang down all day. The nurse warned about that.”