“Eh, these things happen, I guess. Not to everyone, but I got lucky.” They both let out dry laughs, because the alternative would’ve made things too painful for both of them. “The doctor says he wants to keep me here for a few more days. I’ve got three or four left until my insurance won’t cover me anymore.”
Cheyenne nodded. “How long does he want you to stay?”
“Three, I think. It kinda worked out perfectly, because I wouldn’t have been able to stay any longer out of pocket.” Ember rolled her eyes and reached for the plastic cup of water on the rolling tray by the bed.
Cheyenne grabbed it and handed it over with the bent straw.
“Thanks.”
“You need anything else right now? Food, clothes, anything?”
Ember finished sipping through the straw and settled the cup in her lap. “Got an extra Android charger? Apparently, no one in this hospital has an Android.”
Cheyenne bit her lower lip to keep from laughing. “Neither do I.”
“Awesome.”
“I’ll go by your place and grab yours and some clothes and whatever else you need.”
“That’d be great. I think, uh, yeah, they put my clothes over there on the weird desk-dresser thing.” Ember pointed across the room, and the drow halfling almost leaped off the chair to head over there. It was a small pile of stuff—Ember’s purse, dead cell phone, keys, wallet. Her torn, blood-soaked clothes weren’t here, which was a lot better than if the hospital had thought to save Ember’s ruined outfit while they were working to put what they could of her spine back together.
“I’ll go by your place after I leave here.” Cheyenne snatched up the keys and stuffed them into her pocket. “You need something else to wear.”
“Are you kidding me?” Ember glanced down and pulled the pale-pink hospital gown away from her body. “These things are comfy. I wasn’t a big fan of the mint-green one they had me in when I woke up, but this is better.”
“Pink’s a good color on you.”
“Too bad they don’t have one in black.”
Cheyenne returned to the chair. “Okay, so I have to clear the air about something.”
“Wow.”
“What?”
Ember gave her a sheepish little smile. “I realized how frustrating it is when you know more than me. You got to burst my bubble by already knowing what the doctor told me about…well, whether I’ll walk again.” She scratched her arm and shrugged. “But I have no idea what you’re about to tell me, so I don’t get to interrupt you and call it.”
“Ha. Feel free to interrupt anyway if it’ll make you feel better.”
The halfling’s friend waved her off with a playful huff. “Don’t worry. It takes me about three seconds to know if what you’re about to say is gonna be the most boring thing ever. So go ahead.”
Cheyenne knew the other woman was joking, but it didn’t make her feel any better. We already had this conversation once, only she was still unconscious. I get to do the whole thing over again. Okay, not the whole thing, but the part she most needs to know. “When I said I was sorry—”
“Hey, you didn’t do this to me. And you don’t wear pity very well, so don’t try.”
The drow halfling blinked. Oh, great. She is pissed at me.
Ember held her deadpan stare for a moment, then a laugh bubbled up her throat. “Cheyenne, I’m kidding.”
“What?”
“I mean, I’m not kidding. Both those things are true, and you know it.” The woman picked up on her friend’s surprise and sat up a little straighter in the bed with another laugh. “Oh, I’m…I’m sorry. I was—” She laughed and shrugged.
“Oh.” The small amount of laughter was contagious and subdued enough to not make it weird. Cheyenne nodded slowly. “You were interrupting me.”
“You told me to.”
“I sure did.”
Ember hid her smile behind her hand and held Cheyenne’s gaze. “I couldn’t help myself. I’m sorry. That was bad timing.”
“It was perfect timing.” The halfling grinned. “You got me. Okay, quit giving points to the girl sitting in the hospital bed because she’s hooked up to a bunch of machines. I got shot, Cheyenne. I’m not gonna break.”
“Yeah, obviously.” After another dry laugh, Cheyenne cleared her throat. “So, when I said I’m sorry, I wasn’t talking about you being here right now. I mean, yeah, this sucks, but I mean, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you at Gnarly’s that night. I’m sorry I tried to hide what I am, and I didn’t listen to you or see things your way or help you out with your…friends.”
She doesn’t know they left her there.
“Well, you made up for it by carrying me all the way to the hospital.”
Cheyenne flicked her gaze to meet Ember’s blue eyes. “You remember that?”
“Definitely not. I remember a bunch of—” Ember shot a glance at the nearly-shut door and lowered her voice. “A bunch of spells thrown around and a gunshot. And the next thing I know, I’m waking up in the hospital. But Dr. Minkert told me you’d been in a lot to check on me, and he hinted you were the one who brought me in.”
“Yeah, word probably got around.” Cheyenne shrugged, and they both laughed. “I might’ve scared some people. Maybe myself most of all.”
“I wish I did remember it, though.” Ember grinned. “Being carried by my best friend like I weigh five pounds? Pretty cool.”
Cheyenne frowned. “How do you know—”
“Okay, there might not be a whole lot of drow over here. Or maybe any, for that matter. I’ve never seen one. But it’s pretty common knowledge that drow are ridiculously strong. Plus, I’ve seen you Hulk out once or twice.”
The halfling laughed. “’Hulk out?’ When?”
“Like that time I asked you to help me move the couch to the other side of my living room. You thought I wasn’t looking.” Ember shrugged. “But I saw you from the bathroom. In case you haven’t realized it, most chicks who can’t be a millimeter
