Carmen sat in a chair in Shane’s hospital room, watching the young woman sleep.  She looked so innocent as she slept.  Carmen limped toward the bedside, painfully aware of her three broken toes, and silently stood over Shane, just staring at her, memorizing each line of her face and each contour of her lips.  Carmen wanted nothing more than to burn this image into her brain so she could keep the memory forever.

Shane stirred and opened one eye.  “You’re staring,” she accused, her voice scratchy.

“No, I’m not,” Carmen denied.

“I could feel your eyes on me,” Shane insisted, opening both eyes and squinting.

Her cheeks burning, Carmen admitted, “I was.  You just looked so beautiful.”

“Not more than you,” Shane said, working to sit up.  Carmen gently helped her up.  “So,” Shane said, gesturing at her arm, which was in a sling, “what’s the damage?”

“Your shoulder’s dislocated.  They’ve got it fixed, though,” Carmen told her, brushing some hair out of Shane’s eyes.  “You’ll be stuck with the sling for awhile.”

Shane wiggled the fingers that peeked out of the sling.  “We’ll work around it,” she said, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

Carmen nearly collapsed into a fit of giggles.  “Trust you to think about *****, even at a time like this!”

Shane laughed along with her, before her expression turned serious.  “I’m worried about everybody else, though.”

“I know.  I am, too,” Carmen said with a frown.  “I just hope they all got as lucky as we did.  God, Shane, I don’t know what to say to you right now.  You saved my life.  I owe you everything.”

“Carmen, you saved me a long time ago.  I was just returning the favor,” Shane replied.

“Saved you from what?” Carmen asked curiously.

 “From myself,” Shane answered with a grin.  “Seriously, baby, there was no way I was going to let you fall.  I told you:  if you fall, I fall.  I couldn’t stand to go on if I’d walked away from this and you didn’t.  Carmenthe way you make me feel – I can’t even begin to describe it to you.  I wish I could bottle that feeling and keep it with me for when I’m having a bad day.  I love you.”

Chills ran down Carmen’s spine at Shane’s words.  “No one has ever said anything so beautiful to me.  I love you, too.”  Bending, she hugged Shane, careful not to jar the hairdresser’s arm.

“No matter what happens, we’re going to get through this together,” Shane swore, pulling Carmen closer to her.