“Ma’am you are going to have to get back into bed.”

“I feel great. Thanks for your help.”

“You’ve lost a lot of blood and standing can make you dizzy and nauseous.”

Carmen’s trying to be tough and cool and unafraid. She starts to walk toward me and she falls into my arms. Her bruised lips, her black eyes, the cuts and scrapes from her captivity and she has never seen more alive to me, more full of love and hope and abandon. That kinetic energy still flows from her and snaps back to me. Like we never missed a beat, like we haven’t been apart in time….like none of this ever happened. She feels it to but in a different way. She would enjoy it more if she could, she would enjoy our being this close if she hadn’t been where she was.

I hold my breath and I help her back to bed. I look away when I see the bruises on her thighs and knees. She slips her legs under the sheet and winces at her chest wound. It must hurt to take a deep breath. Sámi watches us and clears her throat to remind us she is in the room. She motions for me to go over to her, like Carmen can’t hear whatever it is she has to say.

“She is doing well. But I would like to move her, we have no vacancies any ideas?”

“She can have my room. I don’t sleep there anymore really. Give her my room. She’ll be ok there. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

‘I am sure.”

She mumbles this under her breath.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing Shane. You are the boss right….I am going to give Helena my final report and have Gus and J.R move Miss ……Morales…..”

She can’t even hide how pissed she is at me. I am sure she is going run to Helena and tell how Carmen and I had a moment. It’s what best friends do isn’t it?