The hearty laughter might have dissuaded a lesser Xena fan, but not Papi. Instead, she laughed with Carmen, and rather enjoyed the look of the woman’s warm smile. It was like a trip back in time. Not that high school was all that long ago, in the grand scheme of things, but long enough to be a very fond memory. Best of all, though, was that it was nice to know someone else experiencing this nightmare. It was nice to not feel alone.

Their laughter eventually calmed down to a comfortable and relative silence. "I’ve changed a little," Papi began, "I’ve gotten better." She winked again. Hopeless. It was always second nature to her to be the charmer, but one would think that would subside after nearly perishing in a plane crash. Carmen really does look great, though. Papi took a deep breath and glanced towards the other two women nearby. And so does Jenny. …Hopeless.

To get her mind off the beautiful women and back where it should be, Papi suggested she and Carmen go check on the quietest member of their party. A moment later she put an arm on Jenny’s shoulder to get her attention and then tilted her head towards her patient. "Everything okay over here?"

Paige Sobel