The second time I was awake, I felt something itchy on my nose, and as I reached to scratch, something hard bonked my face. Immediately, my head started to throb. I attempted to open my eyes, but all I saw was darkness. I tried to talk, but I couldn’t move my mouth. Panic set in as pain spread over my body. I supposed that I was making sounds, because a male voice shushed me, telling me it was okay.

“You’re in a hospital.” The voice was echoing. “Your eyes are swollen shut and your jaw is wired. Your right arm is in a cast. You have a few broken ribs. But you’re safe and you’ll be okay.”

I didn’t answer, breathing in shallow gulps.

“Are you in pain, angel?”

The voice was familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.

“Do you remember what happened?” he said.

Gabe’s voice, but not exactly. And then it started coming back in detailed flashes. “Juleen!”

“She’s safe. I have a guard on her.”

Okay, now I knew who he was. And yes, I was in pain. Lots of it. I started to cry.

“I’ll get the doctor.”

I heard him leave. I tried to open my eyes again but couldn’t. I raised my right arm and it felt incredibly heavy. Oh yeah, arm in cast. I raised by left arm and opened an eyelid. Light coursed through my pupil and I could make out a space with objects that began to spin around me. Nausea oozed from my pores. I began to cough and then gag.

“Sit up, sit up.” Chris was holding me as I bent over and began to retch. He pulled back my hair as I vomited. “You’re okay, baby. Doc is here.”

I heard them talk to each other. The male voice said, “Not much blood here. That’s good.” To me: “Terry, can you hear me?”

I nodded.

“Do you know where you are?”

“Hospital.” My voice was thick. My jaw was sore. I was talking strictly by moving my lips in front of my teeth and my tongue in back of my teeth. It was really weird.

“Are you in pain?”

“Yes.” It came out as a hiss.

“I’m going to give you something to take the edge off, okay?”

I nodded. I felt my nose itch again and went to scratch it. Heavy arm—that one in a cast. The left arm went to my nose and something was stuck in my nostrils. I tried to pull it out, but someone stopped me. “That’s your oxygen tube, angel. You have to leave that in.”

Okay. So that’s what was itching me.

I heard a panicked beeping. Chris said, “You have to keep your arm straight, Terry. Every time you move it, your IV crimps and the machine beeps.”

I felt something alternately tightening and loosening around my legs.