If she could do it all over again, she would tell Becca how grateful she was, but it was too late now. Mo plunged the knife into her gut. The last thing she saw before the pain consumed her was Becca’s face. “I love you,” she whispered over and over again, her screams drowned out by the roaring rain and wind.

BECCA

BECCA

C’mon, Becca, don’t be an asshole. Wake up already.” Becca heard Nina’s voice, felt the gentle touch of her hand. Becca lifted her head, slowly opening her eyes. She squinted, the glare of the fluorescent lights causing the pounding in her head to intensify. A quick glance around the room told her she was in the emergency room.

“Your bedside manner is shit,” Becca croaked.

“And you are a total attention whore,” Nina said, a smile creeping across her face, though Becca clocked the worry. Nina leaned down and gave Becca a hug.

“Seriously, you know you scared the hell out of all of us,” Nina said.

“I’m sorry,” Becca said softly. “Any news? Did you find Ash?” Becca asked hopefully.

Nina shook her head. “Not yet.”

Disappointment flooded Becca. She sat up gingerly, doing a quick scan of her body, searching for any potential injuries. Nothing visible. Only the pounding inside her head, a steady drumbeat she couldn’t escape.

“What happened?” Becca asked, rubbing her temples in the hope that it might ease the pressure behind her eyes.

“Do you mean before you were nearly shot and killed on live TV or after?” Nina said.

“Let’s go with after,” Becca replied.

“Apparently, the guy you went toe-to-toe with fancies himself an amateur chemist. Spends his free time cooking up homemade narcotics, and cuts his dope with embalming fluid. Somehow in your interactions, you must have gotten it on your skin. That’s all it took. Boom. Lights out.”

“And Freud? Is he okay?”

“Your mom picked him up. He’s probably halfway through his second T-bone.”

“My mother was here?”

“Once the doctors reassured her that your condition wasn’t serious, she took Freud home. From what I hear Virginia’s set up quite a command center at Casa Ortiz.”

“Command center?” Becca said, feeling like she was ten steps behind and struggling to catch up.

Nina reached into her purse and handed Becca a flyer. On it was a candid photo of Ash, her smile bright and hopeful, the words “Have You Seen This Girl?” in jet-black ink. “Your mother is rallying the whole neighborhood. Got her friends and half the church canvassing the city.”

Tears pricked at Becca’s eyes. “My mother made this?”

“I know she’s not the easiest person to deal with, but she’s trying. We’re all trying to find Ash if you’d let us help,” Nina said. Becca ignored the dig.