If You Fall

Twelve

I was not, however, amused about anything in the morning. I had moved to my bed during the night and it took me ten minutes to even get to the bathroom. I was unrecognizable in the part of the mirror left on the wall. Both of my eyes were blackened, my nose badly swollen, my cheek purple to match my eyes. I felt so sorry for my poor face. 

I peed, which hurt, but there was no blood in it. I swallowed more morphine and glanced at the living room on my way back to bed. Bella snored on the couch. Everything had been cleaned up and put away. I couldn't believe it.

When I woke up again later that afternoon, if anything I hurt more, but I went out to lay on to the couch, groaning. There was an empty pint of vodka on the table next to my gun.

"You're alive," Bella said, emerging from the kitchen. "That's good to know." She looked at me gravely. "You look like shit, girl. I mean, really bad. I've never seen you ever look so bad."

"Thanks, Bells."

"No, really, I mean, damn." She was upset. "We didn't get out of foster care just so this kind of shit could happen to us. What about that number or whatever? Doesn't this constitute an emergency at least?"

"I don't think so," I said, though it felt kind of emergencyish. I did not believe the Powers That Be would agree with me.

"Don't you think Reed would consider this an emergency, Heidi? Seriously?"

I shifted my position slightly, trying to ease the pain in my side. I had a huge bruise on my thigh and on my upper arm. My torso was a painting of its own. "Yes," I said honestly. My hand was black and blue, the fingers swollen, though none broken.

"Well, I hope so, because I already called them," she said. She gave me a look of challenge and her chin went up at my shock.

"Please tell me you're joking." I half hoped she was and half not.

"I'm not joking, and they were totally cool about it. A lady answered and I told her I wasn't sure if it was the right kind of emergency but she said I was right to call and she would see what she could do." Her voice was 100% defensive.

But I only focused on the small hope they might let Reed come home over this. "Okay," I said, too out of it to say anything else about it. I didn't want him to see me like I was but it was out of my hands, which in itself was kind of a relief.

She looked at me warily. "Just okay?"

"Coffee?" 

Her face relaxed in relief. "I thought you'd be pretty mad."

"Might be later." I lay there, trying not to breathe or move. "How'd you get this all cleaned up?"

"I had some coke in my jacket."

I sighed.

"Shut up, you know I hardly ever do it. Came in handy, que no?" She went into the kitchen and came back a minute later with a mug. "It's instant, because I didn't consider it safe to use the coffee grounds full of canister shards."

The mug had a straw in it and she held it and positioned it so I could sip. "When did you call?"

"Last night after you went to sleep. Midnight or so." She patiently remained crouched while I drank more coffee. My jaw hurt but it hard been worse before.

"You said I was okay though?" I didn't want Reed worried I was in the hospital or something.

She looked at me and it was part skepticism and part pity. "You are not okay, Heidi, c'mon."