Catching Feelings

43

The next morning I open my eyes to find my view of the ceiling obstructed by B's hair which is draped
over my face as she sleeps on my chest. I brush it away and then give her shoulder a gentle shake, she
moves with a little whine of annoyance and pulls the sheet tighter around her. "Come on baby...you're hoggin' all the covers and I'm cold."

She loosens her grip on them, tugs it up around me and then draws in a sharp breath and sits up in a
panic.

I bolt upright as well, startled by her sudden movement "What?"

"My ankle...oh my god! It hurts like hell...."

I start to reach for it but she pulls away "Don't touch it!"

"Just let me look at it..." I say softly, trying to calm her down as I pull the blanket back. "Holy shit B!"

She covers her eyes with her hand "What? I don't want to see."

I inspect it a little closer and brush my fingers gently over the dark purple bruise that starts at her ankle
and ends on the top of her foot, checking for swelling even though I can plainly see it's swollen just by
looking at it.

"Come on, let's get you dressed..." I order, kissing her cheek before I stand to help her up.

"Why?" she snaps, still shielding her eyes.

"Oh my god...look at you, you're like a terrified little girl...so cute." I smile. "We need to have that looked
at."

She tears her hand away and looks at me like I'm crazy "No! What if it's broken? They'll have to set
it...it's gonna hurt J."

I drop to my knees beside the bed and take her hand when she begins to cry "Awe baby girl, don't
cry...it's not broken...mollys or not, you would've know right away last night if it was...and I wouldn't let
them hurt you anyway."

"That's another thing!" she gasps "What if they find out?"

"About what?" I laugh "The mollys? They're not gonna drug test you for a sprained ankle B!"

"Are you sure?" she asks quietly.

"Pretty sure...come on, I'll help you get ready." I lift her up and she rests her head on my shoulder "I
hate this...Promise you won't let them hurt me?"

"Who you think you're talkin' to baby? You know I won't."

She nods as I deposit her on the bathroom counter and hand her toothbrush over adding "Now be a
good girl and get ready." Because I can't resist teasing her a little about what an adorably big baby she's
being.

She shoves the toothbrush into her mouth as if she's thoroughly disgusted with the entire situation and
mumbles "Shut up..." around it when I laugh.

An hour later she is propped in the bed of a private back room of the hospital the hotel concierge
informed us was the best as I sit in a chair beside her watching as a cute but slightly bossy nurse who
introduced herself as Sarah prepares the supplies to wrap B's ankle.

When she reaches for it Bobbi pulls away "Can't you just leave it until the doctor looks at it?"

Sarah shakes her head "Could be a while before he has a chance, this will help keep the swelling down
until then."

Bobbi shakes her own head, mirroring the nurse "No. I'd rather just wait."

"B, just let her wrap it..." I whisper, giving her hand a squeeze.

She sighs to prove that she's highly annoyed with both of us and then issues a clipped "Fine."

Sarah gives me a friendly wink, happy for my help and then gets to business. Bobbi jerks her foot back
with a cry of pain the second its lifted from the pillow it rests on and I immediately snap "Hey...be
careful! You're hurting her!"