"I'm sorry, Em. This is above and beyond your call of duty." Spencer said as Emily knelt before her and helped ease her socks onto her feet.
"I told you, I don't mind." Emily smiled up at her, glad to see that Spencer had finally almost stopped blushing. "You needed help dressing, I could hardly let your dad do it."
In all honesty, Peter Hastings had looked like he was about to faint at the idea of an almost adult daughter who needed help dressing.
Spencer laughed. "Thanks for preventing that. Seriously, I could have done it myself though."
Emily rolled her eyes. "With bruised ribs and a broken wrist? I don't think so."
"I would have managed." Spencer mumbled, nevertheless allowing Emily to tie her shoes.
"You were in a car accident, Spence. You were lucky to get off as lightly as you did."
Spencer nodded. She knew she'd narrowly avoided far worse, and more restricting, injuries. Fortunately for her, the passenger seat of her car had taken most of the impact of the other drivers idiocy. Plus, she didn't mind being nursed by Emily.
"Did my dad go to get the car?" Spencer asked. Since being given morphine two hours ago, she was somewhat less sharp than usual.
"Yeah, and your prescriptions." Emily smiled, sitting next to Spencer on the bed and squeezing her hand.
Spencer didn't know whether it was the look in Emily's eyes or the meds in her system that made her tear up. She glanced down at their hands, joined over the white sheets and felt a few tears begin to roll down her cheeks.
"Spence?" Emily asked, panicked. "Does something hurt?" Careful not to let go of her hand, Emily brushed her fingers across the side of Spencer's face- gently avoiding the stitches in Spencer's hairline.
"No, sorry." Spencer hastened, shaking away her tears. "I'm okay."
Emily smiled softly. "Are you ready to go?"
Spencer sighed, wincing slightly and clutching at her ribs.
"I'd rather not spend the night here."
Emily pointed to a wheelchair by the door.
"Care for a ride?" She laughed, anticipating the sour response Spencer gave her.
"I can walk just fine, thank you." Spencer muttered, stumbling as she stood up. "I broke my arm, not my leg, remember?"
Emily sighed and shook her head in agreement.
"At least let me give you a hand?"
"Fine." Spencer conceded, "but only because I'm lacking in that department right now."
Emily laughed and lifted the girls backpack from the bed, swinging it over her shoulder.
"How chivalrous." Spencer smirked.
"I can hardly let you carry your own stuff now, can I?" Emily grinned.
Spencer caught her breath as she took a tentative step forward. It was less her injuries she was worried about, and more about her depth perception as a result of the drugs she'd been pumped full of for the past few hours.
Emily's face fell as she watched Spencer try to walk.
"Spence? How can I help you without hurting you?" She asked, stepping as close as she could to her.
"Um," Spencer whispered, looking down at her body. "Can you put your hand on my hip? I need some direction but my ribs hurt."
Emily obliged, wrapping her right arm around Spencer's waist. "Here?"
Spencer nodded, and Emily took it as a sign to pull her closer. Her broken left wrist was now securely between them, and Spencer seemed to relax a little in the safety of Emily's grasp.
"Baby steps, Spence." Emily whispered in her ear, wishing she'd fought a little harder for the wheelchair.
Slowly, Spencer began moving towards the elevator at the end of the ward, and Emily felt an absurd sense of pride that she couldn't quite explain.
When they finally reached the exit, Spencer had never been quite so glad to see her fathers car before. Leaning heavily on Emily, she hobbled towards the back seat of the car and allowed the taller girl to lift her in and buckle her seat belt. When Emily was sure that Spencer was safely inside, she dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead and slid in beside her.
"Thanks for staying over tonight, Em." Spencer whispered, almost apologetically. " I kind of don't want to be alone with my dad when I might need help getting to the bathroom."
Emily laughed.
"I told you, it's no problem. Now, do you want me to find you some pajamas?"
Spencer looked away, shyly, turning a light pink again.
"Spence?"
"Um, sure."
Emily frowned, "what's wrong? Do you not want me to stay over or something? I can call Hanna, or Aria, if you want?"
Spencer shook her head rapidly.
"No no no, it's not that. It's just that...don't worry."
Emily dropped the clothes she was holding and moved next to her on the bed.
"What is it?"
Spencer dropped her gaze to her lap.
"I feel really gross."
Emily smiled and ducked her head to meet Spencer's eyes.
"You need a hand getting clean?"
Spencer nodded, turning a light shade of red.
Emily pulled her hair up into a pony tail as she stood up.
"Shower or bath?" She asked, returning to Spencer's closet and finding and laying out a set of pajamas for each of them on her chaise.
"Bath, if you don't mind." Spencer answered, adjusting herself on her bed.
"Okay. I'll go and draw you one."
Emily left the room and returned a few minutes later.
"It'll be ready in a couple of minutes." She told Spencer. "Now, we'll have to keep your cast out of the water, but did the doctors say anything about your ribs or head?"
Spencer nodded.
"The stitches aren't soluble, so it's okay my wash my hair. And my ribs are fine to be wet, but they need wrapping afterwards."
Emily nodded. "The nurse gave your dad a pamphlet on how to dress your ribcage, and some fresh dressings. I'll go get them."
When Emily returned, she seemed pretty confident she knew what she was doing and Spencer felt entirely at ease in her hands.
"You ready?"
Spencer nodded, the redness returning to the tips of her ears.
"Hey, you have nothing to be embarrassed about." Emily said quietly, reaching up and tipping Spencer's chin up to look into her face. "It's just a friend helping another friend who's been hurt."
Spencer nodded and allowed Emily to help her from the bed and down the hall to the bathroom.
"Ooh, raspberry." Spencer grinned as she sniffed the bubble bath Emily had used.
"Your favorite, right?" Emily asked, turning off the taps and laying out a towel for Spencer by the side of the bath. "Okay, so, I brought some Saran Wrap up from the kitchen. I was thinking we can use it to wrap your cast, and then we can just rest it on the side of the bath?"
Spencer nodded. "Okay. Can you help me out of my shirt? I don't think ilk be able to get it over my cast by myself."
Emily smiled and set the Saran Wrap down next to the towel she'd laid out for Spencer.
"Of course." She helped Spencer sit on the floor by the side of the bath and knelt beside her. "I'll be as gentle as I can, okay? If I hurt you, just say and I'll stop."
Spencer nodded and let Emily kneel across her lap, gently manipulating her right arm so it was bent in half, and pushing it inside the arm hole of her T-shirt. Once it was inside, Emily very carefully pulled the top over her best friends head and slid it down over her broken arm.
"Okay, the hard part's over." Emily assured Spencer, whose face was contorted in pain. Emily put her hand on the side of Spencer's face and gently kissed her forehead.
She took Spencer's arm in her hands and gently began to wrap the plastic around her thick, white cast. Once she'd totally covered most of Spencer's arm and hand, she placed her hands underneath Spencer's arms and helped her to her feet.
"There are some scissors in my make up bag," Spencer said pointing to the sink, "for the dressing."
Emily nodded and retrieved the scissors. "Okay, Spence. Why don't you turn around?"
Spencer shot Emily a confused look.
"So that I'll be cutting across your back, not your ribs where you're sore."
Spencer nodded and obliged, turning so her back was to Emily and letting her snip the wrappings around her ribcage.
Once the dressing was off, she turned back around- now painfully aware that she was completely topless and standing in front of her best friend.
"Okay- pants." Emily smiled, moving Spencer's hair back off of her shoulders.
Spencer reached down with her right hand and fiddled with her zipper, slowly turning redder and redder.
"I got it." Emily whispered, moving Spencer's hands out of the way and unbuttoning her jeans. She hooked her fingers inside her waistband and pulled her pants and underwear down her legs, before pulling off her socks. She stood up and helped Spencer step out of her clothes, trying hard not to embarrass Spencer more than necessary.
"Thanks." Spencer mumbled. Emily nodded and smiled.
"No problem. Now, let's get you in the bath."
With one hand on the small of her back, and the other on the back of her thigh, Emily stabilised Spencer as she climbed into the bath. Once she was steady, Emily lowered Spencer into the water and helped her rest her broken arm on the side of the tub.
Spencer sighed as she leaned back and rested her shoulders against the porcelain of the tub.
"Nice?" Emily laughed as Spencer closed her eyes.
"Mmmh." Spencer agreed. Emily smiled and picked up a loofah from the side of the bath and dipped it into the warm water. Squirting a generous amount of shower gel onto it, Emily moved the loofah across Spencer's collar bone and shoulders in small circles, up to her neck and then down between her breasts.
"That's nice, Em."
Emily moved further down Spencer's body and rubbed the gel across her stomach and her hips, and then gently down her legs.
"You want me to do your ribs?"
Spencer nodded, but winced as Emily brought the sponge on top of them.
"Okay, I'll be gentle." Emily whispered, squeezing the soap onto the palm of her hand and rubbing her hands together. Loofah discarded, Emily ran her hands over Spencer's ribcage and abdomen, accidentally brushing her hand across the underside of Spencer's breast.
"If you wanted to feel me up, you only had to ask." Spencer smirked, opening her eyes and grinning at Emily, who swatted her playfully on the shoulder.
When she'd covered Spencer entirely in soap, Emily splashed water gently across Spencer's body and watched as her best friend relaxed into the water, closing her eyes again.
"How about a hair wash?" Emily asked, standing up and surveying the shelf of lotions and shampoos for Spencer's signature scent.
"Bottom shelf, three from the right." Spencer said without even opening her eyes. Emily chuckled and grabbed the bottle.
"Only you would know the precise place of your shampoo." She laughed, kneeling back down next to the bathtub.
Spencer shuffled awkwardly, using her right hand to hold herself steady as she slipped down the bath and leaned her head back into the water.
Seeing how much Spencer was struggling, and how much she didn't want to ask for help, Emily pulled her sweatshirt off and leaned forward over the tub. She dipped her arm into the water and used the crook of her elbow to support Spencer's head as she massaged the water into her hair with her free hand.
Still supporting Spencer's weight, Emily lifted her up into a sitting position and began shampooing Spencer's hair.
"It's in my eyes, Em!" Spencer squealed. Emily laughed and grabbed a flannel, wetting it and using it to wipe Spencer's face.
"You're such a baby." Emily laughed, "are you ready to rinse?"
Spencer nodded and allowed Emily to slide her back into the water and rinse her hair.
Involuntarily, Spencer shivered.
"Do you want to get out?" Emily asked, feeling the shudder down Spencer's spine. She knew how cold Spencer got, and she didn't see sitting in the water for much longer helping.
Spencer sighed.
"Not really, but I guess I should."
Emily nodded and smoothed Spencer's hair back off her face.
"Okay," she said standing up, "can you put your good arm around my neck?"
Spencer nodded and wrapped her right arm around Emily's shoulders, "I'll put my other arm behind your knees, alright?"
Emily reached over the bath and placed Spencer's broken wrist on her bare stomach. She then gently placed her hand on Spencer's back and lifted her clean out of the water before setting her carefully on the ground.
"Did I hurt you?" Emily asked, seeing the pained look in Spencer's eyes and cupping her face in her hand.
"No," Spencer assured her, "I'm just cold."
Emily grabbed a large white towel and wrapped it around Spencer's shivering body.
"Thanks." Spencer mumbled.
Sensing a change of mood coming over Spencer, Emily reached out and placed her hand under Spencer's chin, using her other hand to move the girls long, wet hair over her shoulders.
At the gesture, Spencer felt the tears she'd been holding back since the accident begin to fall. Carefully, Emily stepped forwards and engulfed Spencer in her arms. Spencer rested her head on Emily's shoulder and held on tightly to her best friend as Emily lowered them both to the floor.
Emily sat with her knees apart, leaning her back against the bathtub, as Spencer curled up between her legs. Soothingly, Emily ran her hand up and down Spencer's back and pressed butterfly kisses gently against her hair and forehead.
She loved Spencer. She always had, ever since they were four years old and had met for the first time on the swings. Spencer had bet that she could swing higher, and Emily let her win. Since then, she had loved her in so many ways. As a friend, a sister, a confidant and now as something different.
Spencer sniffed and buried her face into Emily's chest, allowing herself to be held and reassured.
Emily wasn't sure how long they'd been sat in the bathroom, but she could see through the bathroom window that it was past twilight.
"I think we should probably get some sleep." Emily whispered in Spencer's hair, unsure if she was even awake or not.
"Can you wrap my ribs for me?"
Emily smiled and helped Spencer sit upright between her legs.
"Okay. So, the pamphlets say that you need your to be wrapped from just under to just over the injured area. They've give us tape to wrap them tightly, and then a bandage to go underneath."
Spencer nodded and dropped her towel so that it was pooled around her waist.
Emily lifted the bandage and measured it around Spencer, before cutting a generous length of the fabric and a small piece of tape.
"Ooh." Spencer shrieked. Emily jumped and pulled her hands away as if Spencer were on fire.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Emily cried.
"It's okay," Spencer laughed, "your hands are just cold, that's all."
Emily let out a shaky laughed and secured the end of the bandage just under Spencer's breasts.
"I'm going to start wrapping it round now, if it's too tight or too loose just let me know."
Spencer took a sharp intake of breath as Emily pulled the first length of bandage around her, but nodded to Emily to continue anyway.
Once Spencer's torso was pretty much covered in the dressing, Emily wrapped three pieces of tape around her to secure it. She then took a small bandage and secured it over the stitches on her face, and removed the Saran Wrap from her cast.
Spencer looked so broken in front of her that Emily wanted to cry. She leaned forward and kissed Spencer's cast, then her ribs and her head.
"You're so beautiful, you know that?" She whispered to Spencer as the girl took her hand in hers.
"Yeah, I'm sure defective goods is exactly your type." She laughed.
"Hey!" Emily almost shouted, "you're far from defective, Spence. You're the closest to perfect I have ever met."
Spencer smiled shyly and ducked her head.
"Come on." Emily grinned, helping Spencer to her feet and guiding her back to her bedroom where she quickly helped her dress and sit on the bed. She then stripped her own clothes off and pulled on a pair of Spencer's pajamas.
"Em?" Spencer called out quietly, "will you sleep with me tonight?"
Emily said nothing and sat down next to her.
"Are you sure? I can sleep on the chaise if you want. I don't want to hurt you."
Spencer nodded.
"You won't hurt me."
Emily slipped under the sheets next to Spencer and turned out the light. The room was now dark, save the sliver of moonlight that crept in between the curtains.
Spencer shuffled closer until the front of her body was pressed against Emily's, their faces mere inches apart. Emily reached under the sheets and grasped Spencer's hand. Spencer moved her legs so, from the knee upwards, they were as close as the could get.
Emily moved a small lock of hair from Spencer's eyes. She then ran her hand through the length of Spencer's hair for a few minutes until her hand settled in a spot on the back of her neck.
Spencer leaned forward and pressed their faces together. Forehead to forehead, nose to nose.
"Tete-a-tete." Spencer whispered against Emily's face.
"Mon meilleur ami." Emily whispered back.
Spencer leant forward and brushed her lips gently against Emily's.
"Mon amour."