Her heart races the entire way to the hospital.
She knows she shouldn't be here, she should be with Wynonna, her sister, trying to stop Willa.
But Wynonna insisted.
"I got this," she said, that familiar glint of determination in her eye, and Waverly knew there was no arguing with her. "You go comfort your girlfriend, okay?"
The way she said girlfriend made Waverly laugh. If they make it out of this, she knows Wynonna will give her hell for not telling her earlier.
She follows the ambulance, which Nicole insisted she didn't need (and Waverly insisted she did). Her knuckles are white on the steering wheel as they hit the highway, since it was someone's decision to take Nicole to the larger hospital in the city rather than Purgatory's local one.
(Okay it was her decision. Anything to get out of Purgatory right now.)
Waverly switches on the radio, lets the music fill her car so she doesn't have to think about Willa or the look on Nicole's face when she was shot.
She could kill her sister for that.
Though if Willa's to believed, they aren't even sisters. Half-sisters.
She can't think about that right now.
So she turns up the radio, and she sings, and she drives.
By the time she gets to the hospital, Nicole's already in a hospital gown, propped up in a bed.
"Just a lot of bruising, don't worry," she says immediately as Waverly enters the room.
"I hope Wynonna kills her," Waverly says in response, trying not to look at Nicole looking small and fragile in the hospital bed.
"Waves."
Nothing. Waverly keeps looking at her shoes.
"Waverly, look at me."
Waverly looks up. Nicole's looking at her with those eyes that could melt or steal a heart.
"I'm fine," she says gently, and it's those words that make Waverly sniff and wipe at her eyes. "I'm really fine. I promise."
Waverly nods. "Ok."
"C'mere," Nicole says, and scoots over on the bed, patting the empty space next to her. Waverly hitches up her skirts—why didn't she change out of that dress—and curls up next to Nicole. Her skirt takes up the entire bed.
"I'm okay," Nicole soothes.
Waverly nuzzles into the crook of her neck. "I thought I lost you. I thought—"
"I know. But I'm not going anywhere, okay? Not when you love me," she says, and Waverly feels herself blush.
"Too soon?" she murmurs.
"Not too soon," Nicole says, and then her hand is under Waverly's chin and she's tilting her face up to kiss her. It's a sweet kiss, more chaste than their others as Waverly's mindful of where they are and the fact anyone could walk by and see them.
"I love you," Nicole whispers, and Waverly feels a smile spread over her face that she hasn't felt in awhile.
"I love you too," Waverly says, and kisses her again. "Do you think Wynonna's okay?"
"Your sister's a tough badass. She'll be fine."
"But Willa—"
"Is no match for Wynonna. Or Doc. Or Dolls. You know that, they'll all be okay," Nicole says, and then she starts laughing. "Your family's pretty tough, you know?"
Are they her family if she isn't an Earp?
"Yeah, they are," Waverly says, and she hopes Nicole can't hear the shaking in her voice.
"You're tough, too," Nicole says, kissing Waverly's cheek.
Waverly nods, curling up further into Nicole, her head on her shoulder.
She tells herself she's only going to close her eyes for a minute. That's all.
But when Wynonna comes in, hours later, battle-hardened and angry and ready to give her sister the news, the two women are still sleeping, arms wrapped around each other like they'll never let go.