happy friday! i hope you like this chapter, because sweet bbs being sweet is always fun to write :)

as always, nothing you recognize belongs to me or to la lisboa.

Phoebe hadn't been allowed to accompany Bex to the x-ray or the casting, although she did get to keep Scruffles for company (Bex called it puppy-sitting). She petted the stuffed dog's worn coat absently while Bex was getting examined. She wasn't looking forward to Molly's questions about what had happened. She wanted to be truthful, but she didn't want to get Bex in trouble.

"Phoebe?"

She looked up from Scruffles, knowing what was coming. "Yes?"

"Are you ready to talk about what happened back there?" Molly asked gently.

Phoebe bit her lip. "At first, everything was alright. I didn't know that the girls were teasing me – they just kept asking me questions, and I answered the ones I knew." Phoebe didn't mention that answering those questions was child's play to her. "But Bex got mad, because they were bothering us, and then they started teasing her. You know what happened after that," Phoebe said, shifting uncomfortably.

"So, they went from teasing you and Bex to breaking her wrist?" Molly asked, frowning.

Phoebe felt itchy bumps creeping up her neck as she tried to avoid the question. Oh, dear, she thought, knowing that she'd break out in hives if she tried to lie. "Well…not exactly," Phoebe said quietly. "Bex said some mean things as well. And she slapped Gabby. But she apologized right after!" Phoebe exclaimed, sticking up for her friend. "And even if she hadn't, what they did is much worse."

"You really care for her," Molly observed.

Phoebe squirmed a bit. "Of course," she answered. "Bex is the best friend I've ever had."

"Best friends are very special things," Molly agreed. "My best friend is named Emily," she said. "We've been friends for as long as I can remember. If anything ever happened to her, I don't know what I would do."

Phoebe was silent, unsure of where her counselor was headed with this.

"If someone ever said something mean to Emily, I'd probably slap her too," Molly said, giving Phoebe a quick wink.

Phoebe grinned hopefully. "So Bex isn't in trouble?"

"If she apologized, then I'll have the girls apologize back, and make sure you girls are separated for the remainder of the summer. We'll also have to call their parents to tell them what happened."

Phoebe squealed and wrapped her arms around Molly's waist. "Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Don't thank me just yet," Molly said sternly. "Bex is going to have to call her parents, too, and tell them what happened."

Phoebe sighed, her hazel eyes widening at the thought of what Bex's Nonna would say. "Oh, dear," she said quietly, which made Molly laugh.

"Are you here for Becca Rizzoli?" A white-coated doctor suddenly entered the nearly empty waiting room.

"Yes," Molly said, standing. Phoebe followed suit, clutching Scruffles to her chest. "Yes, I'm her camp counselor, and this is her friend Phoebe. Can we see her now?"

"I'm Dr. Nolan," she replied, smiling at them. Phoebe noted her perfectly straight teeth. "And yes, you can. Do you know if her parents have been notified yet?"

"I haven't called them yet," Molly admitted. "I usually let the child do that. It's less scary coming from them, especially when they're calling from the hospital."

Dr. Nolan laughed. "I know what you mean. I'm asking because – well, for two reasons, actually. The first is because we need parental permission in order to release her to you."

Molly nodded. "Okay."

"And the second is because, with an injury like this, falling from that height, we usually like to keep children overnight for observation."

Phoebe's eyes widened. "Something's wrong with Bex?"

"No, not necessarily," Dr. Nolan said, smiling reassuringly at her. "We just want to make sure there are no neurological symptoms – uh, I mean-"

"Neurological symptoms," Phoebe repeated. "Like slurred speech, blurred vision, headaches, nausea. You think she hit her head?"

Phoebe didn't miss the look of surprise the doctor exchanged with Molly. "Yes, that's right," Dr. Nolan said. "You're a really bright girl."

"Thanks," Phoebe said uncertainly, looking down at her shoes. After the incident at the cabin, she couldn't tell if the doctor was paying her a real compliment or teasing her.

"You wanna be a doctor someday?" Dr. Nolan asked.

"Maybe," Phoebe said quietly, glancing up. But Dr. Nolan's eyes were kind. "I'd like that," she said, a little louder. "But, Dr. Nolan?" The doctor nodded, which she took as a sign to continue. "Will you please take us to see Bex now?" she asked, smiling as endearingly as she could muster.

Dr. Nolan smiled back. "Absolutely! Follow me."

Molly let Phoebe lead the way as they followed Dr. Nolan down the quiet hall, their tennis shoes squeaking slightly on the linoleum tiles. Soon enough, Dr. Nolan turned left into a room, and Phoebe squealed softly when she saw Bex propped up in the bed, a bright green cast on her right arm.

"Bex!" she said, running over to her friend. "How are you feeling?"

Bex grinned weakly. "I've been better," she admitted. But, seeing Phoebe's worried face, she backpedaled. "I mean, I'm fine, Bee. Just a little achy."

"Well, you did fall off your bed," Phoebe said. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"I'm glad I'm okay, too," Bex said cheekily. "And I'm glad that you're here."

"Of course!" Phoebe exclaimed. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Just then, Phoebe felt Molly's hand on her shoulder. She moved aside to make room for the counselor to step up to the bed.

"Bex, did Dr. Nolan tell you that you were going to stay overnight for observation?" she asked.

Bex's eyes widened. "Is Phoebe staying, too?"

Molly bit her lip. "I don't know, Bex…" She sighed. "Technically, she's not supposed to-"

"But technically, she's already here," Bex pointed out.

"Yes, that," Molly said, nodding. "And since I'm still responsible for you, I can't leave you here by yourself while I take Phoebe back to camp."

"I guess she'll just have to stay then!" Bex grinned.

"I can call down for a cot," Dr. Nolan offered. "And someone will need to do the admit papers."

"Yes, please," Molly said. "And I can sign her in. Are you okay with staying, Phoebe?"

"Yeah!" Phoebe exclaimed. Bex smiled at her.

"One more thing, though, Bex," Molly said once Dr. Nolan had left the room. "You're going to have to call your parents and tell them what happened."

"Oh, no," Bex groaned. "My mom's going to freak. Do I have to do it now?"

"I'm afraid you do," Molly said, although Phoebe saw she was smiling as she handed Bex her cellphone. "The hospital can't discharge you without parental permission, so you're going to have to do it sooner or later. Let's make it sooner."

Phoebe caught Bex's unhappy expression as she took the cellphone with her good hand. Phoebe pushed Scruffles closer to Bex for moral support as she dialed.

"This isn't going to be pretty," Bex warned as the phone started ringing.

"I'm going to go do those papers now then," Molly said, winking at Phoebe. Phoebe scrambled up next to Bex on the bed.

"Nonna? Hi – Nonna? Can I talk to Mama?" Bex sighed in exasperation, rolling her eyes at Phoebe. "May I talk to Mama, please? Yes, it's important. Well, can you wake her up? I know, but – okay. Well, okay. Don't freak out, but I'm in the hospital-"

"YOU'RE WHERE?" Phoebe pulled back in alarm upon hearing Bex's Nonna screaming through the phone. "THE HOSPITAL?"

"Yes, please, calm down, Nonna," Bex said. "I'm okay, really!"

"YOU'RE IN THE HOSPITAL, YOU'RE CLEARLY NOT OKAY! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?"

Bex bit her lip and Phoebe put her arm around her shoulders. This certainly wasn't going well. "I – I fell off my bunk and broke my wrist."

"YOU DID WHAT?"

"Nonna, you'll wake Mama!" Bex said indignantly. "I thought you said she needed to sleep! Can you just put Uncle Frankie on the phone, please?"

"FRANKIE! BEX NEEDS TO SPEAK WITH YOU!"

There was a long pause, and then Phoebe could faintly hear Bex's Nonna telling her son what had happened. Bex turned up the volume of the phone so Phoebe could hear, too.

"Bex?" another voice, male, and much calmer, came on the line. "What's wrong?"

"Hi, Zio," Bex said. "I kind of – I broke my wrist."

"Uh oh," Frankie said. "You okay, kiddo?"

"Well, I'm in the hospital."

"Oh, that's – oh, Jane, hi." My mom, Bex mouthed to Phoebe. "It's Bex, yeah. She says she broke her wrist. I don't know how! She just said she broke it. Well why don't you - Okay, here."

"Bex?"

"Hi, Mama."

"Are you okay?" Even though Bex's mother sounded exhausted, Phoebe could still hear the concern in her voice. She hugged her knees to her chest. She suddenly missed her own mother very much.

"Yeah." Phoebe could tell Bex was trying to be brave, but she saw her friend's lower lip trembling all the same. She probably missed her mom a lot, too.

"Where are you now?"

"The hospital. I'm supposed to stay overnight."

"Which one?"

"Um, I don't know," Bex said. "The closest one to camp, I guess?"

There was a pause on the other end, and then a faint "Got a location!"

"Frankie says he found it," Phoebe heard. "We're leaving Boston now, okay? Just hang in there, Becca. Have Scruffles give you an extra hug, from me."

"Okay, Mama," Bex whispered. "Love you."

"I love you, too." There was a click and the line went dead. Phoebe took the phone from her and set it on the small table next to the bed.

"That wasn't so bad, right?" she said. When Bex didn't reply, but continued staring at Scruffles, Phoebe leaned closer and whispered, "It's okay to cry, you know. I won't tell anyone."

Bex sniffled. "I'm not crying. I – I just really miss my mom."

Phoebe pulled her in for a hug, mindful of her broken wrist, so only Bex could hear her whispered admission.

"I miss mine, too."