Wynonna stuck her head into the hospital room, taking in the two still figures on the bed.
"Baby girl."
Waverly didn't move. She lay wedged between the rail of the bed and the still-unconscious Nicole. One arm was tucked under her head and the other draped possessively over Nicole's chest. EMTs had been forced to sedate the hysterical deputy before they could tend her wounds, and before Dolls could scoop the motionless pit bull into his arms and sprint away. The deputy's arm and shoulder were heavily bandaged and her face was drawn.
"Waverly," Wynonna hissed again, her eyes narrowed at the lack of response.
"We broke her, Nona," Waverly replied softly. "She came here, and she helped us, and we broke her."
"No way," Wynonna insisted. "Haughtsauce is like the love child of Wonder Woman and Judge Dredd. Come on, baby girl. I need your help."
Waverly stared suspiciously at her sister as she bounced nervously on the balls of her feet.
"For her," Wynonna added with nod at Nicole's still form. "Trust me, it's for her."
—
The darkness pressed against her, and she felt suffocated by it. She struggled, but couldn't move, couldn't see — the only thing she could focus on was the sound of Rowdy crying and Waverly screaming, their pain like acid against her soul.
Oh God, Rowdy, where are you? Waverly!
There is no reply, nothing but the sound of despair.
I always lose everyone, everything…
Her grief overwhelmed her, and the darkness pressed closer, squeezing her body, her lungs, her heart…
Cole, don't you dare go there.
The darkness seemed to retreat a little. Nicole realized she could see herself, barefoot in loose pajama pants and a tank top.
She wiggled her fingers experimentally.
A pale glow bloomed into view, catching her attention, and through it Nicole could see a familiar shape grow more solid and real until at last it sank down into a cross-legged pose right in front of her, chip propped on one hand.
"Beth?"
Beth smiled warmly as she reached out and brushed a lock of hair behind Nicole's ear.
"Hey, baby."
Nicole's throat burned as she struggled to speak.
"You look better," Beth continued, giving her a once over "Seems like all that PT had done you good."
"Still limping," Nicole grumbled.
"You always were impatient."
"Takes one to know one," Nicole replied automatically; it was a familiar argument . As the darkness faded the painful pressure eased. She reveled in the familiarity of their banter, even as a vague sense of unease tickled the back of her head. "Are you here to get me or something?"
Beth cocked her head with a smile. "Why, do we have plans?"
"Well, you're gone, and now Rowdy's gone, and I don't know what happened to Waverly, and I'm pretty sure I got shot, and you're here now clear as day, so I'm just wondering if my time is up."
There was a long pause, then Beth fell over, laughing hysterically. She'd periodically push herself up, take one look at Nicole's face, and fall over again, holding her stomach as she gasped for breath in between chortles.
"Good grief, Cole," she finally managed. "You think I'm some kind of angel? Gonna walk you to the light?" She waved her hands frantically. "Stay away from the light, honey! Staaay awaaaaay—" she collapsed once more.
Nicole huffed in annoyance, wishing she had something to throw. She crossed her arms as her wife continued to chortle.
"Are you finished?" she eventually demanded.
Beth waved her hands weakly, trying to catch her breath. "Sorry, sorry, sorry." She paused for a moment and clasped her hands together in her lap, looking at Nicole with a mischievous expression. "That was pretty funny, though, admit it."
Nicole scowled. "Glad you're enjoying— whatever this is." She rolled her shoulders in irritation.
Beth smiled, a little sadly. "It's a final good-bye." She reached out her hands to grasp Nicole's in her own. "For me, not for you."
"What do you mean," Nicole demanded. She felt a little panicky at the thought.
Beth grinned. "I mean, Cole, that I don't have to worry about you anymore." She squeezed Nicole's hands for emphasis. "You've got yourself a good one. I know she's going to take good care of you."
Tears stung Nicole's eyes. "You're leaving me?"
Beth leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Nicole's cheek. "No, honey, you're letting me go. It's time." She tapped Nicole's nose with a playful finger. "You don't need me anymore."
"But—" Nicole started to object.
"And if it helps at all," Beth continued, ignoring the interruption. "I totally approve." Beth pushed herself to her feet. "She's hot, with some mega brains and a ton of attitude. What's not to like? She's just who you need to keep you in line." Her lips twisted into a smirk. "Not sure what she sees in you, but just consider yourself as having won the lottery twice."
Nicole's lip curled. "Twice, huh? Am I going to meet somebody else too?"
"Ha," Beth said flatly. "You're funny." She stepped forward and wrapped Nicole in a tight hug. "I love you, Cole. Always."
Nicole clung to her, burying her face into her favorite place at the crook of Beth's neck. "I love you to, babe. God, so much."
After a long moment Beth pressed one last kiss to Nicole's forehead and stepped back. "Go out there and make me proud, okay? Tell Rowdy he's the best boy ever, and make sure to be extra good to that lady of yours."
Nicole pressed one hand to her chest, gazing fondly at her. "I'm going to make you so incredibly proud. And you know what?"
Beth waited, her head tilted adorably.
"I'm gonna make me proud too."
"That's my girl." Beth blew her a kiss. "See you around, okay?"
With a laugh, she disappeared.
—
"You're insane, Wynonna," Waverly declared, breathing hard. "Absolutely certifiable."
"You should be thanking me," Wynonna retorted. "This is gonna be some kind of fantasy scene!"
Wynonna had purloined two pairs of scrubs, a lab coat, a stethoscope, and a hospital gurney. She had gleefully claimed the lab coat and stethoscope for herself.
Waverly glared at her. "I don't understand why you get to be the doctor."
Wynonna rolled her eyes. "Because you have to be the hot nurse. Duh."
"And why do I have to push this thing by myself?"
"Hello? You're the nurse! Besides, I'm holding the IV bag."
"I am so going to kick your ass for this."
By some miracle they managed to avoid any curious hospital staff; most of them were focused on treating the other injured being brought in by the Emergency Response Team that had finally arrived. Thankfully no citizens had been killed, but there were a myriad of minor injuries from the mayhem caused by Bobo's gang not to mention plenty of the gang members themselves who needed medical attention before being hauled off to jail. At Nicole's door, Wynonna looked around carefully then held it open for Waverly to push the gurney through. She caught the end and rotated the until it snugged up against the red head's hospital bed. Waverly bit her lip at the tender look her sister gave to the patient lying on it as she drew the sheet down to reveal the heavily bandaged and sleeping Rowdy.
"I can't believe Doctor Perley let you take him from the vet's office," Waverly whispered as she watched Wynonna run a soft hand over the dog's head as she hung the IV bag from the behind Nicole's bed.
"Mattie and me go way back," Wynonna grinned. "She made me promise not to leave him unattended and she's gonna come by later to check on him."
With a groan, Nicole stirred. Waverly hurried to her side, cupping her face tenderly.
"Nicky? Can you hear me, honey?"
Nicole's voice was faint and raspy. "Waves?"
Waverly nearly wept with relief. "I'm here, Nicky, I'm right here."
"Love you…"
"I love you too, you idiot," Waverly replied hoarsely as tears sprang to her eyes. "And Wynonna loves you—"
Wynonna coughed loudly. "Hey now!"
"Even though she won't admit it," Waverly continued, ignoring her sister's frantic protesting. "Come on, open your eyes, honey."
Nicole's brow furrowed in concentration and discomfort, but slowly her brown eyes came into view. She blinked blearily until Wynonna took her hand and moved it to rest on Rowdy's paw.
"Got your partner here with you," she said roughly. "Figured you could keep each other company in Gimp-land."
"Rowdy?" Nicole breathed, her fingers curling around a warm paw. "He's alive?"
Wynonna didn't bother to hide her smug look. "Like anything or anyone as pathetic as Bobo Del Rey could take this guy out."
Nicole gasped out a sob as she clung to her dog's paw, feeling the rough pads under her thumb and the stiff prickle of his hair against her palm.
"I thought he was gone," she rasped hoarsely. "I thought— I saw—"
Waverly rubbed the tears from Nicole's cheeks, her own eyes a little watery. "He's got a good sized gouge in his neck and a broken leg, but the vet says he should heal up just fine."
Nicole gazed up at her anxiously. "Promise?"
"Pinky swear," Waverly murmured, still caressing Nicole's cheek. "He's going to be okay." She pressed a soft kiss to red hair. "And so are you."
Nicole glanced down at herself, frowning at the bandages.
"Got a nice hole in your arm but somehow it missed everything important," Wynonna supplied with a shrug. "And you've got some wicked bruises from the slugs your vest stopped."
Nicole's eyes ran over both sisters, clearly looking for evidence of injury, and Waverly held out her arms. "Not a scratch." She grabbed Nicole's hand and laid a kiss across her knuckles.
A knock sounded and Tommy stuck his head in, then beamed when he saw Nicole awake. He pulled Nedley in behind him.
"You're looking a mite better then you were a bit ago," he drawled. "But your roommate here is an ugly looking dude."
Wynonna gasped in horror and quickly covered Rowdy's ears as she glared at the grinning man. "Don't listen to him, baby. You're the prettiest dude in the world."
Rowdy whimpered a little, his ears twitching as he slowly emerged into consciousness. The whole room went silent, watching as his paw twitched in Nicole's hand and a long tongue stretched out, licking Wynonna's palm.
"Rowdy?" Nicole whispered after a moment.
His tail thumped the gurney once and he huffed softly, his eyes still closed. He snuffled and shifted on the gurney, getting a little closer to Nicole, then fell back to sleep with a sigh.
The whole room cooed.
"I told you," Wynonna said softly as she bent to kiss his head. "The Man will never keep him down."
Nicole chuckled. "Technically he is The Man, Wynonna, being that he's a Deputy and all."
Wynonna merely rolled her eyes. "Nobody's perfect."