Chapter Eleven

Piper came to in the ambulance. There was a mask over her face but she could see Alex beside her, hunched over looking at her with fear.

"Piper? Hey hey, her eyes are open," her wife told someone. Piper assumed there were other people with her. Someone put something in her arm and that oxygen on her face. Alex wouldn't do that. How did she get there? Piper tried to ask her that and she had a hard time speaking in to the mask.

"Yes that is a good sign, Piper you're in the ambulance and we are almost to Memorial. You've lost some blood from where the dash cut an artery in your leg. Just take deep breaths, your wife is here...she and some pushy friends made sure she got in here with you," the EMT leaned over and spoke to her as she flashed a light in her eyes and made sure her mask was in place.

"It's okay, Roger drove behind the plow and the opposite way on the closed side. I got there as they were..." Alex started and swallowed. Piper didn't remember anything after asking the paramedic to hang up the phone. Hearing about the gash actually made Piper aware of the ache. She guessed they'd given her something as well. Piper reached over to take Alex's hand and the paramedic pushed her hand down.

"You may have broken that wrist, let's be careful. She's been holding your shoulder and stroking your hair, your other arm has your line in." She leaned over and Piper read her name off her uniform jacket, Moton. Piper didn't remember her wrist hurting, but she didn't really move that side because it was pressed against the wall.

"We'll be there soon, the snow has slowed us down," Alex told her as she stroked her hair and leaned in biting her lip. Piper could see she had been crying and she loved her all the more.

"I'm going to be alright...where are we going?" Piper mumbled under the mask. She wasn't sure Alex could understand her.

Alex smiled and rubbed her shoulder. Piper felt a pulse of pain from her leg and winced. She saw her swallow and she leaned closer to Piper's face. "I rented us a cabin in the mountains of North Carolina. We'll fly in to Johnson City, Tennessee and drive a few hours through lovely mountains. I'll drive and if there is bad weather we'll put off all travel." Piper smiled and nodded her head softly. She didn't want Alex afraid of travel by car. Planes, trains or automobiles- they'd travelled in all of them.

Piper closed her eyes a moment to rest them. Alex gasped and she opened them again. "I'm fine, just resting...drugs," Piper slurred to explain.

"Okay, calm down no need to talk, she is right here with you..you guys can travel all over soon. We're approaching the hospital..she may lose consciousness again, she needs more blood, it took longer to get here," Moton said in a tone that Piper didn't really like. She smiled though under her mask and looked at Alex. She tried to just focus on her and not the mask or her sleepy eyes.

"You missed it..there were at least four firemen. They cut you out all manly while Addison here put on a head brace and monitored your vitals. They looked almost as good as I do in their gear," Alex whispered to her. Piper laughed and smiled bigger.

"You'll have to borrow...that gear...again," Piper tried to say. Alex hushed her and said she would. Piper felt her world get smaller and her eyelids start to close. Alex looked worried but Piper finally let her eyelids droop closed and lost herself to the blackness.

She heard that beeping again. This time there was no dream, she just slowly woke to the sound of machines and low voices. Piper squinted and looked around. She wasn't wearing the mask anymore but there was a tube in her nose. It tickled, so she raised her right hand to remove it. She raised her arm and pulled the tube down, then looked around the room with Cambridge blue eyes that searched for one person. She could see Roger and Nicky standing by a sink with a mirror light above it.

"Alex?" Piper looked around as she said it. Nicky approached her quickly with Roger right behind.

"She's in the toilet Chapman, she wanted to leave the door open so she could see you but I told her I didn't ever want to see her take a shit again," Nicky joked. Piper smiled at her and squeezed her hand when she took it. She could tell how relieved she was that Piper was awake.

"I keep scaring her with things like this...I don't want to Nicky," Piper mumbled. She was surprised it came out of her mouth. She felt like she had to apologize for always being in trouble.

"You're high maintenance, Chapman...hell, she knew that already. Thing is...you're worth it...and this wasn't your fault. Shit happens, not your fault it happens to you more than other people," Nicky reasoned. Piper's reply was cut off by the sound of the toilet flushing and Alex washing her hands. Her eyes went to the door like an eager puppy following a treat. Alex pushed her glasses up as she entered the room. Her head shot up when she saw where Nicky was standing and her eyes darted to Piper's face. She ran the short distance to the side of the bed.

"Hey there...you just had to wake up for Nicky didn't ya? I've been asking you to wake up for over five hours, kid" Alex whispered to her in a tone that told Piper how scared she had been. Five hours? What time was it.

Nicky snorted. "She woke up on her own, we were digging for change for that possessed vending machine when she said your name." Alex smiled and Piper felt better instantly. She had wanted to be the one with her when she woke up.

"Last time, you couldn't be here...I'm so glad you're here now. I'm sorry, no more hospitals for me. I'm going to be fine, Al." Piper assured her and tried to lift her left hand to touch her. It was heavy and she felt a dull throbbing pain. Piper looked down to see an air cast on her wrist.

"Just a sprain, no break...we think it was the airbag." Alex looked to Nicky who held her other hand. Roger leaned around Nicky and kissed Piper on the head.

"You scared us Pipes. This weather is crazy. A ton of snow fell quickly and it fucked up getting to you and getting you here. The black ice appeared quickly and there was a seven car pile up," Roger explained.

"I only saw the truck..oh is uh that guy..Josh okay?" Piper asked suddenly remembering more of the crash. Alex told her Josh was fine and he made it home a few hours ago.

"Yeah he's been texting me for updates on you. I don't think I've texted with a man this much since...shit...ever." Nicky observed with a laugh. The doctor and nurse came in then and they all went outside. Alex didn't want to leave but Nicky ushered her out so she could be examined. He introduced himself as Dr. Salvatore and he checked her for head injury again. He also checked her dressing. He explained she was lucky. He said she'd need to stay off her leg for a couple of weeks and then would need some therapy to make sure it was strong. He told her she'd lost a lot of blood and her wrist had a severe sprain. He asked her questions about pain and to gage it here or there. Her ribs were bruised from being pulled out after the seat belt made her tender. Piper thanked him and asked him to update her worried wife. Piper took a moment by herself to take a deep breath. She winced at the pain and felt tears spill from the sides of her eyes. She had been so scared that she was going to be trapped. So scared she was going to burn. So scared she'd never hold Alex again, never take trips with her or live to a ripe old age in her arms. Piper started to cry more and didn't hear the door open but she felt Alex's hands on her face wiping her tears. Piper moved her body over, though it hurt and Alex took the cue. She crawled up in the bed with Piper and snuggled close.

"I got ya...just us and we'll rest and get all better. I love you Piper, everything is going to be fine. Oh, I don't ever want to sleep without you again. I tossed and turned...even let Chaucer on the bed once he forgave me." Alex arranged her body so she was close but not pressing against Piper.

"My mom and dad?...the baby?" Piper asked suddenly worried about the storm. Alex told her that they were all okay, she spoke to them earlier. She said they were all warm at home, the power was still on. She spoke about the weather with the familiarity of someone that has had to plan their life around it way too much lately. Piper listened and started to doze off.

She mumbled, "You're driving from now on..on the mountain roads...maybe we can just go relax at the cabin.." Alex strokes her face softly and laughed.

"Well, you are going to be in Brooklyn for a few weeks. I'm going to move the reservation back-"

Piper whined and then started to cry. She wanted to give Alex a trip...to take off and have her just to herself. Now she was a patient. Piper hated it. She hated being sick and not able to do exactly what she wanted to when the notion took her. It was so much she just cried and Alex wormed down in the bed and kisses her face. As she did she put Piper's oxygen back on though it got her an angry glare.

"You can cry all you want, Pipes...but we will go when it is early Spring with a chill in the mountain air...or you can pick anywhere you want-" Alex cajoled her with a tone she thought should sound patronizing but really she was just in pain and it was easier to just relax and feel with Alex there to catch her.

"No no, I want your idea with you watching me ski and being impressed. You'll even skate with me maybe and then we can sit by a fire-" Piper sniffled and Alex leaned over to get her a tissue. Piper reached up with her left hand and winced. Alex wiped her face and nose. Piper cried harder and Alex just kissed her eyelids.

"I will admire you in a skiing outfit I promise. I'll fly us to ...um the Alps or something, but after your leg heals. After you are whole again," Alex cooed in her ear and soothed Piper as she spoke.

Piper murmured about scars and Alex said they were sexy. Piper laughed at her corny lover but she was feeling better. Piper's body was starting to hurt and she craved sleep but wasn't sure she could. The nurse had told her about pushing a button and they'd give her something but Piper wasn't ready to get all fuzzy headed.

"You know you need pain meds. I'm going to push the button and then you'll go to sleep and I'll be right here." Alex pressed the button and Piper smiled at her.

"I heart you something fierce, woman." Alex kissed her and got up as the nurse came in. Nicky and Roger returned. Piper wondered if they could get home or if they just wanted to stay. She didn't get to talk to them as she slowly drifted to sleep.