Ranger was moved to room 318. The room was slightly larger than his ICU room. The floors, trim, and chair rail were light colored wood. The walls were white above the chair rail and seafoam green below. A large window opened to a view of the city, lights twinkling in the evening twilight. The room had an on suite bathroom with walk in shower, a chair that reclined, and upholstered wood frame chairs.

I drug the reclining sleeper chair as close as I could to the bed, put my feet up, and settled in for the night.

A nurse named Debby arrived shortly after our arrival, announcing she was the seven-to-seven night nurse. Debby was middle aged with short cropped brown hair, black framed glasses, and tiny feet shoved into brightly colored tennis shoes. She wore black scrub pants and a scrub top covered with emojis. Debby reminded me of a Chihuahua than a nurse. She was barely five feet tall and tiny everywhere. She was vibrating with nervous energy. I couldn't determine if this was her normal, or if having a hospital full of recovering bombing victims had tipped her over the edge. Either way, it was a sight to behold.

Debby brought Ranger a styrofoam cup of water and a ceramic mug with chicken broth. He was still resting, but she told us he was allowed to have liquids once he woke.

Tank was relieved at 9:00 PM by Hector. Hector was looking relatively fresh in clean clothes. He brought a huge black duffle bag with him, which was passed to me.

"From Maria," Hector said.

I rose and gave Hector a bone-crushing hug.

"Thank you," I said, setting the bag on my chair and shuffling through it.

The bag contained a soft microfiber throw blanket and a pillow from Ranger's bed. I smelled the pillow, and it smelled like Ranger. It was soothing and intoxicating all at once. Ten points for Maria.

The bag contained three small stacks of new clothing, tags still attached. The first stack contained a pair of black yoga pants, black bikini underwear, a pale lavender long sleeved t-shirt, and white fleece half-zip sweatshirt with Rangeman embroidered on the left chest. Sleep clothes, I thought. The second stack included black jeans, black socks, a black long sleeved Rangeman t-shirt, black lacy bra with matching underwear, and a new Rangeman windbreaker. Uniform clothes for tomorrow, I thought.

The third stack of clothes was for Ranger. Sweat pants, t-shirt, Rangeman fleece jacket, boxers, socks. All black, of course.

Maria had included other necessities in the bag. Black Nike tennis shoes for Ranger and me. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair brush, a shower towel, makeup remover towelettes, ibuprofen, deodorant, travel size Bulgari shower gel, travel size shampoo with conditioner, a variety of snacks, a few cans of Coke, my phone charger, and Ranger's phone charger. God bless Maria.

I plugged in Ranger's cell phone, placed extra clothes in the closet, and placed care essentials in the bathroom.

"I guess this is garbage," I said to Hector, holding up the charger for my cell phone. "I lost my cell at the park today."

Hector fished around in his pocket. "I almost forgot," he said, extending the phone to me. "Your other gear is back at Rangeman."

"Hector, oh god. Thank you!" I said, taking the phone from him. I gave him another embrace, and I swear I saw him blush to his ears. The phone was dead, so I plugged it in to the wall to charge next to Ranger's.

I set the pillow and blanket in my chair, then shamelessly dug into the snacks. Hector pulled up a chair next to me, and he ate snacks too.

"How are you holding up?" I asked him.

"Long day," he admitted, eating barbeque chips. His eyes were sad.

"Did you get any sleep?" I asked him.

"A few hours," he said, his mouth full of chips. "Lester is relieving me at 1:00 AM, hermana. No worries. Ximena is coming with him to check on you."

I sighed audibly. I hated being 'checked on'. We finished our snacks, and despite the sign that said 'For Patient Use Only', I took a fast shower in Ranger's on suite bathroom.

I painfully washed the last of the blood out of my hair and cleaned all traces of the day from my body. I towel dried my body and hair, brushing my hair out and tying it back into a loose braid. I brushed my teeth and removed the light makeup I had applied this morning. I took three more ibuprofen for my pounding headache and achy body. I dressed in the clothes Maria sent before settling into the reclining chair.

Hector was working on a laptop, engrossed in whatever he was doing. I didn't interrupt.

I held Ranger's hand in mine and drifted into a fitful, nightmare filled sleep.

I was shaken awake by Hector. My heart was racing.

"Estephania, wake up," he said, his voice thick with concern.

I glanced first to Hector, then to the clock. It was 11:55 PM.

"You were having a nightmare," he explained. "You were crying out in your sleep."

I tried to remember what I had been dreamaing, but nothing came to mind. The only remaining trace of the nightmare was my racing heart.

"You woke Ranger," Hector explained.

Ranger's eyes were open but still glassy and unfocused. I turned my body to him, sitting on my knees in my chair.

"Hey," I cooed, pulling his oxygen mask down to his chin. "How are you feeling?"

Ranger grimaced before responding. "Alive." His voice was stronger than before, less hoarse.

"I'm sorry I woke you," I apologized. "Are you thirsty? I've got ice water."

Ranger nodded his assent, and I used the buttons on the bed to sit him up enough to drink from the cup. Before I could get him upright, he cried out.

I stopped. "Crap, I'm sorry," I said. "What hurts?"

Ranger's face was tense. He had worry lines at the corners of his eyes and mouth, and his forehead was lined. Purple bruising was prominent on his forehead, fading into his hairline. "Everything."

I pressed the call button for the nurse, who came in and explained to Ranger he could use a small handheld button to administer pain medication for himself up to twice per hour. He pressed the button and waited for relief. The nurse brought in a cup of red Jello and a plastic spoon. She switched out his oxygen mask for nasal prongs, then left.

I went to the small kitchenette two doors down from Ranger's room to grab a straw and used it to give him some small sips of water.

"Do you want some Jello?" I asked Ranger.

Despite his discomfort, his eyes showed amusement. "Babe."

I took that as an affirmative, so I tore the foil lid off the container and spooned some up for him.

He took the Jello and moved it around his mouth thoughtfully, but he didn't say anything. He studied me.

Over the years, I had grown comfortable with Ranger's silence. I did my best to make small talk to fill the quiet space tonight, though. I spent the morning thinking I'd never have another conversation with Ranger ever again, and I wasn't about to waste the opportunity.

"I'm impressed. Maria is almost as good as Ella," I told him. "She sent us a giant care package tonight. Clothes, snacks, and everything else we need while we're here. I don't know where you find these women, but they're ten times the woman I'll ever be." I grinned down at him, and he looked like he was thinking about smiling.

"Lester is taking a shift in an hour. Excited to see him?" I asked, trying to waggle my eyebrows in the way only Lester could successfully muster.

Ranger cracked a half smile at that. "I need my gun," Ranger said.

"Why is that?" I said, waiting for the punch line.

"Because someone needs to shoot him if he lays his hands on you," Ranger said, grinning wider.

I belly laughed, and Ranger looked pleased with himself. Ranger's jokes were few and far between, so this was a golden moment.

I fed Ranger another spoon of Jello and chased it with a sip of water. We continued this process until the Jello was gone and the water needed refilled. Ranger was looking drowsy again, the meds clearly taking effect.

"Can I lay you back down? You need to rest," I told him.

He was hesitant, but finally agreed. I used the button to lower the bed gradually.

"Tell me when to stop," I said, squeezing his hand in mine. I eased him down until he was nearly flat, and he motioned for me to stop.

I gently perched myself on my hip on the edge of Ranger's bed, resting my palm on the other side of the mattress so I was hovering over his body. I used my other hand to chase a stray hair away from his forehead, then placed a feather light kiss across his lips.

Ranger looked at me through hooded eyes. "Pretty," he said in a low, sensual voice that sent electricity through my body.

I cracked a playful, sexy smile. "How hard did you hit your head?" I asked.

"Good question," he asked, closing his eyes and grimacing. "I don't remember. It hurts."

I brushed one last kiss across his lips, then placed one hand lightly over his heart, allowing myself to feel the life pumping through him. I stayed like this until he had fallen into a deep slumber.

I slid off the bed, and Hector motioned me over.

"I was able to pull footage from cameras near the blast site," he said, motioning to his screen.

I hesitated. I honestly wasn't sure I wanted to see. I worried my lip between my teeth.

He noticed my hesitation. "Only if you want, hermana," he said.

I nodded, sinking to my knees on the floor next to his chair. He tipped his screen in my direction.

I could see the frozen frame of runners, waiting for the start gun. Hector pointed out Ranger in the image. He was standing on the outside of the barricades about five feet in front of the start line banner. It was hard to see much detail, but he was easy to pick out since he was wearing all black.

Hector typed several keystrokes, and the video began playing in slow motion. I kept my eyes on Ranger's form. I watched as he walked along the running course in the opposite direction from the start line. He appeared to be scanning the crowd. He paused, turned, and then the blast hit.

Debris flew through the air, and bodies were pushed in every direction by the energy of the blast. Debris hit Ranger, and his limp body sailed through the air six or eight feet. His head made contact with the concrete street, and he lay face down, unmoving. I saw a dark puddle begin to form beneath his body.

I now knew the answer about how hard he hit his head. Really fucking hard, I thought.

A sick feeling grew in the pit of my stomach, and my head swam. I heard rushing water in my ears.

Hector rewound the footage and played it again. I watched in silent horror as the scene played out again. I wanted to beg him to stop it, but I was frozen in place. He let it continue to play, and I saw myself enter the frame. I watched my efforts to save Ranger. I saw Hector and Ximena move into view of the camera.

I felt my body wretch, and I was on my feet headed for the bathroom in an instant. I made it just in time, falling to my knees to empty the contents of my stomach into the bathroom toilet.

I felt a warm hand rub my back and another pull my braid back. I continued to throw up.

"Shhh…." soothed a familiar voice. "You're alright. Deep breaths."

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and turned to see Diesel kneeling behind me. I did some deep breathing, noticing Hector standing in the bathroom doorway.

"Lo siento, Estephania," he said, looking remorseful.

"It's not your fault," I told Hector. "I'm fine. Give me a minute."

Diesel scooped me up under my armpits and set me on my feet. He rummaged around on the sink, finding my toothbrush and paste. He squirted some toothpaste on the brush, extending it to me.

"I'll go grab you some water," he said, then he was gone.

I brushed my teeth and washed my face and hands. I went back to my chair, and Diesel returned with a Styrofoam cup of water for me.

"Thank you," I said, taking a drink. "How did it go at Rangeman?"

"Fine," said Diesel, taking a seat in a chair next to me. "I thought finding this guy would be easy, but now with all the three letter agencies in the picture, it's a nightmare."

I nodded acknowledgment. I thought about asking him for more information, but decided against it. After all that had happened, I was in Atlanta for Ranger, not for Rangeman. I think Diesel realized that too, because he didn't share any more.

Diesel slouched in his chair and rested his head against the wall. In minutes, he had fallen asleep.

Twenty minutes later, Ximena and Lester arrived to relieve Hector. Hector left without a word, taking a set of keys from Lester.

"Hey Beautiful," said Lester quietly.

I gave him a smile. "When Ranger heard you were coming in tonight, he requested his gun. Said if you laid a finger on me, he'd shoot you. Lucky for you, I didn't oblige him. You owe me."

We all laughed quietly together. Somehow, Diesel was managing to sleep.

Ximena dropped her backpack and fished around in it.

"I want to check your head again," she said, holding a tube of ointment in her hand.

I released my hair from its braid, and she proceeded to smear more ointment on my broken skin. Once she was finished, she re-braided my hair and tied it back.

"How does your head feel?" she asked.

"Okay," I said, only fudging a little. "Maria sent me ibuprofen, so I took a dose a little earlier."

Ximena looked pleased. She took a few minutes to examine Ranger before packing back up.

"I'm headed in for the night," she said. "I got a shower earlier, but I haven't slept yet. Call me if you need anything," she said before exiting the room to return to Rangeman.

My sleep continued to be fitful between nightmares and the constant in-and-out traffic in Ranger's room. I woke to Ranger's phone vibrating at 6:45 AM.

Lester stood by the door looking dead on his feet. Diesel was gone. I stumbled to where the phone was plugged in and read the readout. I recognized the number as my mother's.

"Hi mom," I said softly so as not to wake Ranger.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum. What in God's name has gotten into you?" my mother asked, sounding outraged.

"What?" I asked, caught off guard. I shuffled into Ranger's bathroom and closed the door so as not to disturb his slumber.

"First, Joseph gets shot doing his police job, and you can't bother to fly home to check on him. He's your boyfriend, for God's sake Stephanie. He's lying in the hospital bed without anyone to fluff his pillow or hold his hand. To make matters worse, he's in a coma! It's not like you're missing out on him passing a kidney stone. He needs you!"

I was dumbstruck. My mother had officially gone off the deep end.

"Then you make matters worse by almost dying in a bombing, and you don't have the good sense to call your mother to let her know you're alive," she continued, sounding complete outraged. "And now I learn you're shacked up in another state with some gangster who dresses in all black and wants you for your body. Who the hell does he think he is? Zorro? That man isn't right. Something is wrong with him. He isn—"

"Mom," I said firmly into the phone. "You need to take a breath."

"I need to take a breath?!" she shrieked into the phone. "You need to reevaluate your life!"

I stood in silence doing some deep breathing. She wasn't wrong about me needing to reevaluate my life, but the reevaluation had nothing to do with Joe or Ranger. For years, I've been like a ship stuck out at sea. I haven't found something I'm passionate about for a career, so I continue to half ass my bounty hunter gig. It pays the bills—so long as I mooch some meals from my mom a few times per week. It would be impossible to count the number of times I've been shot at, rolled in garbage, been assaulted, or someone had made an attempt to kidnap me. If I didn't like working with Lula, Connie, and Ranger so much, I'd probably make a change. But hell, even if Lula was a terrible bounty hunter assistant, she was an excellent friend, and we almost always agreed on a lunch destination. Don't fix it if it's not broken, right?

"Mom," I started, working to keep my voice calm. "First of all, Joe and I aren't together. We have been broken up for months. You know this, so don't you dare go starting something. I feel terrible that I'm not there to support him right now, but it doesn't change that we're not together."

There was silence on her end of the line, so I continued, my voice ramping up with frustration.

"Second, I didn't call you yesterday because I lost my phone after the explosion. I was there, mom. I saw people die yesterday. I called as soon as I could, but you were drunk by the time I was able to reach the house."

"Meredith Sunnucci's daughter doesn't have a job that includes explosives. She works at the personal products plant. She's a nice girl. She recently got married and settled down. They even bought a house! And Rosalie Tha—"

"MOM!" I shrieked into the phone. "Listen to me!"

I was used to being misunderstood and insulted by my mother, but this took the cake. Today was the day I was going to be done putting up with this crap.

"I lost my phone because I was busy trying to save 'that gangster's' life!" I mocked my mother's words, my voice thick with tears and raw emotion. "He almost died yesterday. I rode in an ambulance with him, covered in his blood. I sat in a waiting room for hours, unsure if I'd ever see him smile again. I'm here in the hospital with him now, and I'm not leaving until he walks out of here. That will give you plenty of time to come to terms with reality. I'm in love with Zorro. I have been for a long time. Deal with it, Mom!"

I disconnected and fell to the floor, letting my tears roll unchecked down my cheeks.