Memory fragments assembled themselves into coherent pictures: the warrant, the convoy to Ashford's property, the explosion that had turned a controlled operation into a nightmare.
"You were hurt," Erin whispered, noticing the bandages on Lena's hand, the faint smell of antiseptic around her bed.
"Just glass cuts from the window I broke getting you out. Minor smoke inhalation." Lena's expression turned fierce. "Nothing compared to what you went through. They discharged me yesterday, but I wasn't leaving without you."
"You stayed."
"Where else would I be?"
The door opened with a soft knock, and Dr. Samira Hassan entered, her professional demeanor warming when she saw both patients awake.
"Erin, excellent to see you conscious." Dr. Hassan approached Erin's bed, checking the monitors with practiced efficiency. "Detective Soto, you should be resting too."
"I'm fine," Lena said, which earned a skeptical look from the doctor.
"How are you feeling, Erin?" Dr. Hassan asked.
"Like I swallowed a campfire," Erin whispered, which earned a small smile.
"Not far from accurate. You inhaled superheated air and chemical fumes. Your throat and upper respiratory system sustained significant damage, but you're healing well." Dr. Hassan made notes on her tablet. "Lena's quick action got you out before the worst of the structural collapse. You're very lucky."
Erin's gaze found Lena's, seeing the weight of what had happened written in every line of exhaustion around her eyes. She'd gone into that burning building. She'd risked her life to pull Erin out of Ashford's trap.
"When can I go home?" Erin asked.
"Let's see how you do today. If your oxygen levels remain stable and you can keep food down, possibly tomorrow." Dr. Hassan's expression grew more serious. "You both need rest. Real rest."
After Dr. Hassan left, silence settled between them, heavy with everything that had happened and everything that hadn't been said.
"Ashford?" Erin asked quietly.
Lena's expression grew somber. "Didn't make it out. The accelerants he set off...he was right at the center when they ignited."
Erin absorbed this information, feeling something like closure settling in her chest. "He was willing to die for his cause."
"The hatred he carried just consumed him," Lena said softly. "Literally."
They were quiet for a moment, processing the strange justice of it all. The man who'd spent so much energy trying to destroy their community had destroyed only himself in the end.
"The case is closed," Lena continued. "Phoenix Ridge is safe. The community is safe."
"And us?" Erin asked quietly.
Lena was quiet for a moment, her fingers still tracing patterns on Erin's hand. "I thought I'd lost you in there. Really lost you. And all I could think about was everything I should have said."
"You said plenty in the hospital after your injury," Erin whispered.
"That was fear and desperation talking." Lena met her eyes. "This is different. I love you, Erin. Not because we almost died, but because I want to live with you."
Her chest tightened. "I love you too. Have for longer than I probably should admit. Remember that first fight at Lavender's? When you accused me of being too idealistic?" Erin's mouth curved slightly despite her sore throat. "Even then, part of me was thinking how magnificent you were when you were angry."
Lena laughed, soft and rough. "I was thinking you were going to be the death of me."
"Almost was," Erin said, then immediately regretted the dark humor when Lena's expression tightened.
"Don't." Lena's voice was fierce. "Don't joke about that. Not yet."
The afternoon sun slanted through the hospital windows, casting everything in warm gold tones. Beyond the wind, Erin could hear the distant sounds of Phoenix Ridge as life continued. The city they'd fought to protect was still there, still safe. And here, in this room full of monitoring equipment and antiseptic air, she finally had what she'd almost lost: Lena, alive and whole and choosing her back.
