“You will be. But for now, you have a bad concussion, your right arm is broken in two places, and five of your ribs are cracked pretty badly.” She pauses, then looks at my cheek again.
“What?”
“I’m afraid your face was cut pretty bad. But you got lucky because one of the best plastic surgeons in the province happened to be here, so there’s hope that the scar won’t be too bad. He stitched up your back too. You’ve got over a hundred stitches …”
She continues talking but I tune her out, not wanting to know any more.
“… But no matter, you’re alive and that little girl is alive with barely a scratch on her.” She pulls the blankets up to my neck and tucks them around me. “It’s almost time for some more pain medication. I’ll ask the doc if we can give you the good stuff so you can get a big sleep.”
“Thanks,” I say, but she’s already gone.
My right ear is so plugged it throbs. Every cell in my body hurts. Tears roll across my temple and into my hair. I can’t close my eyes because when I do, I see her under the water. I feel her jacket slip through my fingers. I hear the roar of the waves and feel the sharp rock as I’m slammed against it. Even though I know it can’t, I find myself wishing the next set of pain meds will take away those jagged memories.
There is a knock at the door, and Liam comes in with Olive in his arms. She’s dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants that hang off her tiny frame. He swallows when he sees me, and his face screws up with emotion. Olive slides out of his arms and onto my bed.
“Be careful, love.” His voice is gentle now. The fear has passed, and it took the rage with it.
Her little hand brushes the hair out of my face, and she tucks it behind my ear, just the way her dad does for her. “You’re my hero, Abby.”
I shake my head, feeling fresh tears fill my eyes. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Liam places his hand over mine. “She wouldn’t have made it if you hadn’t jumped in after her.”
I shake my head as much as I am able. “She wouldn’t have been down there if it wasn’t for me.”
“Don’t say that.” He gives me a sad smile.
There are not enough days in the year for him to convince me this wasn’t my fault, and at the moment, I don’t have the will to fight him about it. “How did you find us?”
Tears fill his eyes and he looks away for a second, shaking his head. “I just got this terrible feeling, and I started running.”
He pauses and clears his throat, and I know it’s all too fresh to talk about. When he looks back at me, he wipes his cheeks. “I’m so sorry I yelled at you.”
“It’s okay. I’d yell at me too.”
He gives my hand a little squeeze and his face crumples again. “I almost lost you both.”
Olive looks up at her dad. “But you didn’t. We’re here.”
He picks her up and holds her tight to him. “I don’t think I’m going to let you out of my sight for the next ten years.”
She pulls back and smiles at him. “That’s silly. What about when one of us has to poop?”
Liam and I both chuckle, but then I stop, because laughing and broken ribs don’t pair well.
The nurse comes back in and clears her throat in a way that says it’s time for them to leave.
Liam nods at her, then turns back to me. “We’re going to head home, but I’ll be back tomorrow, okay?”
“Oh, what about Walt?”
“Nettie already came and got him.”
“Tell her thanks.”
I look at Olive. “If you ever wanted a pony, kiddo, now’s the time to ask your dad for one.”
Relief fills Liam’s eyes. “Thanks for that.”
