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At the hospital it was a little bit of work to get in to see Poppy There were still a bunch of law enforce like vultures The nursing staff kneho Saleht away and started to usher her back, but she didn’t want to go withoutto let ht it was more iht the rules, but Sale none of it And in her typical way she charet o into the room with her

I almost wished I had stayed in the hall Poppy looked dreadful Her face was practically deforled and matted h both of her eyes were black and blue and swollen to the point that I had no idea how she could see out of the depths She just looked beyond broken, and while I wanted to turn around and pretend like none of it had happened, Sale as they rocked together around the tubes and ret There were no useless words of condolence All Salem could do was hold Poppy as she cried and cried There was nothing that was going to make the situation, or her sister, any better and Saleth, which was really the only thing that Poppy needed at the moment I wasn’t really sure what to do with myself, so I just hovered by the doorway and watched the heartbreaking scene unfold As a man that cared about these tomen, who had loved both of them in different ways for a lifetie that they were both suffering so deeply and there was nothing I could do about it If Oliver hadn’t already been dead I felt like I would start a manhunt so I could take hier and unease were putting off because she tapped the hospital bed next to her hip and motioned me over

I sat down as delicately as I could and picked up her hand Her fingernails were all broken off and tattered and there were black finger marks from her wrist to her elbow Whatever Oliver had inflicted on her, she had fought back like a champ It was never easy to see anyone like this, let alone souys had each other while this was going on" Her voice was scratchy and sounded like it took a whole lot of effort to make it work She squinted at me out of her puffy eyes and I could see her sincerity and her heart shining back at me "I know this had to be pretty hard for both of you"

I never wanted to lose anyone I loved ever again, but this incident, this act of senseless violence and maliciousness, made it very clear that no ht have other plans and loss was just a part of life It was a far better idea to enjoy the time I had with those that matter than it was to obsess and worry over ould happen when that time ran out

"All that et to take you home"

She turned her head to look at Salem and then let her battered eyes drift shut "I don’t even knohere ho toat home with me’ What kind of hoo stiff

"Home is where there are people that love you and need you Ho no matter what your faults are or what your life looks like to others Hoo back to Poppy, ho back to Denver with us so we can take care of you and get you so to let it all rest until she had it out with her father for the final tis that kept her and Poppy tied to the past, break the inside of o with her I wanted to be her dragon slayer, her offensive line, but I knew I had to let her go alone I had to let her go so she could coht I would take care of Poppy and make sure she was okay while Salem did her best to set theue or talkto want to stay at her side, so I left the two of theoing on The troops did what they always did and rallied Rule and Nash told me not to worry about work Cora asked me if I needed her to pack up the baby and drive down to New Mexico Ayden toldand was stunned when I told her o on the top of the to-do list when I got back to D-town Everyone was going to have topart offorward

It took two more days until Poppy was released and the police were done with her By that ti poked and prodded and the constant re vehemently with Salem about her plan to return to Loveless and confront their father Poppy just wanted her to let it go, but Sales and have so to stay out of it because I saw both sides of the argu Sale In fact I was going to fly ho an SUV and driving to Loveless from New Mexico It was a situation that had both sisters uneasy for different reasons

On the day Poppy was finally discharged ere standing in front of the hospital waiting for the taxi to take us to the airport and I could tell Sale with her hair, and wouldn’t look h and hauled her to me by her upper arms so that ere eye to eye I kissed her on the tip of the nose while she dangled there and told her softly,

"Stop it"

She scowled at me and swatted my bicep as I put her back down on her feet "Stop what?"

"Whatever you’re thinking Just stop I’otta trustcare of my family Your crystal ball shows us, rehed "I know She’s just so broken and you’re just so sweet and want tobetter I just had a brief flash of doubt is all I know you’re the best person to help her heal right now You’re the only person I trust with her"

I bent so I could kiss her on her sassyI loved the way she justainst hers