Waking in the emergency room, by myself, behind a curtain, didn't do much for my mood. I tried to get up to find a nurse, but my ribs were killing me, and as I became more aware of my body, every inch ached or burned. I needed a phone, but movement of any kind was brutally painful.
Just as I was about to have a full-blown panic attack, a bubbly brunette bounced through the fabric hanging from the ceiling. "How are you feeling?" she chirped, and I imagined she was a cheerleader in another life.
"Like I was trampled by a herd of elephants. Is there a phone I can use?" I winced as I dropped my leg over the side of the bed.
"Sit still and let me go get one from the nurses' station."
When she returned, I dialed my cell phone four times before Trace finally answered. I could tell I'd woken
