***

The first things Brooke saw when she opened her eyes were the smiling faces of John and Emily. Both of them rushed toward her, and Emily slammed her tiny body into Brooke’s side. Brooke winced.

“Whoa, easy, Em. Mom’s still recovering,” John said.

Brooke rubbed her side but immediately smiled. She held out her arm and pulled Emily close. “That’s okay. I’ll take that kind of beating any day.”

Her left arm was encased in a sling, and her ankle was wrapped in a large boot. Lines of tubing ran from her body to an array of machines watching her vitals and feeding her fluids.

“Are you guys okay?” Brooke asked.

“We’re fine, Mom,” John answered.

“Amy,” Brooke said, her eyes widening, “What about Amy and Gabby?”

“They’re safe. You did it, Mom,” John said.

“Yeah, Mom. You saved everyone!” Emily echoed.

“Let’s see… Reckless driving. Lethal discharge of a firearm. And enough property damage to make an insurance adjuster crap his pants. Yeah, I’d say you’ve graduated from the school of badass moms.”

Brooke looked over to see Eric in the doorway holding a batch of “Get well soon” balloons.

“Those for me?” Brooke asked.

“No, these are my balloons. I don’t know what happened to yours,” Eric answered.

“Eric!” Emily yelled.

“What? Don’t look at me, kid. It’s your fault you put me on balloon patrol,” Eric replied.

“Seems like you’re feeling better,” Brooke said.

Eric tied the balloon strings to the railing of Brooke’s hospital bed. He examined his arm and then pointed to Brooke’s shoulder. “Looks like we have matching injuries.”

“I couldn’t let you have all the fun,” Brooke said.

Before Eric had a chance to answer, Amy and Daniel rushed into her room. Amy practically shoved Eric into the wall then wrapped her sister in a hug.

“Thank God you’re all right,” Amy said. “How are you feeling? Oh, that’s a stupid question. You were shot, for Christ’s sake.”

“Amy, I’m fine.”

Daniel came to his wife’s side and rested his hand on Brooke’s leg. “Brooke, I can’t thank you enough.”

Amy clasped her hands together in excitement. “Well, should you tell her or should I?”

Everyone in the room kept glancing at one another. Brooke rotated her head around, waiting for someone to speak up. “Tell me what?” Brooke asked.

Emily jumped on the side of her hospital bed. “We get to go home!”

“The Senate is voting on reinstating the exiled states this afternoon. It’s a little premature, but with everything that’s happened, we know it’ll pass,” Daniel said.

“And?” Amy asked, nudging Daniel with her elbow to get him to continue.

“And the fresh-water bill passed, allowing Dr. Carlson’s designs to be used. The first shipments should be arriving in the Southwest next week. Utility sites are already being scouted on the West Coast for more stations.”

“Then that means…” Brooke said.

“The drought’s over,” John replied.

Every face in the room was smiling. Brooke rested her head back on her pillow and closed her eyes. She felt lighter. The pain in her shoulder eased, and the faintest hint of life began to well up inside her. It started small and distant, but the longer she kept her eyes closed, the more she felt it grow. Her cheeks grew tight and red. She could feel her chest shaking, and when she opened her eyes and saw the reflection of the same laughter and joy that she was feeling, she thought it was a dream.

Amy squeezed her left hand, then John found her right, while Emily giggled around Brooke’s legs. Her family was alive. She was alive. And now they would get to go home.

“Guys, we should let her rest,” Amy said. “C’mon.”

John and Emily gave Brooke another hug each, followed by Daniel, then Amy. They left the room until Eric and Brooke were alone together.

“Well, you sure know how to show a guy a good time, Mrs. Fontanne,” Eric said.

“Thank you, Eric. For everything.”

“You’re welcome. And I guess I should just send all of my medical bills to you, then? Yeah?”

Brooke laughed. “How’s your friend doing?”

“Dave? Oh, he’s fine. Pissed and angry as hell at me, but he’s fine.”

“You know, he told me how you got your nickname.”

“Ah, shit. Look, I was a kid. I didn’t know any better.”

“I still don’t think you know any better.”

“I don’t.” Eric paused. “Well, I’ll let you rest.” He tapped the railing lightly with his knuckle and turned for the door.

“Jason would have been glad you helped,” Brooke called out. “And he wouldn’t want any type of debt hanging over your head. He wasn’t that type of man.”

Eric leaned up against the doorframe. “I know.” He smiled then disappeared.