"Okay, here. Let me help you put these on."
Josh grabbed his own sweats out of his bag.
"Are you sure?" I asked. "What are you going to wear?"
"I’m fine in these shorts and a shirt. Don’t worry about me."
He gingerly helped me put the sweats on, then lifted me up and carried me to the truck.
"Do you have a blanket in here?" he asked, once I was settled in the passenger seat.
I shook my head, my teeth chattering.
"Okay," he answered, turning on the heater.
I sat and watched as he quickly loaded everything else in the back of my truck, and then he hopped in and we drove towards the hospital.
"I can never begin to thank you enough," I said.
"You don’t need to thank me," he answered. "I’m just doing what’s right."
He pulled up to the hospital, jumped out, and went inside. A few minutes later, he hurried back outside, followed by a hospital worker pushing an empty wheelchair.
Josh lifted me out, helped me sit in the wheelchair, and then handed me my purse.
"Carl is going to wheel you in there and they’re going to get started on all the paperwork. I am going to go park the truck, make a quick phone call, and I will meet you inside."
"Okay," I said.
"I’ll be there in two minutes," he said to me. He turned and looked at Carl. "Thanks again, Carl."
"No problem, Josh. I’ll see you in there."
I wondered how Josh and Carl knew each other, but I knew it was not the time to ask.
"Are you ready, Miss?" Carl asked.
"Yes," I answered. "Thank you."
We headed into the hospital as Josh drove away.
True to his word, Josh was back by my side within two minutes. I could see that he also knew the woman doing the intake.
"Do you know everyone in the hospital?" I asked.
Josh looked around the room and smiled.
"Yes," he said.
I laughed, despite the pain I was feeling.
"You’ve been outside of a small town for too long," he said. "I know everybody in town."
"You’re right! I had forgotten about that."
Josh looked down at my ankle. "It’s really swelling."
"Do you think it’s broken?"
