Mia shook her head. “Nothing.”
Joaquin’s stomach sank. “Mierda.”
“Sophie says that Marc and Julian are still up there. They’re planning to help that rescue team search for remains as soon as they can get through.”
“Good.” Rossiter deserved that.
Mia stood, rubbed her lower back.
Joaquin sat up. “Can I get you a better chair?”
Mia shook her head. “Sophie, Tessa, Zach McBride, your parents, your grandma, a few of your cousins—they’re all waiting for a chance to see you. No matter how much I want to, I can’t keep you to myself. Besides, I need a bathroom break.”
Oh, right. All that baby on her bladder left her needing to pee all the time.
“I’ll be back.”
Sophie and Tessa were the first to enter his room.
“You look like hell,” Tessa said, her curly blond hair held back in a ponytail.
Joaquin laughed. “Thanks.”
“Are they keeping you comfortable?” Sophie asked.
“I’ve had morphine, Percocet, some kind of numbing gel, a tetanus shot. I’m good.”
“Thank God for painkillers.” Sophie sat beside him. “What happened up there? How did you all survive?”
He gave them the short version of the story until the two were staring at him wide-eyed.
“God almighty, Joaquin.” Tessa shook her head. “A helicopter crashanda raging wildfire. It just wasn’t your time, was it?”
Sophie gave his hand a careful squeeze. “I can’t decide if you were incredibly unlucky today or whether you’re the luckiest guy I know.”
“I’ll go with lucky.” Then he remembered his photos. “Can you get into my stuff beneath my bed?”
“Sure.” Sophie grabbed the bag, set it on the bedside table, took out his camera. “This looks bad.”
“It’s ruined. My phone, too.” He reached for the bag, felt around inside for the smaller plastic bag the nurses had given him. “But this is fine.”
He opened the bag and took out the memory card.
“How did that survive?” Sophie asked.
He handed it to her. “I tucked it inside my underwear.”
“This was in your crotch?” She held the memory card at eye level. “This is a new and unexpected level of intimacy between us, Joaquin.”
Joaquin chuckled. “Can you get it to Tom?”
Sophie nodded. “Of course. Anything to help.”
Tessa took the memory card. “I’ll do it. You stay in the car, Sophie. Tom might ask you to clock in otherwise.”
Sophie’s eyes went wide. “Oh, right. Good call.”
“I saw Hunter and Darcangelo up there.” Joaquin figured they’d like to hear about their husbands. “They were helping with the evacuations.”