Mending

Diego showed up after a month. He was bleeding heavily. He'd been shot in three places. It was a setup, he told Carrie, deliriously.

Carrie was frantic. The doctors patched him up, but it was up to Carrie to bandage and treat the wounds. By caring for him, day by day, the Faustian bargain she had grew into something real and meaningful. The cartels that set him up, and the government that tried to arrest Diego -- those were the bad guys. Diego, he was just attempting to provide for his employees, and for her. She empathized with Diego, her captor. Her Stockholm experience was complete.

Diego stirred. He was healthy enough to get hard. Carrie smiled. Now this, she could deal with.