What would you do in this situation (long)?

If your friend is so emotionally unstable that she is ready to commit suicide then she isn't ready for a relationship. She needs to focus on getting her life straight before she can even think about starting a life with someone else otherwise her relationships will always end in disaster. With that said, her boyfriend is an a**hole. If she meant anything to him he would have found a way to visit her, especially if he is only an hour away. She should leave him and make sure she gets better and stable first.