Crushing (The Southern California Wine Country Series) by J Gordon Smith

eighty pounds of shingles up another twelve inches into the sky.
    Kyle could not remember which happened first, but his foot slipped a rung several higher than the sticky one. The base of the ladder slipped away from the house. The top of the ladder dipped from the edge of the roof and twisted under his feet like one of those skateboard tricks. None of it mattered. He fell to the grass with the ladder half across his body and the two bundles of his shingles folded in a lump behind him. Then black bars blotted out the sun as stacked shingle bundles slipped over the roof edge. He could not kick his tangled legs free of the ladder. The bundles fell with crushing force on top of him. He blacked out after the third and fourth bundles hit him.
     
    -:-:-:- -:-:-:-
     
    Kyle heard a beeping sound through the rest of the silence. He cracked open an eye and saw Sardis sitting agitated in a chair at the end of the hospital bed that Kyle lay in. “I thought I was in heaven until I heard that machine beep out of tune.” Kyle started to laugh, but his chest hurt like he could not believe.
    Sardis stood up and came near Kyle. “Those shingles fell on you. We got you to the emergency room and you were out cold. You have broken ribs and they thought bruised organs, so lots of tests. Good to see you awake, bro.”
    “I don’t know if I can sing now. I can’t take much of a deep breath.” Fear caused Kyle to want more air but he could only pant like a dog in short shallow breaths.
    “We can drop off the screamer songs and put in a few more mellow tunes or covers even. Or I can sing a little.”
    “You can’t sing, Sardis.”
    “I know, but this is what we do. It’s only ever been the two of us so I’m used to it, and you’ve done the same for me.”
    “How are we paying for this hospital?”
    “The roofing company has insurance, not much though. Paying us cash under the table does not get very far with an insurance company. They filled out the forms like we were vagrants that stumbled on the job site and got injured.”
    “We are kind of vagrants.”
    “We were working. If they recognized that then we’d have regular health care and some sort of disability payment.”
    “On our own still, aren’t we.”
    Sardis nodded.
    “Something …” Kyle’s voice dropped off when he looked across the room, he hoped he was not dreaming, Amanda stood in the doorway. Her arms crossed her body and her hands squeezed her arms. Her eyes told him she had been on a mix of crying and worry. Kyle said, “Hi Amanda. How long have you been waiting?”
    Amanda stepped over the threshold as if knowing she crossed an airlock into unforgiving deep space without a hope for a protective suit against the vacuum, “I’ve been in the lounge for two hours –”
    Sardis put his hands up, “I didn’t know anything about that.”
    Amanda said, “No, you did not. I saw you waiting in the room and the nurse told me Kyle was out still. I lurked in the hallway for a time and then went to the waiting room. I cannot believe how wrinkly those magazines are. They must have a hundred readers flipping through them, a day.”
    Sardis stood. “I guess I’m curious now how those magazines hold up so well. I should go check them out. Maybe a drum or guitar magazine is in there.” Sardis nodded to Amanda and left the room.
    “That was nice that he left for a few minutes.” Amanda approached Kyle. She put her hand on his arm. He slid his arm up so his fingers could grip hers. “Julie heard Sardis called the winery that you are in recovery and not to give up your band schedule.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “About what?”
    “About what happened.”
    Amanda pulled up a chair with her toe and sat down. She bent her head and pressed his hand against her cheek. “I shouldn’t care like I do. Especially after Haley came to the winery.”
    Kyle curled his body forward but he winced when the pain shot through his chest. He lay back, helpless. “What did Haley