difficult for him to not be active—”
She didn’t realize she’d cut off until Mike hugged her tight and someone petted her hair from behind. She cleared her throat. “But other than his leg. He’s okay, right?”
“I’m not trying to be evasive, Mrs. Rosewood. I’m sorry. The reality is we just can’t be sure yet. They’ll run more tests in the morning. A lot of him is too swollen for accurate imaging right now, but we think we’ve addressed the bleeding and isolated all the critical issues. He’s banged up pretty much everywhere. A piece of the door gashed his belly. He had stitches in his face, arms, chest and… Well, there’s no part of him we didn’t work on except his back.”
Her knees buckled.
Strong arms surrounded her, keeping her afloat through the storm of fear and pain.
“I know it may not seem like it. Not today and not six months from now, but your husband is lucky. So very fortunate to still be with us, given the situation. A few inches more of that door bending or a couple inches higher on the crushing pressure that mangled his leg or…any number of almosts , and we would not have been able to help him.”
“Dave.” Kayla cried his name over and over.
“Can we see him?” Mike asked for her.
“Once they have him in the ICU, we’ll let Mrs. Rosewood in for five minutes. You—only you—can go with her. After that, you might as well go home and get some rest. You won’t be able to see him again until tomorrow after his exams, and he’s going to need you when he wakes up. He’s stayed strong for you all, now you’re going to have to carry him.”
“That won’t be a problem.” Neil crossed his arms over his chest as if storing up his energy. “We’re a crew. We stick together. That’s what we’re here for.”
“I sort of got that sense.” The surgeon smiled wanly. “You all hang tight a little while longer and a nurse will come for you. I’m heading home now. Days like today make me wish I had more time to spend with my family.”
Kayla’s hand shot out, latching on to the doctor. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.” He nodded.
Joe watched Mike and Kayla march down the hall behind the nurse who’d come to collect them and lead them to Dave. They trundled off as if headed to the gallows, bracing themselves for whatever they might find at the other end of the journey. He wished he could get just a glimpse of his crewmate. As if that tiny contact might help one of his best friends rest more peacefully.
Tomorrow.
His pocket vibrated. He jumped. Almost anyone who would bother calling him was already in this room. After considering ignoring it, he figured what the hell? It wasn’t like the tension was doing him any good without distractions. He slipped the device from his jeans and winced at the contact picture of his cousin Eli, who wore a smug grin while he held up a monster, twenty-two-inch rainbow trout he’d caught on their last ice-fishing trip.
Eli and his gang of adopted brothers plus one sister had grown close to Dave over the years, despite sporadic contact. How would Joe tell them what had happened?
“Hey.” He choked out a greeting, hoping the rest came easier.
“You weren’t even gonna call me with the news, dirtbag?” Laughter, not heat, infused the accusation with lightheartedness Joe couldn’t comprehend.
“How’d you hear about Dave?” He plopped onto one of the molded plastic bucket seats that made him feel like a giant in a kindergarten class. With his back turned to the rest of the crew, Joe pitched his question low to avoid upsetting them any more than they already were. He dropped his head into one hand, his elbow propped on his knee, and scrubbed his fingers through his hair. “Is the footage so bad it hit the regional news? We don’t know much other than that he tangoed with a semi.”
“What?” Eli’s tone morphed from cajoling to serious in no time flat. The hot-rodder might have mastered his cool facade,
She didn’t realize she’d cut off until Mike hugged her tight and someone petted her hair from behind. She cleared her throat. “But other than his leg. He’s okay, right?”
“I’m not trying to be evasive, Mrs. Rosewood. I’m sorry. The reality is we just can’t be sure yet. They’ll run more tests in the morning. A lot of him is too swollen for accurate imaging right now, but we think we’ve addressed the bleeding and isolated all the critical issues. He’s banged up pretty much everywhere. A piece of the door gashed his belly. He had stitches in his face, arms, chest and… Well, there’s no part of him we didn’t work on except his back.”
Her knees buckled.
Strong arms surrounded her, keeping her afloat through the storm of fear and pain.
“I know it may not seem like it. Not today and not six months from now, but your husband is lucky. So very fortunate to still be with us, given the situation. A few inches more of that door bending or a couple inches higher on the crushing pressure that mangled his leg or…any number of almosts , and we would not have been able to help him.”
“Dave.” Kayla cried his name over and over.
“Can we see him?” Mike asked for her.
“Once they have him in the ICU, we’ll let Mrs. Rosewood in for five minutes. You—only you—can go with her. After that, you might as well go home and get some rest. You won’t be able to see him again until tomorrow after his exams, and he’s going to need you when he wakes up. He’s stayed strong for you all, now you’re going to have to carry him.”
“That won’t be a problem.” Neil crossed his arms over his chest as if storing up his energy. “We’re a crew. We stick together. That’s what we’re here for.”
“I sort of got that sense.” The surgeon smiled wanly. “You all hang tight a little while longer and a nurse will come for you. I’m heading home now. Days like today make me wish I had more time to spend with my family.”
Kayla’s hand shot out, latching on to the doctor. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.” He nodded.
Joe watched Mike and Kayla march down the hall behind the nurse who’d come to collect them and lead them to Dave. They trundled off as if headed to the gallows, bracing themselves for whatever they might find at the other end of the journey. He wished he could get just a glimpse of his crewmate. As if that tiny contact might help one of his best friends rest more peacefully.
Tomorrow.
His pocket vibrated. He jumped. Almost anyone who would bother calling him was already in this room. After considering ignoring it, he figured what the hell? It wasn’t like the tension was doing him any good without distractions. He slipped the device from his jeans and winced at the contact picture of his cousin Eli, who wore a smug grin while he held up a monster, twenty-two-inch rainbow trout he’d caught on their last ice-fishing trip.
Eli and his gang of adopted brothers plus one sister had grown close to Dave over the years, despite sporadic contact. How would Joe tell them what had happened?
“Hey.” He choked out a greeting, hoping the rest came easier.
“You weren’t even gonna call me with the news, dirtbag?” Laughter, not heat, infused the accusation with lightheartedness Joe couldn’t comprehend.
“How’d you hear about Dave?” He plopped onto one of the molded plastic bucket seats that made him feel like a giant in a kindergarten class. With his back turned to the rest of the crew, Joe pitched his question low to avoid upsetting them any more than they already were. He dropped his head into one hand, his elbow propped on his knee, and scrubbed his fingers through his hair. “Is the footage so bad it hit the regional news? We don’t know much other than that he tangoed with a semi.”
“What?” Eli’s tone morphed from cajoling to serious in no time flat. The hot-rodder might have mastered his cool facade,
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