boy with many fears. She leaned past Jason’s shoulder to smile into Matt’s face.
“Hi,” she said, taking one of the hands Jason held down.
The boy’s eyes widened and his screams quieted to simple sobs. “Hi, Laura,” he said in a hoarse voice. “I fell off my bike.”
Jason straightened to allow her closer. She glanced up at him with a smile of appreciation, ignoring for the moment his quiet surprise. Then she turned her attention back to the child.
“I’m sure it hurts a lot,” she said, squeezing his hand, “but your uncle Barry will have it fixed for you in no time.”
Barry turned away from studying the X ray and smiled at the child. “That’s right. I’m going to take you upstairs, cover you with a warm blanket, you’re going to fall asleep, and when you wake up, you’ll have a cool purple cast on.”
Matt did not seem fooled by the careful handling of the bad news that he was going to be anesthetized while his bone was set. His face crumpled again.
“And you’re going to get crutches!” Laura said excitedly.
He drew a breath and blinked away a tear. “Crutches? Really?”
“Really.”
He smiled cautiously. “Will you stay with me? In case there’s monsters up there.”
Laura turned to Jason.
“Please,” he said. “If you can.”
“You bet,” she promised Matt. “I’ll stay with you until you go to sleep.”
Matt sighed and relaxed, though he had a death grip on her hand.
“Is it a simple fracture?” Jason asked Barry.
“Yes. No problems. But he’ll be on crutches for six weeks without a walking cast. At his age, we don’t like to put any weight on a break. But he’ll be fine.”
“That’s all I care about,” Jason said.
“And you know I’m going to do an excellent, unparalleled job on him.”
“Of course.”
“Then breathe, for God’s sake. And try to relax. Why don’t you go make sure the boys and Patsy and Nickie are okay while I finish up what we have to do down here?”
Jason leaned over Matt and smoothed his hair back. “Will you be okay for a few minutes while I check on your brothers?”
“Yeah,” Matt replied. “If Laura can stay with me.”
Replaced, Jason thought wryly, by the woman who thought he was into multiple-partner sex. All in all, this had been a rotten couple of days.
Jason found that Patsy had secured soft drinks for everyone, and Adam had located a baseball game on television. But they all gave him their attention when he walked into the room.
He explained the prognosis, then suggested Patsy drive everyone home in his car. “It’s going to be a couple of hours,” he said. “And I’m not even sure he’ll be coming home tonight.” He reached for his wallet. “Call for pizza or something.”
Patsy stayed his hand. “Don’t be silly. I’ll take care of it. But I hate leaving you. I know you’re worried.”
“I’ll be fine. And I have a friend with me.”
Nickie grinned. “A girlfriend? The pretty redhead?”
He was surprised by her questions. It hadn’t occurred to him before, but Laura must have seen his family to have known Matt was in the ER.
“She ran in here in a total panic,” Patsy said with a considering smile, “thinking there was something wrong with you.”
“She’s his exercise coach,” Eric informed her.
Patsy raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
Jason pinched her chin. “Please keep an eye on the boys and your nose out of my business.” He smiled affectionately at Nickie. “And that goes for you, too.”
Nickie giggled. “We’re just so excited that you have business.”
Adam patted his shoulder. “If you could see his exercise clothes, you’d be amazed that he has business.”
Jason looked down at him blandly. “Our insurance policy has a two-for-one deal on broken limbs,” he said. “You want to join Matt?”
Adam gave him a final pat. “Thanks, but I’ll go with Aunt Patsy.”
When Barry took Matt into surgery, Laura led Jason to an empty room where they could sit
“Hi,” she said, taking one of the hands Jason held down.
The boy’s eyes widened and his screams quieted to simple sobs. “Hi, Laura,” he said in a hoarse voice. “I fell off my bike.”
Jason straightened to allow her closer. She glanced up at him with a smile of appreciation, ignoring for the moment his quiet surprise. Then she turned her attention back to the child.
“I’m sure it hurts a lot,” she said, squeezing his hand, “but your uncle Barry will have it fixed for you in no time.”
Barry turned away from studying the X ray and smiled at the child. “That’s right. I’m going to take you upstairs, cover you with a warm blanket, you’re going to fall asleep, and when you wake up, you’ll have a cool purple cast on.”
Matt did not seem fooled by the careful handling of the bad news that he was going to be anesthetized while his bone was set. His face crumpled again.
“And you’re going to get crutches!” Laura said excitedly.
He drew a breath and blinked away a tear. “Crutches? Really?”
“Really.”
He smiled cautiously. “Will you stay with me? In case there’s monsters up there.”
Laura turned to Jason.
“Please,” he said. “If you can.”
“You bet,” she promised Matt. “I’ll stay with you until you go to sleep.”
Matt sighed and relaxed, though he had a death grip on her hand.
“Is it a simple fracture?” Jason asked Barry.
“Yes. No problems. But he’ll be on crutches for six weeks without a walking cast. At his age, we don’t like to put any weight on a break. But he’ll be fine.”
“That’s all I care about,” Jason said.
“And you know I’m going to do an excellent, unparalleled job on him.”
“Of course.”
“Then breathe, for God’s sake. And try to relax. Why don’t you go make sure the boys and Patsy and Nickie are okay while I finish up what we have to do down here?”
Jason leaned over Matt and smoothed his hair back. “Will you be okay for a few minutes while I check on your brothers?”
“Yeah,” Matt replied. “If Laura can stay with me.”
Replaced, Jason thought wryly, by the woman who thought he was into multiple-partner sex. All in all, this had been a rotten couple of days.
Jason found that Patsy had secured soft drinks for everyone, and Adam had located a baseball game on television. But they all gave him their attention when he walked into the room.
He explained the prognosis, then suggested Patsy drive everyone home in his car. “It’s going to be a couple of hours,” he said. “And I’m not even sure he’ll be coming home tonight.” He reached for his wallet. “Call for pizza or something.”
Patsy stayed his hand. “Don’t be silly. I’ll take care of it. But I hate leaving you. I know you’re worried.”
“I’ll be fine. And I have a friend with me.”
Nickie grinned. “A girlfriend? The pretty redhead?”
He was surprised by her questions. It hadn’t occurred to him before, but Laura must have seen his family to have known Matt was in the ER.
“She ran in here in a total panic,” Patsy said with a considering smile, “thinking there was something wrong with you.”
“She’s his exercise coach,” Eric informed her.
Patsy raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
Jason pinched her chin. “Please keep an eye on the boys and your nose out of my business.” He smiled affectionately at Nickie. “And that goes for you, too.”
Nickie giggled. “We’re just so excited that you have business.”
Adam patted his shoulder. “If you could see his exercise clothes, you’d be amazed that he has business.”
Jason looked down at him blandly. “Our insurance policy has a two-for-one deal on broken limbs,” he said. “You want to join Matt?”
Adam gave him a final pat. “Thanks, but I’ll go with Aunt Patsy.”
When Barry took Matt into surgery, Laura led Jason to an empty room where they could sit
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