Chapter 3 Lucille
Chapter Three
Lucille
“Knock knock!” I peeked my head through the hospital door, anxious as to what I was about to witness.
“Lucille? Is that you?” His voice told me I had the right room. I stepped into Boone’s hospital room and was shocked by how he looked. “Loulou! It is you!”
Wow, I haven’t heard that name in years. Guess it’s better than little Lucille.
“Mom said you’d be coming by. Ahh get your ass in here!” My brother waved me into the room. “What the heck is in your hands?” he asked playfully as I stepped further inside.
I raised the small terracotta pot, showing the dainty little cactus that sprouted from within. “Ta-da! I know it may not seem like much, but I figured you would like a little bit of home here to look at.” I placed the small plant on the window sill, taken aback by how grand his hospital room was.
How can they afford such a room? I thought Mom was having money problems?
“You brought me a cactus?” he teased, pulling my attention back to him.
My head fell a little as I fidgeted with my fingers. “It’s ridiculous, I know…I just—”
“No, it’s not. Honestly, I’m more surprised that you actually dug one up to bring me instead of just buying flowers from the gift shop.
” He exhaled a laugh. “I guess I figured all that time in the city would change you, but it doesn’t look that way to me.
” He smiled. “Thanks, Loulou.” I tried to smile, but I was a bit uneasy being in the hospital. “Hey, you okay?”
Boone knew me too well. He could see the discomfort written across my face as if it were a tattoo branding my skin. “I’m okay.” I lied. He didn’t seem to buy it, but knew better than to push the subject.
I hesitated a bit before approaching his bedside. “You shouldn’t be worrying about me.” I carefully gripped his right hand, his only limb left uninjured. “You’re the one suffering and in pain. I mean, hell, look at you!”
Mom had written and told me he had a bad accident, but she never really went into any details.
She simply said he was on a long path to recovery.
And after speaking with his doctor, I now knew what her words meant.
Broken limbs, hairline fractures, minor internal bleeding, a concussion, and worst of all…
a spinal injury. He might look like hell sitting in this hospital bed, but Boone was lucky to be alive.
“Yeah, but it looks worse than it is.” He tried to laugh it off, but ended up throwing himself into a coughing fit.
His face twisted while he tried to hide the pain he was experiencing, sending the machines and monitors around him into a frenzy.
“Shit. Do I need to get a nurse?” I asked, jumping to my feet. “I can get someone to help.”
My brother grabbed my hand, stopping me. “No—I’m fine,” he wheezed. “I’m okay, I just—just need a minute.” He slowly returned to normal as the monitors calmed.
My eyes watched as my younger brother looked at me with those dark, droopy eyes. It had been so long since I last saw him, and for the first time, I felt like I wasn’t looking at my little brother. I was looking at a grown man.
“You always were a shitty liar.” I scoffed before showing him a smile.
Boone grinned back at me and shrugged softly.
“Fine. I’ll stay, but Boone?” His eyes met mine.
“Are you okay? Mom never really went into any details about what happened or your injuries…she kind of left all of this”—I motioned to his body—“out of her letter.”
My brother made a face. “Yeah, she’s always been one to forget things.
” He held my hand tight. “No bullshit, I wasn’t okay at first. I mean everything hurt like hell…
still does. But, it is what it is. Doctors say I’m lucky to be alive.
Reaper nearly killed me.” He paused. “Riding and competing are everything to me. They’re part of who I am.
Who our dad was. And now...well, I have to figure out who I am without them. ”
My heart ached at his heavy words. “Hey, don’t be so negative.” I cupped his hand with my other. “You’re going to heal and recover, and before you know it, you’ll be back up on that bull winning just like before. And your face will be painted right next to Dad’s on that old town sign.”
Boone smirked and shook his head. “You paint a pretty picture, Loulou. But no. No, I won’t.”
My heart ached. “Yes you will.” My throat swelled as I fought back my emotions.
“I know Forsythe is trying to sell Reaper, but I’m not going to let him.
I won’t let anyone take your bull away, even if I have to buy him myself.
I’ll make sure you ride again, Boone. I promise. ” I ached to make his pain go away.
I’ll fix this, I swear.
My brother’s eyes slowly started watering.
“I know that bull means something to you, Lucille…” He paused.
“But he’s just a bull. It’s not Dad.” My body stiffened.
“And even if you did buy Reaper, I could never ride him, or any bull, again.” He sniffled loudly, struggling to speak.
“The doctors said I was lucky to be alive, but…”—he hesitated—“but the injury to my spinal cord…” He began to cry, unable to bring himself to speak the truth aloud as he broke.
“Lucille,” he breathed through his tears.
No…it can’t be. It can’t.
“Boone,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry.” I carefully wrapped my arms around my brother’s injured body and held him as he caved into me. “I’m so sorry.” My heart completely shattered. And it all made sense.
The reason Forsythe is selling Reaper wasn’t for the hell of it. He’s selling him because Boone can never ride again.
I held him close as tears rolled down my cheeks. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”