Chapter Nine
Spider clenched his teeth and bit back the curse that was on the tip of his tongue.
He was tired from not sleeping well last night, and after being moved and jostled for the last hour, he was hurting.
It made him cranky and want to snarl at someone, but at the same time, he knew it wasn’t the nurse’s fault.
He wouldn’t take his foul mood out on a woman who had no clue why he was being such an ass.
In the time since he’d woken, he’d seen several of his brothers and a couple more of the prospects, and while they still came and went, it was down to just Fletch and Dax and they weren’t around all the time.
Not that he couldn’t say he was thankful for that.
He was glad to have time to himself, whether it was to think, to sleep without feeling like he was being watched, or just time to think about shit.
And he had a lot of shit to think about.
A lot of time to feel sorry for himself, and a lot of time to get angry.
Spider had seen enough violence to know this wasn’t aimed at him.
It wasn’t that someone had targeted him.
He’d simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
And he thought that made it worse. A stupid, senseless accident that could have been prevented if some moron had been paying fucking attention to what they were doing.
He wanted to find the useless fucker and teach him a lesson.
But from what Fletch had told him, it was too late.
The driver who had caused the whole accident had been the only fatality, though, from what he’d been told, Spider had nearly been the second.
He’d learned there had been ten other people injured but his was by far the worst of it.
Most of the others were bruised and sore.
Several had cracked ribs, a couple of broken arms and one broken clavicle.
He didn’t envy that one healing. Not that he was having an easy run of it, but he’d known a couple people who’d broken their collar bones.
Every movement hurt, whether it was using their hands or even breathing.
Now, the nurses moved around, trying to get everything situated in his room.
He’d insisted on getting off the intravenous pain meds the day before, so that was one less tube to worry about, but oral meds didn’t work as well.
He’d been warned and had been willing to accept that.
Though at the moment, he was regretting it.
Maybe he should have waited another day or two to get stubborn about that.
Spider forced himself to relax his jaw before he started grinding his teeth and gave himself a headache. He hurt quite enough already—he didn’t need to add to it by doing something he could stop.
“Now, the doctor ordered an added pain med for after the move,” the rehab nurse who had introduced herself as Angie said.
“I’ve got notes that you wanted off the strong stuff.
I don’t blame you but moving can be trying.
The doctor was prepared for that. I’d like to give it to you now.
The longer you hold off, the more you’re going to hurt and the less it will help.
” She looked at him as if she was just waiting for him to come to his senses.
Spider nodded. Not sure he could say anything without snarling and he didn’t want to take his foul temper out on her.
He shifted himself in the bed, wishing for the millionth time since he’d woken to find himself in the hospital, that he could get up and walk out of here.
But that wouldn’t be happening any time soon.
Though he was determined that it would happen.
He was to the point where the doctor had told him he could start letting his remaining leg touch the floor.
That was a little help. But only a little since he’d been unconscious for half of that, so he still had at least another two weeks, which was almost twice the time he’d been aware of what was going on.
He pushed thoughts of that away. It would do him no good to dwell on it.
It wouldn’t get the time here any faster or get his bone to heal any faster.
Instead, he leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed the carry handle on the backpack he’d asked the nurse to put there when they’d brought him in.
He braced himself for the pain in his ribs and lifted the bag up onto the bed.
He pulled out a deck of cards, then put the backpack back where he’d gotten it.
He pulled the over-bed table close, then shuffled the cards.
He wasn’t hugely fond of solitaire, but it kept his hands busy and gave his mind something to do other than berate himself for not healing faster, or whatever mis-guided thing it could think up.
Spider didn’t know how long he’d been playing but he’d gone through three different games until he was bored with them and moved to the next, when a knock sounded on the door to his room.
It wasn’t closed all the way but almost, so that every nurse or visitor that walked by couldn’t peep at whatever he was doing.
“Come in,” he called, assuming it was Fletch, Dax, or one of the nurses.
Angie had long ago brought him the medication and he’d taken it without argument.
If he was hurting this bad already, he didn’t want to push it until he couldn’t handle it anymore before asking for something.
She and a couple of other nurses had been in to check on him a couple of times, so he didn’t think much of the knock and continued to play the game spread out on the table in front of him.
“Looks like you found something to keep your mind busy at least,” Clint’s deep voice made Spider look up, because he definitely wasn’t one of the nurses that he’d been expecting.
“Hey, I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” Spider said, glancing at the person behind Clint and recognizing the daughter that had been with him the first couple of visits, but not the last one.
He’d wondered where she was but hadn’t felt it was his place to ask.
There was something different about her, though, something he couldn’t put his finger on right away.
“I know. But I knew you were being moved today and I wanted to see how you’re doing. See if there’s anything I can help with or get you to make your stay a little easier.”
Spider shook his head. “I appreciate the visit, but I can’t think of anything I need.
” He glanced at the clock. A little after 2:00 PM.
He still had a while to wait until either Fletch or Dax brought him something to eat.
“Though I wouldn’t turn down a cup of coffee or a soda.
” He set his cards down and scrubbed his hands over his face.
“They got you on any dietary restrictions?” Clint asked.
Spider shook his head.
“Nah.”
“Let me see what I can find.” He turned and left without another word, leaving Spider alone with Jordon.
“You look better than the last time I saw you.”
“I feel better, mostly.” He watched her for a moment then it hit him. “Your hair’s down.”
“What?” she lifted a hand to the back of her head. “Oh. Yeah. I wanted to give it a chance to dry on the way into town. I was in a bit of a hurry.”
Spider frowned and looked at her more carefully. It took him a moment to see it, but she had shadows under her eyes.
“Are you having trouble sleeping?” He wondered if she would answer him. He didn’t know if he would, but then, in the time he’d been in the hospital he’d found that sometimes it was easier to talk to someone you don’t know so well. He wasn’t sure why.
“Not in the way you’re probably thinking.” She gave him a wry smile. “I just haven’t had time.”
“But you have time to come into town and see me?” Spider shook his head. “You’d be better off using the time to get some rest.”
“I slept on the drive in, and I’ll have time after this. The reason I wasn’t sleeping is gone now. Or more accurately it’s here.”
Spider frowned.
“What do you mean?” he realized she was still standing in the middle of the room. “Have a seat, get comfortable.
“Want to play something other than solitaire?” she motioned to the table. “I can play with you, if you’d like.”
Spider glanced down at the table over his lap.
“I’d love to. I’m almost out of variations of solitaire, at least the ones I know.” He started gathering up the cards so he could shuffle them. “What can you play?”
“Poker, gin, rummy, cribbage, go fish, bullshit, slapjack. Take your pick. Or I have a phone,” she pulled a device from her rear pocket and held it up. “We can find something else and look up the rules.”
“How about we start with some gin?” He pointed to the end of the bed next to his cast, where his missing leg should be, but wasn’t. “Have a seat, it will be easier if you’re at the same level.”
She froze. “Are you sure?”
“Sit. You want to deal first?” He held up the deck.
“Go ahead.”
He watched as she moved a little closer then hitched one leg and sat on the foot of his bed.
“You didn’t tell me what you meant about why you haven’t been sleeping.” He dealt the cards and had just set down the deck and flipped the first card when Clint came back carrying a can of Pepsi.
“How’s this?” Clint held it up.
“That will do. Thanks.” Spider took the can, popped the top and drank half the can in one long pull before setting it out of the way and picking up his cards.
“I wasn’t sleeping because I was in the barn with a mare. It was her first foal, and I was worried about her. But she delivered early this morning. Mama and baby are healthy, so I can stop stressing about them ... at least as much.”
“And you still chose to come into town instead of getting some sleep.” Spider watched as she took a card then discarded.
“I did. I wanted to see how you’re doing.”
“I’m fine. I’m kind of stuck in a holding pattern. I can do a little weightlifting, but I can’t do any walking for at least another couple of weeks. I can’t even move myself to the wheelchair until then.”
“And I’m sure that is making you more than cranky,” Jordon said as she checked her cards and made her play.
“It’s certainly not helping my mood.” He took a deep breath and let it out in a rush as he checked his cards and tried to decide if he wanted to pick up the 8 of spades she’d just laid down or let it go.
Deciding to draw from the deck, he glanced over at Clint.
“You have any ideas on what I can do to keep from losing my mind in here?”
“That’s a good one.” Clint nodded toward the table where they were playing.
“Board games too. You can do the same with a phone or computer but it’s not as satisfying, at least not to me.
” Clint shrugged. “I’m not big on devices, though I do like being able to read anywhere, to download nearly any book I want in a few seconds and have them all at my fingertips without the weight.
And I’ve come to appreciate audio books for when I’m doing something that doesn’t take a lot of mental presence. ”
“I don’t know what it is, but I’m having a hard time focusing enough to read.
I keep finding my mind wandering. I’ve turned on the TV a couple of times, but it all makes me want to scream at the screen for being so stupid, especially the news.
” Spider shook his head, watched what Jordon played and took his turn.
“I have to admit. I don’t watch the news much either. I do keep up with what’s going on in the world, or at least my corner of it.” She lifted one shoulder and let it fall, then took her turn. “What else do you do to entertain yourself? When you’re not in here, that is?”
“I ride, not horses like you, but you knew that. It’s what got me in here. I work in the shop.”
“So you’re a mechanic?”
Spider shook his head.
“Not really. I mean I can do basic shit—sorry. I mean stuff.” He glanced over at Clint to see if his slip and using foul language in front of the older man’s daughter was going to set him off. Clint didn’t seem to have even noticed.
“Daddy was a rodeo cowboy. His language could make a sailor blush. He’s not old enough to be part of that never cuss in front of a woman thing, and even if he was, Mama’s language is almost as bad as his.
You’re not going to bother me by saying whatever you like.
Daddy does, as do all three of my brothers. ”
Spider blinked, played his turn, then glanced at Clint before he spoke again.
“How many siblings do you have?”
“Three. I’m the only girl. What about you? That was one of your brothers here the first day we came in, wasn’t it?”
Spider bobbed his head from side to side.
“Yes and no.”
She glanced at him and frowned, then let her gaze drop back to the cards in her hand.
“Growing up I was an only child.”
“That had to be lonely.”
“It was and it wasn’t. Things weren’t great at home, and while it would have been nice to have someone to lean on, I wouldn’t want anyone else to have to go through that.”
“I’m sorry. That had to have been hard. I used to dream about being an only child. In my mind it was so peaceful. In reality, I know I’d have been bored. I guess we always want what we don’t have, right?”
“Kind of. I think we want to at least try some of it, not necessarily all of it. Personally, I could have gone my entire life without an accident like this one, but I think you’re right, to an extent.
” Spider made his play, then looked up at her, noticing how her lashes framed her clear blue eyes in a way that made him wonder how he hadn’t noticed them before now.
“It took me a while, but I found my brothers. I’m happy with where I am.
What about you? You still wanting to get away from yours? ”
“Not really,” she said with a shrug. “I’ve gotten them mostly tamed by now. When one of them gets a wild hair to do something stupid, I make sure to teach them the error of their ways ... usually in a way they’re not likely to forget any time soon.”
That intrigued him.
“Oh? Give me an example. I can always use ideas on how to deal with my brothers. They think they’re way funnier than they are.
” He glanced over at her father. He sat in one of the chairs, watching them.
He seemed content to sit and watch them.
Spider had to wonder why he’d made the trip if he didn’t have anything to say or contribute.
Jordon made a play and he turned his attention back to the cards and the woman in front of him.