Chapter 24 #2
Not that he would take away Deuce’s ability to do his own job.
He was a bullfighter. Bullfighters got hurt.
That was what happened because they protected the cowboys, and Deuce had managed to keep that cowboy from getting hurt.
He glanced at Kerry but didn’t say nothing because he could see it on his face too.
Guilt, worry, fear. Those boys had grown up together, and he had to be feeling awful.
He was grateful for Seamus’s solid presence, for the feel of Seamus’s leg pressed up against his. He knew he probably shouldn’t be leaning so hard right now, but he was, and he needed the steady energy the man had.
It seemed to take two forevers to get to the damn hospital, although the driver was doing a real damn good job of slicing through traffic.
He had a hysterical laughter response to that.
That he was in a stretch Hummer on his way to a hospital because one of his crew had a broken neck. Only Seamus could manage this.
Dawson took a deep breath in and let it out through his nose, trying to calm his ass down. He was still filthy, covered in dirt, wearing his uniform. He hadn’t even changed. He would do that at the hospital. He had his go bag.
“Is there anyone else you need to call?” Seamus asked, his voice a low murmur.
“Not yet. Not if Ace is going to call Sandy. That’s all we need is the League to know, and they do, so…”
That got him another quiet nod, squeeze on his leg.
He could see Davi’s lips moving just a little bit, he could see the way his hands were clenched on his leg. He was praying, no doubt, and Dawson got that.
They pulled up at the hospital entrance and all of them piled out, heading in to the information desk. A motley crew of cowboy hats and boots, and Seamus and his dad and Topher looking all Hollywood.
Dawson texted Sterling.
Are you still in the ER?
No, we’re in the ICU waiting room on the third floor
On our way
“Looks like we’re on the third floor, guys. They’ve already got him in the ICU up there. That means they’ll only let us in one at a time.”
Nausea rose in his throat because he knew that meant bad things. If they had moved that fast to get him his scans and get him into a room in the ICU, it meant Deuce was getting good care.
They got in the elevator to ride up, and he noticed Seamus on his phone. His fingers were flying. He had no idea what his lover was doing, but he wasn’t going to ask right now either.
Sterling met him there at the door of the waiting room, face as serious as a heart attack, while Seamus went to Nick, who was there too.
“What did they say?”
Sterling had been crying, and it broke his fucking heart.
“Broken neck. He’s got a bunch of broke ribs, too.
Collarbone, the normal shit. They’re going to let him stabilize for a while, maybe even a couple of days, before they go in and start surging and stuff.
He can’t move his fingers, but they don’t know if it’s because it’s permanent or he can’t move because it’s swollen. You know how that goes. You call Ace?”
“I did. I talked to him, he’s on his way with Kitty and Peanut, I guess. I assume that she’s coming too.”
Ace and Kitty’s daughter had a name, he was sure. They didn’t know what it was. Everybody had called her Peanut her whole life.
“Gramps texted, so, I know he’s on his way.” Sterling looked him over. “They’re not going to let you in to see him, but one at a time, and you all got to clean up. You can’t be going in there like this.”
Seamus cleared his throat. “Excuse me, I don’t mean to interrupt.
Well, that’s not true; I am interrupting.
I got us a block of rooms at the hospital hotel here.
It’s all paid for. There’s ten rooms, and that way, people can shower, they can nap.
There’s a place for Deuce’s family as long as they need it.
There’s a place for us, for Mr. Coke, whatever.
But this way, there’s beds, there’s showers, there’s a restaurant at the hotel that’s supposed to be fairly decent and free brekkie.
So, everyone’s got a place who needs a place to stay and wash up or whatever. ”
Dawson could’ve hit his knees in thanks. “You didn’t have to do that.”
Seamus smiled at him, the expression so sad. “There’s nothing else I can do to help, darl. You know, I can’t help in any other way than to throw money at this. So, let me do this part, and it’s one thing y’all don’t have to worry about.”
Sterling clapped Seamus on the arm. “Thank you. Colby and I will take you up on it.”
“That’s what I figured. There’s you and Colby, there’s Coke and Dillon, there’s Ace’s family, there’s us, Nick and Chris, there’s Dad and Les. That’s six. That gives four rooms open.”
“The guys will just cycle through and take showers and take catnaps. I’m sure a lot of them will have to move on soon, but they’ll want to stick around as much as they can.
” Dawson rubbed the back of his neck and then shook his head.
“All right, I’m going to go clean up and change my clothes so I can see him. Seamus, can you wrangle the guys?”
Seamus nodded. “I’m going to send Nick over to the hotel to sign all the paperwork and pick up all the stuff. Then, Jess is going to be coming in to coordinate after that.”
Sterling let out a low chuckle. “Better watch out. Jess is going to end up married to a bullrider if you’re not careful. That girl is special. And I’m sure these guys will figure that out fast.”
That made Dawson smile the tiniest bit, thinking about Jessica bossing around the bullriders. She would give them what for, for sure.
That girl was a force of nature.
“Thanks.” He kissed Seamus on the cheek and slung his bag over his shoulder. He stopped in front of Davi and Ranger. “Seamus is going to be coordinating a bunch of stuff with the hotel. I want you guys to make sure everybody goes to wash up and get some food and rest. In shifts, okay?”
Ranger held his gaze. “Yes sir, Dawson. We’ll get it done.”
Nausea still filled the pit of his stomach, and he couldn’t believe what Sterling had told him.
Jesus, Deuce was banged up, the worst news was that he couldn’t use his fingers, couldn’t feel his feet.
It happened with broken necks, broken vertebrae sometimes, without actually damaging the spinal cord.
As soon as the swelling went down, they would know what was what.
But it still made him sick to think about it.
He needed to get his shit together.
Nick smiled at him, the expression gentle, careful. “Come on. We’ll get the rooms and you can shower first, right? We’ll eat this like a bear.”
He knew all about this. One bite at a time.