Thirty-Two
Keith
As soon as I pulled up to the emergency entrance Bart hopped out of the truck. We were both a mess, having been swimming and in the sun all morning, but neither of us thought much about it as we rushed inside.
“Excuse me, my uncle was brought in earlier,” Bart said to the nurse at the front desk.
“What’s his name?” he asked.
“Asa Martin.”
“You said he’s your uncle?”
“Yes, can I see him?”
“Let me go check. Wait right here.” He disappeared through a set of doors I unfortunately knew led to the exam rooms.
“Don’t worry, they would have called you if he was hurt more seriously.” I hoped that was true. I was trying to calm him down, but my own words made me more nervous for Asa.
“You can come back,” the nurse said when he appeared again.
“Can Keith go too?” Bart asked and grabbed my hand. “He’s my boyfriend.”
With great effort I kept the shocked look off my face and waited for the answer.
“Sure, just don’t stay long. They’re getting ready to cast him now,” he explained while leading us back. Asa sat on the edge of a bed still in his jeans and boots, his shirt cut from the arm he’d hurt but not looking too bad for someone who’d broken an arm.
“Hey, boys, did you find the swimming hole?” he asked with a grin.
“Are you okay? What happened?” Bart asked and rushed over to him. His arm was wrapped up and secured to his chest, but he didn’t look like he was in any pain.
“Oh, Noah and I were feeding the girls, and I found that fucking squirrel hole the hard way. She’s got babies in there, by the way. I heard them when I fell, so we can’t cover it but maybe we need to mark it a little better.”
“Ya think?” Bart said and looked at the bandages around Asa’s back. “Do they know how bad it is?”
“I broke my humerus. It was not funny by the way. Anyway, I’m going to need a full cast, so it looks like you and Noah are going to be doing most of the labor for a while.”
“As long as you’re there to boss us around, I’m fine with that,” Bart said and tried to hug Asa. “I’m so relieved you weren’t hurt any worse.”
“Me too, I just didn’t see that hole at all and fell pretty hard. That ground there is all clay, so it wasn’t very forgiving.”
“So, it had nothing to do with you being in your seventies and working like someone in their thirties?” I said making him grin.
“No comment.”
“We talked to Don and told him what happened. He wanted me to call him once we knew how you were. Bart thought you probably had your usual movie plans.”
His face softened and he held his good hand out. “Would you mind if I call him?”
I pulled up his information and handed the phone to Asa. “Just press the green button.”
“I know how a phone works. I might be old but I’m not that old. Now can you two give me some privacy?” he asked as the phone rang in his hand and he stared between the two of us.
“Of course,” Bart said and dragged me out of the room. “Oh my god. I’m pretty sure there’s more going on there than two old fuckers watching movies every Saturday.”
“You think? And if there is, they’re sneaky. I had no clue Asa was even interested in Don.”
“We kinda sound like their parents,” Bart said with a grin.
“Sneaky fuckers,” I grumbled.
“Like you have any room to talk,” Bart said, but there was no bite in his tone.
“Your boyfriend?”
“Well, yeah. I mean if you want to be. I consider you way more than just a friend.”
I took his hand as we stood there against the wall in the ER and didn’t give one shit about who saw or what they thought. “I want to be. More than I’ve ever wanted anything.”
“Even more than—” He leaned in close and waggled his eyebrows.
“Maybe not more than that,” I said and kissed him softly.
“Good thing,” Bart said and drew in a deep breath just as Asa called us back into the room.
“Would you guys mind if we stop by Don’s on the way back home?”
“Nope, how much longer will you be?” I asked just as the doctor walked in.
“Afternoon, gentlemen. I know you’re here to pick up this youngster.
He’ll be about an hour more. He broke the end of his humerus, his upper arm bone, closest to the elbow, so he’ll need a full cast and probably some help at home.
I’d also appreciate it if you don’t let him work as hard as I know he does.
” She looked at both of us, but I held my hands up.
“I don’t work on the dairy,” I said and took the easy way out.
“I’ll do what I can, but he’s a stubborn old coot and doesn’t listen to anything we say when we try to get him to slow down,” Bart said and avoided eye contact with Asa.
“Asa, we’ve been here before. Let your hands do the hard stuff.
You can be their supervisor for the next six to twelve weeks.
That bone is going to take a while to fully heal.
” The doctor had to be around Asa’s age and had been here as long as I’d been in Foggy Basin.
She had short grey hair, bright blue eyes, and took no shit from any of the townsfolk that ended up in her ER.
Doctor Maggie Ford was a no-nonsense physician who didn’t waste time on niceties but always provided excellent care.
“I’ll try, Maggie, that’s all I can promise.”
“You’ll do more than try. You won’t be able to do much with that cast so enjoy a little time off with Don.”
Was I the only one that didn’t know they were spending time together. I really needed to start paying more attention.
“Don’t worry, we’ll make sure he takes it easy,” Bart said making Asa scowl and Dr. Ford roll her eyes. The next few months were going to be fun on the farm.