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Fuck, no denying it despite our spat… I’d be losing a brother too.
4
JUNE
I runas fast as I can onto the field, holding the hem of my dress up. Danny is down on the ground and I try to get to him, but the rodeo’s first responders get there first.
He’s not moving, and it fills me with great worry.
Then I hear him moan in agony.
It’s not the greatest thing to hear, but if he’s in pain, then good God, he’s still alive at the very least. I can take solace in that.
But if he doesn’t get right back up after taking a spill like that? Something’s gotta be wrong.
There’s an ambulance pulling up.
Ramblin’ Randy, the guy who runs the rodeo and MCs the shows, comes out onto the field, looking very nervous himself. “I’m sorry, folks, there’s been an incident. We will need some time before the show can continue.”
He looks over at Danny and sighs.
“If it does continue. If you find this unacceptable, I’ll be at the ticket office to negotiate refunds. Thank you.”
The crowd is dead silent. It’s not uncommon for a bull rider to take a spill, and usually there’s loud laughter after their fall. But the laughter always comes when they get back up. It’s a thin line between tragedy and comedy.
A stretcher comes out. This is really bad.
I start to catastrophize. Even if he survives this, what if he never walks again? Will he be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life? How will he take care of himself? Will I have to take care of him? I hate how that makes me feel even though I would care for my brother without question.
A hand is placed on my shoulder. I look to see whose hand it is, and it’s Jennings. “It’ll be all right. He’s moving. Just... not a lot. But it’s a good sign.”
They load my brother into the back of the ambulance. There are too many people around him for me to get in too.
“Let’s follow them,” Jennings says.
“But what about the show?”
“I think Randy’s calling it. And even if he isn’t, this is more important. If he has a problem with us looking after our family, then fuck him.”
I nod. We head into the parking lot and get into Jennings’ truck. He drives behind the ambulance, taking it easy and giving them a safe distance as they head over to the county hospital about forty minutes away. Burly isn’t big enough to have a big hospital with fancy x-ray machines and all that. Instead, we just have a few doctors’ offices and urgent care facilities. Enough to deal with most of the non-catastrophic problems people will face in day-to-day life.
The drive is long. And quiet. I’m too anxious to be making small talk. But all through the trip, except when he needs both hands on the wheel, Jennings is there for me. A comforting hand on mine, a knowing look in my direction every so often.
Despite the big blowup that they had moments before Danny got on that bull, Jennings doesn’t hold grudges. My brother is still his best friend. And when shit like this happens, it’s when you really prove your dedication to one another.
The next few hours are agonizing. We’re pacing around in the waiting room. I’m downing candy bars for comfort. I make calls to my parents, unable to give them clear answers about anything that’s going on, which doesn’t do much for them and makes them feel even worse.
“We’ll make it through this,” Jennings says, being firm and strong during this tough time.
“We will. But what about Danny?”
“He’s as tough as he is stupid. If anyone’s going to make it through something like this in one piece, it’ll be that dumb son of a bitch.”
I can’t help but smile. I need this bit of humor during all of this, I guess.
Finally, the long stretch of waiting is over. An older woman comes out. She’s wearing thick glasses and her clothing suggests she’s a doctor. “Ms. Jenkins?”
I nod, shooting up from my chair. “That’s me.”
“We’ve finished the x-rays and preliminary testing on Daniel.”
“What’s the damage, doc?” Jennings chimes in beside me.
“Several herniated discs among his vertebrae. It was a very nasty spill that Daniel took.”
“Uh, what’s that in not-a-doctor’s terms?” I ask.
“To put it simply, he broke his back. That’s not a complete picture, but it describes the problem well enough. That he got swift medical attention and was brought here without further problems has done much to mitigate the potential damage. We’d like permission to operate as soon as possible. Usually we would ask the patient, but Daniel is on so many painkillers right now that we’d like to get your consent on his behalf.”
“My parents and I already discussed his treatment. Do whatever you need to do to help him.”
