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The woman's brow creased, her eyes hit me, then she smiled. "Cody?"
"Boy's name. I know."
The woman breathed out a laugh. "Well, ok then. I was expecting a brother or something. Um, I can tell you they're currently doing imaging. He definitely broke a few ribs. The doctors are worried about his leg. They had to cut a knee brace off him, and there could be some serious damage. The arena doctor also mentioned he'd been crushed, so we're checking for internal bleeding, which might mean surgery." Then she reached over and clasped my shoulder. "That means it's going to be a bit."
"Ok, but Doc said to make sure he doesn't get any opiates," I told her.
The nurse nodded. "We've been told."
"Ok," I breathed, feeling like I was fucking this up. "Good. Thanks."
"Currently, he's stable, but the extent of his injuries aren't known yet," she explained. "That means more diagnostics and a lot of waiting."
"We have one more coming," Tanner told her.
The nurse just shook her head. "We're only supposed to have one visitor in here at a time. If you'd like, I can show you both to the waiting room." She pulled in a breath. "It has better chairs, and the truth is it's going to be a couple of hours before we have any news - at least."
"Ok," I agreed. "But can we get updates?"
"I'm going to make sure the doctors all know his family is waiting for him," she promised.
So we followed her, weaving through sterile halls with boring pictures on the wall until we reached a big set of double doors. Those opened with a button at the side, and before us was a real fancy-looking waiting area.
It had a vaulted ceiling, plants around the sides, and padded chairs that looked like they might even be decent for a nap if someone was here too long. With one more reassurance that we'd hear something, she gestured for us to find a place and then vanished again.
I walked forward almost in a daze. This was really happening. In all my life, I'd never been the one having to wait to hear if someone else was ok, but I understood the drill. Claiming a set of chairs at the side, I dropped into the closest. Tanner claimed the place beside me, but before I could say anything, Jake walked in through the big ol' entrance that was probably the front of the hospital.
"Anything?" he asked.
"He's in imaging," I said. "They're talking about possible surgery, but it sounds bad."
"Leg, internal bleeding, and broken ribs," Tanner clarified.
Jake nodded. "Ok, so nottoobad. I mean, no one said spinal injuries, right?"
My damned heart forgot to beat for a moment. "Shit," I breathed.
"They didn't mention anything spinal," Tanner pointed out. "Besides, J.D.'s had worse."
Jake flopped down in the chair on Tanner's other side. "Yeah, he's real good at doing this. That fucker gets beat up on the regular, Cody." Then he passed Tanner the keys to the truck. "I'm guessing you two are going to be here all night?"
"Definitely," I decided.
Jake just nodded. "Ok. Well, if you don't mind, I'll just wait with ya until we know for sure how bad it is. The guys will all be asking. Especially the bullfighters."
"Thanks, Jake," Tanner said. "I got Cody's phone and J.D.'s, but I didn't get mine."
"I make a damned good messenger."
But the comment about the phones reminded me I had one more thing to do. "Tanner, can I have those?"
"Yep." He pulled both out from his purple shorts. "Both?"
"Yeah. I have parents to call."
Unlocking mine, I scrolled down to find the contact for my daddy, because this would be easier. It would also kick my brain into gear, and I'd need that when I talked to J.D.'s mother. So, pressing the button to dial, I got back to my feet and took a few steps. This way, the guys talking wouldn't distract me from my father's words of wisdom.
The phone rang and rang. Eventually, it went to voicemail. Confused, I looked at the screen, but I didn't leave a message. Hanging up, I decided to try again. Once again, it went to voicemail. This time, I left a message.
