A Wild Ride (Jessica Brodie Diaries #3)(49)

“How did you get those?” Denise asked with a slight tremble to her voice.

I looked at her in confusion. I couldn’t fathom why she would be scared for me.

I shrugged, then winced. “The bull wouldn’t leave William alone, so I distracted it. I had to get it to the gate thing where it could be locked in.”

“How?” she asked quietly.

“Oh, well, don’t tell him this, but I sorta jumped in and taunted it. I was doing it before I knew what I was doing, really. I knew what needed to be done and my body just reacted after that. It almost caught me, but my guardian angel Fred and his pack of bandits distracted the bull enough to give me time to get over the fence.”

“Then how did it get you?”

“It crashed into the fence after me and reached me through the bars. It had the advantage of being able to move the fence where I could just climb and jump it.” I laughed sardonically, the whole time still looking at William’s sleeping face.

“It must have been close.”

“It was a bit faster than me, I’ll say that much. It could really move! But the dogs got there, so no big deal. I made it. And he will make it.”

As I said the last line, I forced it out like a memorandum. I would sneak into Heaven and punch God in the face if William didn’t make it through this. I didn’t think God wanted that, so William was going to make it.

She lapsed into silence, as did I. It hurt to sit. But then, it would probably hurt to lie down, so I endured.

Stay strong.

Sometime later, it was impossible to say how long since I was trying to be dead with my eyes open, the doctor came in to check me out. Which was abnormal because I didn’t think they really veered away from their normal routine rooms. William’s nurse was damned efficient.

The doctor, in a bored tone, basically told me what I already knew, gave me some pain meds, and left. I could tell it was seriously anti-climactic for everyone but me. Rib was just fractured. Sure, that hurt like a bitch, but I wasn’t a wrestler or anything, so I just had to wait until it got better. Big freakin’ deal. Or so the doctor thought.

I threw the meds in the trash and sat down in my chair again. I needed a book. Where was my phone?

“Aren’t you going to take those? You look like you’re in pain.” William's nosey mother said form across the room, half-way through the scarf she was knitting.

“Nah. I want to have a clear head in case William wakes up. Plus, I am not overly fond of drugs. I might take some aspirin if they have it, though. I must remember to ask the nurse.”

We lapsed into silence again. More time passed. I dozed off and came to, then dozed off again.

I woke to people quietly talking. My head was against the wall and my neck was stiff…just like the rest of me. As I tried to move it, and it protested, I wanted to cry right there. I opened my eyes in self-pity and looked at William. He was still sound asleep, which was how I decided to think about him—asleep—so I rubbed my neck and looked around.

The room went quiet.

“Oh good, you’re up,” the nurse commented.

I rubbed my eyes. Adam, Tom and Denise were all watching me. I didn’t bother to notice their current emotional states because I hurt so bad I could barely move. In fact, if I didn’t have to move, I wouldn’t, but I was sitting, and my legs were numb, so a change in body posture was imminent.

“Nurse—what is your name?” I asked.

“Camille, dear.”

“Camille, do you have any aspirin?”

“Oh, now, you shouldn’t take aspirin with pain medication. Has it worn off already?”

“I am not a big fan of that stuff. I just need some IB Profin if this place has any. Don’t try to trick me with anything stronger.” I put a warning finger in the air.

Camille looked at me disapprovingly. “I’ll bring some in a jiff. Now, however, I need to change your bandages. Do you have that under shirt on?”

“Yes, but can the boys leave?” I aimed for demure, this time so nosey Adam wouldn't throw out an opinion. I didn't want him giving William his version of my state.

“Off,” was all the nurse said. She knew why I didn’t want to.

I sighed and gave her an evil glare.

“Now,” she said conversationally, “if you had just stayed in your room like a good girl, you wouldn’t have to go through this.”

“Still,” I muttered.

I took off the robe and rolled the tank the way the doctor had. And again came the gasps.

“Lord, Jessica.” That from Adam. Not like it should be a surprise; the guy helped fix me on the battlefield.

“Adam,” I said with warning in my voice, “If you tell William I looked like this before he is completely, and I mean completely, healed, I will make you look exactly the same. Do you understand me? You might not think me capable, so I will remind you that I am sneaky, and it will happen.”

“You shouldn’t have done it, Jess. You could have been killed,” Adam whined.

“William sacrificed himself for me once. Is it so strange I would do the same for him?” I was brooking no argument about this. Plus, if I hadn’t done anything, it might’ve been William that died, and that was a pain worse than I was currently experiencing. I didn’t think Denise needed to hear that.