Page 52 of You Are Cordially Invited

Will gave me a soft smile. “That oughta do it, champ.”

“Fuck off.” I gave him the stink eye. “So I’m guessing a stinger slash burner from a brachial nerve or cervical root injury from how he fell?”

Will folded his arms and leaned back on the supply cupboards behind. “That would be the best option and is the most common injury from a fall like that. You see enough of them in here, and he said he felt a sharp burning in his arms, almost like an electrical shock. If that’s the case, we should see a return of sensation and movement any time. It’s usually only minutes, but a stinger can last up to a day or so, max.” He hesitated.

I sharpened my gaze. “But?”

He sighed. “Butyou’d also know that a stinger is usually—”

Shit.“One-sided. I know.” I drew a deep breath. “And not the length of his body either.”

Will nodded. “Correct. Whereas Reuben felt the burning pain in both arms and has changes in all limbs.”

Goddammit.“So that leaves what?”

Will blew out a sigh, and for the first time, I noticed the deep-drawn lines around his mouth and eyes. A well of gratitude tugged at my heart.

“Transient Quadriplegia or TQ.”

I frowned. “I’ve heard of it but haven’t ever seen it.”

“It’s not common, but it happens especially with whiplash-type injuries or sports injuries. It’s most common in elite athletes because of the way they play—always on the edge of what’s possible.”

“But that must mean he’ll recover,” I pressed. “I mean,transient, right?”

Will shrugged. “If that’s what it is. In TQ the actual internal spinal cord itself has been roughed up, for want of a better phrase, not just the external nerve root. A TQ would help explain Reuben’s symptoms, and yes, in that case we should see an improvement within hours, up to thirty-six but sometimes forty-eight, and an eventual full recovery. He could be home in days.”

Please God, let it be that.“So that’s good, right?” It was getting blood out of a stone, and I was developing a real sympathy for relatives trying to get answers from medical staff. “Will, talk to me, please.”

He studied me. “Yes, it’s good, Cam, but the problem with TQ is that we can’t say for sure if that’s exactly what it is, even with imaging, until we see if it resolves in the time frame. We can’t see if the cord is just a bit bruised or irritated because it won’t always show up. All we can do is wait for him to recover, and if he doesn’t, then we’re back where we started, looking for a fracture that maybe we missed.”

“Shit.” I couldn’t hold Will’s gaze, my gut-churning, my hamster brain turning somersaults in my head. Jesus fucking Christ. My eyes burned and my skin sucked too tight to my bones. This couldn’t be happening.

I closed my eyes for a moment and drew a long breath. “Okay, so we do the tests, and then we wait.”

Will loosened my hands from the crash cart I was holding onto for grim death and pulled me in for a hug. It was so out of character for both of us, I almost wept in his arms. “Yes, Cam, then we wait,” he murmured against my hair.

A few seconds later, another arm slid around my waist. “Hey, you.” Michael pressed against my back.

“Oh, fuck me,” I groaned. “If anyone sings ‘Kumbaya,’ I’m gonna throw up.”

Will handed me off to Michael with a low chuckle. “Good god, no fear of that from me. I’m gonna have to go and ignore a fuckton of important people just to recover my rep, as it is. Now if you’ll excuse me?” He gathered his notes and headed out.

Michael brushed the hair from my face.

“You know?” I asked him, and he nodded. “I think we should go and tell everyone where things are at and then send people home. I’ve heard they’re about to storm the castle looking for you.”

I pulled a face. “What do I tell them? Is it fair to worry everyone when we don’t know anything for sure?”

Michael’s expression sobered. “I always think the truth is a good place to start. Don’t protect them, Cam. They won’t thank you for it. They’re your closest friends and family. Do you really want to keep them in the dark?”

Yes. No.“You’re right. But just for the record, I totally deserve major kudos here for not reminding you exactly how muchyoukeptJoshin the dark aboutyourfeelings not that long ago.” I sent him a pointed look and he flushed.

“Nobody’s perfect.” He tilted his head and eyeballed me for a minute. “But before we do anything, you’re going to fix your damn makeup. Reuben’s gonna need as much fierce as he can handle when he gets back, and when Cameron Wano’s eyeliner is smudged, it causes a disruption to the space-time continuum that cannot be righted until it’s fixed. I know this to be true.”

He smiled, turned me towards my office, and gave me a little push. “Go on. I’ll wait. And if you’re really, really good, after we get rid of everyone, I’ll take you to the medical lounge so you can chew on a few doctors’ arses. I heard the orthopods had a big surgery tonight. There should still be one or two junior staff around to provide you with a snack.”

The thought raised my spirits just a little. Teasing the orthopaedic surgeons was like tag-and-release hunting in a zoo. The targets were fucked but didn’t know it. I cupped Michael’s cheek. “You sure know how to show a girl a good time. Promise?”

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