Page 72 of Uncharted

“What the heck?” She takes the stairs two at a time, Penny flying along on her heels. “Calvin!”

“I’m fine.” He’s pressing a drying rag to his foot, which is no longer white. “Or I will be. It’s just a little cut.”

“Let me see. Feet can be so dramatic.” Dante crouches next to Calvin. “Oh, damn.”

I glance to where Haley was, but she’s gone.

“Back away from him, Chef.” Easton has two towels in his hand. He squats next to Dante, the towel spread over his legs.

“It’s not that bad. Seriously, I’m fine. I just need a Band-Aid or something. It doesn’t even hurt. Stings, but it doesn’t hurt.”

Easton makes a face I’ve seen his father make many times over the last five seasons. It’s theI’m-not-happy-with-what-you’re-telling-meface. “Fine, if that’s all you need, I’ll put one on. Let’s get it cleaned up, though.”

Calvin picks up the cloth. My stomach lurches, and I’m not squeamish. The cut on Calvin’s foot is larger than the one on the tender. And deep. This is not butterfly bandage material.

Haley’s back down the stairs, Penny with her. “Here’s the big first-aid kit.” She glances at Calvin, stepping closer. “You doing okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

There’s a slight flinch when Haley looks at Calvin’s foot. Less reaction than I had. “What do you need, Easton?”

“Are there needles and sutures in there? And to not be drunk. But if he is that will help some.”

“Listen, Rockwell, I’m good.”

“Not yet, you aren’t.” Calvin might be drunk, but he’s far from good. I turn to Easton. “You’ve given stitches before?”

“I was a sports medicine major in college. Mostly to piss Rocky off that I wasn’t going into either of the family businesses. But yeah. I had to do a rotation in an ER and at a bunch of road races, marathons. I’ve done it enough. Nothing as deep as this, though. You?”

“I’ve stitched up a few cuts, but the same. Sounds like you have more experience than me. You want to move him up top so we can get him lying down?”

Easton nods.

“I’m right the fuck here. And I can fucking hop up the stairs. So you can stop talking about me like I’m a damn toddler.”

Dante laughs. “I was going to go get him some whiskey for the pain, but I think that’s taken care of. Stand up, Viking. Put your arm around my shoulder and I’ll help you peg leg over to the stairs.”

Calvin stands and follows Dante’s directions. I don’t know which I find more surprising: Dante barking orders or Calvin following them. There’s a lot I don’t know about them. Fuck. There’s a lot I don’t know about myself yet too.

There’s a trail of red as Calvin clings to Dante on the way to the stairs. Then he grips the banister tightly enough that his fingers whiten as he hops up each step.

Penny tries to stay at Calvin’s side, but I pull her back. Haley’s got her hands full with the large medical kit. And she’s the only one clothed.

“You guys have him. I’m going to work on the tender, flush the motor, and then do the patch.” Zane’s already wiping down the swim platform.

I nod to him and follow them up the stairs, holding Penny back.

When we’re on the top step, Penny pulls out of my hand and rushes to Calvin. He’s sitting on a chair next to the lounger, while Dante’s pulling the cover off the other loungers.

“How can I help?” Haley asks Easton.

They’re all moving around each other like a player who has studied the playbook for the last three months and is finally on the field. I was the coach, but I don’t know what I am now.

“You want to flush it with sterile water, or are you going to use the alcohol wipes?” Dante’s leaning on the grill.

“Yeah, I know we want to save supplies.” Easton turns his back to Calvin. He lowers his voice. He might even think he’s whispering, but he’s far from it. “But this is the sort of thing we are saving the supplies for.”

Calvin lifts the towel Easton had been pressing against the wound. “It’s not that... whoa.” He wobbles. But I’ve seen big guys go down before. Granted, not as big as Calvin. I push myself to his side, pinning him to the chair.

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