Page 20 of Brother In Arms

“Okay.”

He handed his helmet over his shoulder and said, “Here put this on.” I did and once my arms were back around his waist, he fired up the machine. I jumped at how loud it was and pulled on my big girl panties. Taking a deep breath, I pulled myself tight against his back and did as I was told, leaning with him and the bike as he turned out onto the gravel, following the curve out onto the long drive past the south stables and to the road.

“Think you got a feel for it?” he called over the chug of the motor.

“Yeah!”

“Good, training wheels are off, hang on!”

He punched it, turning out onto the highway and I held myself tight to his body, sheltering from the wind momentarily until I could grow used to it and the feeling. Oh my god, it was like how I felt on horseback during jumping competitions. When the horse was moving, muscles coiling and bunching beneath me and taking the jump. It was like that moment where we were both suspended in time, gravity taking over and making the knot of adrenaline in the pit of my stomach rise to the center of my chest. God, it was exactly like that precise moment only a constant feeling.

I suddenly understood the appeal that this held for my aunt and my cousin. I could never understand it before, but now… It was a dangerous drug. One I didn’t know if I would be able to immediately put it down. Damn if this guy wasn’t a tricky bastard.

We pulled into the lot at Mercy General and he found a space for the motorcycle, tapping me twice on my knee in a dismissive gesture that clearly meant get off. I did and he backed the bike carefully into the space. He shut off the engine and I handed him his helmet.

“What’d you think?”

I gave a noncommittal shrug and he chuckled, “It’s okay, your highness. Your secret is safe with me.”

I frowned at him and he laughed as I walked away and toward the entrance to the hospital. I hit my first roadblock in admitting. “I’m sorry, I can’t give out any patient information.”

“I know he’s here, I would like to know how he’s doing.”

“All I can confirm is that Mr. Salvador is a patient but he hasn’t been assigned a room number yet, you’ll just have to come back later.”

“Well, I know he’s in the emergency room, can I go back there and see him?”

“Are you family?”

“I already told you, I’m his employer. He was hurt at work. Are you serious?”

“Bailey, come here.”

His hand closed around my elbow and he drew me away from the unhelpful woman at the reception desk.

“Where are we going?” I demanded.

“The cafeteria. I’m hungry, and you are too. Now shut it.”

I felt my jaw fall open. I don’t think anyone other than my brother had ever spoken to me in such a way and I wasn’t particularly fond of Philip right now, or ever, to be honest. Still, Rush’s admonishment to keep quiet held a different flavor than any of Philip’s. He had something going on. Philip usually just told me to shut up for the sake of shutting me up. This guy, Rush, however, was leading me towards something.

When we stopped at a table in the cafeteria where a doctor sat with a cup of coffee, a newspaper open in front of his face. I realized that this must be Doc Sim.

“Is this the doctor you told the ambulance crew to take Renaldo to?” I asked.

“That’d be me,” the older man said. He sighed and set down his paper looking up at me over half-moon spectacles. I sank into the seat beside him and asked, “Is he okay?”

“Afraid not, honey. I had to put him in a coma. He’s got swelling on his brain. Too early to tell.”

I took in a deep, deep breath in through my nose and let it out through my mouth. I wanted to cry, but I didn’t want to look weak, so I did what Rush had suggested. I sucked it up, biting my lips together and staring at the table top until I was sure my voice wouldn’t shake.

“I see,” I said and Dr. Sim looked at me sympathetically.

“I wish I had better news, but we’re working on freeing up a bed for him now, in the ICU.”

“No,” I said leaning back. “Thank you for telling me. I was going a little crazy worrying about him.”

He nodded, “You got somebody that can stay with you tonight?” he asked and I shook my head.

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