Page 90 of Feuds and Interludes
“Bruce was taken to the hospital. I don’t know anything else.”
His face paled and he shot out of bed, scrambling for his pants.
“What’s going on?” Bran called sleepily from his bunk.
“I need to get Shane back to LA. Bruce isn’t well.”
“No worries. Let me get dressed. We’ll take you to the airport and then drive the RV back.”
“Thanks, man,” I said, and I placed my hand on Shane’s back.
“What did the doctor say? Why did they call an ambulance? Well, call me when you know something. I’m headed to theairport now with Boone. We’ll be there in a few hours. I know, Mom. I’m coming. I know. I’m sorry I’m not there. If you’ll quit yelling at me…Iknow, Mom, shit. Can you just… I’ll meet you there. I’m hanging up. Call me— Mom, come on. I’m coming, I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m hanging— I know. I— Fuck! She hung up on me.”
Shane looked at me with the most terror I’d ever seen from him, and I wished I could sprout wings and fly him there myself, or spontaneously invent a fucking teleporter.
“GPS says it’s just over two hours to Reno. I think that’s the closest.”
“Wait, let me call my rep. Maybe the jet can get closer.”
Shane rubbed a hand over his head and nodded. He was pacing in the narrow walkway as I called the company.
“Great. Thank you. Shane? They can get a jet to Empire Farms Landing Strip in forty-five minutes. It’s not far from here.”
“Thank you,” Shane rasped, and he excused himself to go into the bathroom.
I shared the location with Bran and he got the RV started. I texted Gran to let her know we’d be flying into Burbank and we’d meet her at the hospital.
Thank you, Boone. I’m quite frightened. My car just arrived. I’ll see you soon. I’ll text you if I hear anything. Love you.
Shane was on autopilot for the quick twenty-minute drive and the hour-and-a-half flight. I would be writing rave reviews for the flight company for taking care of us and being so speedy about getting us there. My rep even hired a car to take us from the airport to the hospital. I hadn’t been able to get any updateson the flight and once we landed, all Gran would say is they were waiting for test results but that Bruce was awake and talking.
The car dropped us off in front of the hospital, and I practically had to run to keep up with Shane. I was groggy and hadn’t been able to clean up beyond what I could find in the airplane bathroom, but thankfully I’d brought my medication and my blood sugar was only a little bit high.
We made our way to the emergency room waiting area and were told only one of us could go back, and that one of Mr. Duncan’s guests would have to leave. Shane gave me a sad look, and I squeezed his hand.
“I’ll be here,” I said, giving him a small smile. I hoped he knew that I would be there for him no matter what.
He pushed the doors open a little harder than he should have and stalked back down the hallway, the harsh lighting glinting off his wallet chain.
I sat down with a huff and texted the twins that we’d made it. I’d told Bran and Annie when they dropped us off that they should go back and stay at the festival.
“Maybe you guys can do some of the press? If you want.”
They shrugged. “Whatever we can do for you, Boone. And for Shane.”
I loved having such supportive partners. My hackles rose just thinking of those jerks who shall not be named who’d abandoned Shane and then shown their full asses by joining up with a festering boil like Mike Broward.
I looked up as the doors opened again, and Gran floated toward me with her arms out.
“My dear boy,” she said as I stood to embrace her.
“What happened?” I asked, but she took my arm and led me outside the ER and around to an alcove, where we were out of sight of folks coming and going.
“Oh, Boone, I’m so embarrassed. We were…intimate last night, and when he woke up this morning, he wasn’t feeling well. I panicked. I thought, well, he’s had issues with his heart in the past. The ambulance came and he told them he was fine, but they insisted. The poor man has been poked and prodded…and do you know the doctor said he might have just been light-headed and had indigestion from the curry we had last night? That was all and…and I overreacted.”
I held my Gran and pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh out loud.“You did what you thought was best. At his age, it’s better to be conservative, isn’t it?”
She wiped at her eyes. “Then his daughter showed up here. The hospital called her when they couldn’t reach Shane, because she was listed as his next-of-kin. Boone, darling, she wouldn’t even speak to me, and she yelled at him for carrying on like a young man and further embarrassed him. She’s quite an angry person.”
