Page 5 of Brush with Death
Vale wasn’t going to be happy.
* * * *
“I’M JUST SAYING THATI’m not planning on retiring anytime soon,” Russell said.“So why would I need a plan?”
Vale pinched the bridge of his nose.“Because you might end up having to retire even if you don’t want to.It’s the nature of the job.”
“But I’m good at it.Nothing’s going to happen to me.”
Vale and Russell had been going round and round, talking for what felt like hours.Russell kept gently making fun of Vale retiring and insisting that he never would, while Vale pointed out all the reasons that Russell definitelywouldneed to step away.Even if nothing happened, he was getting older, and his reaction times were getting slower.Vale didn’t want to lose his best friend because he didn’t know his own limitations, but unfortunately for him, Russell was stubborn.
Vale was relieved when his phone vibrated on the kitchen table.He snatched it up, hoping it was Cyril who was calling to tell him that he was on his way home.
It wasn’t Cyril.It was Robbie, and Vale’s stomach dropped.
“What happened?”he asked as he answered.He raised a finger to tell Russell to be quiet.
“We’re headed to the hospital.”
Vale was on his feet before he could even think of it.“Which hospital?What happened?Is Cyril okay?”
“The paramedics said he would be, but he got pushed and hit his head.He insists that he’s fine, but the paramedics want to make sure that his head’s fine.”
“So he’s awake?”
“Awake and complaining that he doesn’t need to go to the hospital.”
“Oh, he’s going.”
“That’s what I said.I insisted, and he eventually relented.”
“Good.I’m glad he had you.”Vale couldn’t even think of what would’ve happened if Cyril had been alone.
He wanted more information about the situation.Robbie had said that Cyril had been pushed.By whom?Why?It was easy to imagine all sorts of disastrous scenarios, but Robbie had said that Cyril was awake and talking.Surely that meant that he was okay?
“Anyway, they’re taking him to Saint Andrew.I’ll see you there,” Robbie said before hanging up.
Vale rushed for the front door.He shoved his feet into his shoes, but before he could snatch his car keys from the small table by the door, Russell did so.
When Vale glared at him, Russell shrugged.“You’re in no state to drive.”
“You drive like a grandma.”
“And you drive like you have a death wish, especially when Cyril is involved.Let’s go.”
Vale knew that he wouldn’t win the fight.To be honest, he was pretty sure that Russell was right and that he was in no state to drive.He might be headed to the hospital, but he didn’t want to get in a car accident before getting there.
He bounced his knee the entire time it took them to drive there.He knew it was annoying Russell, but Russell didn’t say anything about it.He kept glancing in Vale’s direction, clearly on the edge of doing so, but the words never came out.Vale was glad.He didn’t want to fight with his best friend, especially when his boyfriend was in the hospital.
“He’ll be fine,” Russell eventually said.
“You can’t know that.”
“Robbie said that he was awake and talking, and he’s feeling well enough not to want to go to the hospital.”
“Him not being unconscious doesn’t mean he’ll be fine.What if he broke his skull?What if his brain is bleeding?”
“Then I’m sure the doctors will catch it and fix it.You can’t think of the worst possibilities right now.”
