Page 6 of Fractured Hope
Sitting back, he studied me. “Is it okay if I call the doctor now? I would really like him to look at that ankle. We need to know if you’ll need X-rays. The nearest urgent care or hospital is over an hour away.”
Shaking my head, I started to panic again. What should I do? “I don’t think it’s broken. Maybe just some ice and rest and I’ll be fine,” I said hesitantly, not making eye contact. “I don’t need to see a doctor.”I can’t afford to pay for it anyway. There was something about this man that made me feel like my usual excuses or placating responses wouldn’t work, though.
As if on cue, he huffed out a breath. “I’m sorry, but I insist. I witnessed your fall and wouldn’t feel right not having Doc look at you. If it makes you feel any better, I need to talk to the old geezer about his beloved car anyway.”
Fuck. What am I going to do? I tried moving my foot and it barely twitched before fire lanced up my leg.Shit, maybe it was broken. This would use up all my cash and then some. How was I going to get a job if it was broken? Panicked tears sprang to my eyes as dread and nausea settled in my belly.
Glancing at Atticus, who was studying me intently, I didn’t know what to do. It wasn’t like I could run away.
“Please, I think it’s important for a doctor to check you over. It would really ease my mind.” He gave me such an imploring look, so I gave in and nodded. I watched as he got up and wentinto another room. Coming back with a cell phone pressed to his ear, he was already talking animatedly.
I tuned him out and again took stock of my injuries, noting how bad the pain was and how tired I felt. All I wanted to do now was fall asleep and pretend this accident hadn’t happened. This was going to set me back. What was I going to do? How would I pay for this? How would I get a job after this? I couldn’t keep thinking about it right now or I would panic.
“Take a deep breath for me.”
I began to breathe deeper, then realized it wasn’t my thoughts telling me to breathe, it was Atticus. He was finished with his call and his steady presence was right next to me on the couch as he gently rubbed my back. When did he get so close? How did I not notice his touch until now? My thoughts began to spiral again, and Atticus was right there moving to his knees in front of me. He gently lifted my chin with his forefinger so I would look him in the eye.
“Hey now, breathe with me. In one, two, three. Hold. Out one, two, three. That’s it, now again.” His voice was so deep and soothing that I couldn’t help but obey, following his instructions. After a while, we were staring into each other’s eyes as we breathed together.
“I’m okay now. Thanks,” I said, shaking my head slightly as I broke eye contact.
“No worries. You sure you’re, okay?” he asked hesitantly, moving to the seat to give me space.
“Yeah,” I answered, glancing at him from the corner of my eye.
“Okay. Doc will be here in about fifteen, so how about you lie back? I’ll get some ice for that ankle.” He stood and reached out in a silent offer to help me shift positions, but I didn’t accept as I carefully moved sideways to lie back on the old couch. He adjusted course and went to the battered fridge on the oppositewall and pulled out some ice cubes, placing them into a dish towel lying on the countertop. After bringing the ice bundle back over, he moved his chair to the edge of the couch by my feet, then lifted my leg to place my injured ankle on his knee. Carefully, he added the ice pack to the side and held it there.
Hissing at the change in temperature and somewhat painful pressure to my injury, I glanced at him. I took a deep breath. “Thank you?—”
“I didn’t?—”
We both chuckled, and I gestured for him to go first.
“I didn’t catch your name,” he said solemnly.
“Oh, right. I’m Bodhi,” I said with a little wave of my hand. Oh my God, why did I do that?Silently, I cursed my awkward genes for showing up now, after all this time.
Atticus just smiled at me. “It’s nice to meet you, Bodhi.” Silence settled between us again.
4
ATTICUS
I studiedthe stunning young man in front of me. He had an anxious vibe but seemed to be stubborn, too. His compact body reminded me of a swimmer’s physique, with his toned legs encased in skinny jeans. Although, he seemed a little too slim for his frame. There was just something about him that made me want to take care of him. His shoulder-length brown hair was shaggy and fell unevenly around his face. Freckles dotted his nose and cheeks, and while I hadn’t seen him smile, somehow I knew it would light up his face.
He had such delicate facial features, and he looked so young. How old was he? But it was his eyes that hooked me. They were a deep piercing blue that seemed to change color in the light. The irises were an intense dark aqua that didn’t seem real. Were they contacts? His gaze, however, held a wealth of trepidation as he stared back at me. Were the pain and caution I was seeing because of his ankle or was there more beneath the surface? Seeing him fall earlier had taken a few years off my life, and guilt swarmed in my gut that I’d startled him so badly. What a great welcome to town this was for him.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen someone when I was opening before five like this. It was probably when the tractor repair shop next door was still running, and Da opened with Sal, side by side. I hadn’t seen anyone around this early since Seb and I had taken over, and it had been a shock to see this beautiful boy go down as I was getting ready for the day. I hadn’t even had my coffee yet, so it was no wonder I was so flabbergasted. If only Theo hadn’t had to go into the city for training, he would’ve been on the open shift with me. He would’ve known exactly what to do and jumped into action, letting his EMT training take over. Groaning, I thought about the shit he would give me for how I’d fumbled my way through the situation. He would have a laundry list of suggestions about what I could’ve done better, but it was okay. Good old Doc was on his way and would be able to put my mind at ease.
As if thinking about him had conjured him, there was a light rapping on the break room doorjamb. Doc strode in with his medical bag in hand. “I see you have my new patient,” he greeted jovially, sending Bodhi a kind smile as he pushed his silver-framed glasses up his nose. He brought another chair over by Bodhi’s head and introduced himself.
“Hi, there. I’m Doctor Don or just Doc, and I’ve been the town doctor here going on thirty-five years.” He smiled down at Bodhi.
“Hi, I’m Bodhi,” he replied hesitantly, looking between me and Doc.
I took it upon myself to try and make Bodhi feel more at ease as I shuffled my metal chair closer to the couch and rested a hand on his outstretched leg. “Doc here has treated just about everyone in town and even delivered all my brothers and me.”
“I sure did, way back in the day,” he added jokingly and ran his hand over his thick, nearly white hair. “Patched you and your brothers up a time or five, too, if you recall. Let’s just say therewas a time during their younger years when it wasn’t a surprise for me to be called to the Papadakis household twice a day. You boys would stress your poor mama out something fierce, with all your daredevil stunts and dangerous antics.” He sent Bodhi a conspiratorial smirk from his aged round face. “But enough about the past. Let’s tend to the patient we have here, shall we?”
