Page 134 of Rock Out Together
“If it gets too bad, I’ll see a doc in Paris.” I rubbed my aching back.
“Do you promise me? You know I’ll be watching you. Does the rest of the band know?”
“No, and I’m not saying anything to them. They’re like mother hens when someone isn’t feeling well.”
“Oh, you haven’t seen the mother of all hens until you’ve seen me in action,” she said with her hands on her hips.
“Promise me!” Storm said.
“I promise, Mrs. Trent.” I leaned in and placed a kiss on her soft lips.
When we arrived at the parking lot, everyone was standing around. What the fuck?
“What are you waiting on? Did you load your luggage?”
“Yeah,” mumbled Paulie, who looked like he was nursing a hangover.
“Everyone on the bus, now! We’re already behind schedule,” I told them.
I climbed the steps and stopped long enough to speak to Gib, our bus driver. He had a huge ass cup of coffee and a bottle of water in the cup holders. I hope he could hold his urine longer than Storm could. She stopped every fifteen minutes.
Jamie climbed on and whistled loud.
I had leased a bigger bus with more room and more amenities. We now had larger bunk areas, a full-size bathroom, including a tub and a full-size kitchen along with a fully stocked refrigerator and fully stocked pantry.
“There’s so much more room on here. It basically looks like a home on the inside," Paulie admired.
“What about our old bus?” Russ thumbed over his shoulder where it sat not far behind this one.
“That is for our equipment and the crew. I thought I’d treat them a little extra special for putting in such hard work and dedication for all these years. We’re meeting Paper Hearts just outside of Vegas and they’ll follow us from there.”
“I get to see Marcie!” Storm squealed, and Russ fist pumped the air. I’m sure he’d have Marcie on the bus with him and in his oversized bunk.
We’ll get to hear the girls nonstop chatter and laughter for a long time. My shoulders slumped, my back and my lower stomach ached, but I didn’t dare say a word to Storm.
“I’m going to catch some z’s if anyone needs me.” I headed into the bedroom in the back of the bus and lied on the bed, praying the pain would stop, but it only seemed to be getting worse. The next thing I know Storm was opening the door and ordering me off the bus. “What?” I snapped, not meaning to. “I’m sorry.”
“We’re not going anywhere until you see a doctor, so I asked Gib to stop at an urgent care. Come on.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me to a sitting position. She stood there staring with her hands on her hips with her right brow raised. That was her ‘I mean business’ brow. I blew out a breath and shoved my feet in my boots. When we walked down the aisle of the bus, the guys were watching but saying nothing.
“I can’t get anything over you, can I?”
“Not when we have the connection we have. I know you’re hurting and too proud to admit it. I’m sorry, Rowdy, but it doesn’t make you any less a man to be sick.”
“I love you, Mrs. Trent,” I said, kissing her on her nose.
“I love you, too, Mr. Trent.”
“This can’t hit the press. If they saw us walk in here the next headline would be Storm from Styx and Stones was seen at the urgent care just outside Arizona today. Could she be pregnant? Could this be the cause of a wedding none of us were invited to?”
“See? I know how the press likes to spin things, and it won’t be pretty.”
“Screw them. This is your health we’re talking about. That kind of pain is not normal,” Storm whispered. So that no one in the other room could hear us.
After sitting in the cold exam room for at least thirty minutes an older gray-haired man walked in. “Mr. Trent, I’m doctor Fillman. Looking over your paperwork it says that you’ve been having this pain for quite some time and it’s gradually gotten worse.” I closed my eyes and swallowed hard when I heard Storm clear her throat. My head swiveled in her direction. There was no doubt that she wasn’t happy. It was written in her expression.
“That’s right,” I admitted.
“Well, let’s get a urine specimen and an ultrasound of your kidneys,” he said.
