Page 135 of Lone Star Longing
“I think shock, concussion, for sure. Probably dislocated shoulder. We’ll get him to my office, give him a good look. What about you? You hurt?”
“No, I don't think so.” She hurt so many places, but nothing threatening.
“Can you drive yourself to my place? I’ll look you both over there.”
She nodded, and stumbled back up the incline to her car. She turned the heater on high, but still shivered all the way into town. Her breasts were starting to ache. She needed to get home to the babies soon. She had expressed some milk that her mother could use, but she needed to get home soon. Torn, she parked her car and followed Austin and Javi, supporting Beck between them, into the doctor’s office.
Austin flipped on all the lights and started helping Beck out of his wet clothes, before he looked over his shoulder at Lacey.
“Go up to my apartment and take a warm shower. There’s some basketball shorts and t-shirts you can wear when you’re done.”
She shook her head, as good as that sounded. She needed other supplies that she wasn't going to ask for, though she was sure he probably had what she needed down here. “I have to go home soon. I want to make sure Beck is okay.”
Austin gave her a look. “At least get those wet clothes off and change. You can’t get sick. Your babies need you.”
She looked from him to Javi to Beck, and acquiesced, heading up the stairs he indicated to the apartment above.
He’d lived here over a month and still had things in boxes—how did he even have this much stuff if he’d been in med school?—but she found a change of clothes and towels. She toweled off her hair, stripped off her heavy wet t-shirt and dragged her clinging yoga pants down her legs. Shivering, she dried the rest of herself off and wished she could jump in that shower.
After she saw how Beck was doing, and after she fed her babies, she was going to take the longest, hottest shower in the history of Texas.
She was still patting her hair dry when she came downstairs and heard a shout from Beck. She stumbled, caught herself on the handrail and hurried down into the exam room.
“What happened?” she asked, rounding the corner to see Beck swaying on the exam table, his face white as Austin and Javi stepped away.
“Dislocated shoulder, not dislocated anymore,” Austin said.
Lacey put her hand on her own shoulder in sympathy.
“Anything else?”
“We’re going to do some x-rays, and I’m going to stitch up that gash in his forehead. Let me look you over, then I’m sending you home to your kids.”
She looked from Beck to Austin, and back to Beck. She knew Austin was right. He motioned for her to climb up on the exam table next to Beck, who reached over with his good hand and covered her hand with his.
“None of that,” Austin said, his tone stern. “Let’s see your hands.”
She turned them over for his inspection, and for the first time, noticed the scrapes on her knuckles. Austin made a noise in his throat and reached for the cotton to clean them before he saw her skinned knees and scraped shins.
“This cut is pretty deep. What happened?”
She shook her head as she looked to see the bloody scratch. “I don't know.”
“Okay, well, I’m going to give you some butterfly bandages. Are you up to date on your tetanus?”
“I got one about eight years ago, so, yes.”
“Okay. Good. Let’s get this cleaned up, then, Javi, you can take her home?”
“I can drive myself,” she said. “I have my car. Maybe Javi can drive Beck home when you’re done?”
“I gotta get back,” Javi said, gesturing to the door. “I just stayed to stabilize him while Austin put his shoulder back together. It’s pretty bad. Some of the people are being airlifted to San Angelo.” Javi stopped short of slapping Beck on his good shoulder. “You were lucky, man.”
“I’ll get him home, then stand by for the injuries from that accident,” Austin said.
Javi shook his head. “No, man. We won’t be needing you.”
“What about the people who aren’t being airlifted?” Lacey asked.
