Page 35 of The Best Parts of Him
If Bellamy responded, Dabbs didn’t catch it, his mind and body consumed with red-hot agony.
He registered the triage room, someone yelling for the ER doctor who was present for every game, being hefted onto a gurney, and then more pain as someone pressed on his lower right side.
He asked someone if he was dying—at least, he thought he did. If anybody answered, he missed it.
Was he dying? But there was so much he wanted to do. He couldn’t die. His sisters would be sad. Who would take care of his dogs?
His thoughts fractured until suddenly, blissfully, the pain began to recede.
“Take a breath, Kyle.” Doctor Bethel squeezed his shoulder. “You’re going to be fine. Eventually,” he added with a smile that Dabbs didn’t appreciate under the circumstances. “The bus will get you to the hospital as quickly as possible for an emergency appendectomy.”
More aware of his surroundings now, Dabbs blinked at the doctor, then at the IV in his arm. “But the game . . . ”
“Don’t worry about the game,” Hughes said as the medical team began wheeling Dabbs’ bed out of the room. Hughes kept pace on Dabbs’ left. “I told you it wasn’t indigestion.”
Dabbs managed a laugh. “Yeah, yeah. Leave the I-told-you-sos for later, okay?”
Coach Madolora waited for them at the ambulance, and he was all business as he said, “Friedle called your mom,” referring to the Trailblazers’ assistant coach.
“Tell her she doesn’t need to come,” Dabbs said. “She and my stepdad are about to fly out for a long overdue European vacation. This is the last thing they need.”
Madolora gave a lazy shrug. “I make no promises.”
“Where’s my phone?” Dabbs demanded. “Someone get my phone.”
“It’s in your pocket,” Bellamy said.
Dabbs patted at his athletic shorts until he felt his phone in his left pocket. He dialed his mom, and she answered on the first ring.
“I’m booking a flight right now.”
“Mom, no.” Careful not to pull on his IV, Dabbs dug his fingers into his eyes. “I’m fine. Go on your trip. I’m begging you.”
“How am I supposed to go on a trip when my son is in the hospital?”
“It’s a laparoscopic surgery, Mom.” Dabbs looked at Doctor Bethel for confirmation. The doctor nodded. “I promise I’ll be fine.”
“But who will look after you after the surgery?” Mom asked as Dabbs was wheeled into the ambulance. “Nicole’s out of vacation days, Penny’s out west, and your team’s going on a road trip in two days. Who will take care of you without your roommate there?”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Put Bellamy on the phone.”
“Oh, for the love of?—”
“Put Bellamy. On the phone.”
Sighing, he thrust his phone at Bellamy. “My mom wants to talk to you.”
“Two minutes,” Doctor Bethel insisted. “We’ve got to get him to the hospital now.”
A touch apprehensively, Bellamy took the phone and put it to his ear. “Hello? . . . Yes, ma’am . . . Yes, ma’am, I agree, he should have someone look after him. About that . . . ” He met Dabbs’ gaze and his smile was a little evil. “I have an idea . . . ”
chapter ten
One surgery, three days in the hospital, and a prescription for pain meds later, and Dabbs called, “It’s open!” at the knock on his door. Of course, his dogs were barking up a storm, so Dabbs wasn’t surprised when the knock came a second time.
“It’s open!” he yelled, louder.
