Page 67 of Sidelining the Safety

Lee slumped. He hated emergency rooms, but knowing Dr. Rosie would be there to expedite his case took the edge off his anxiety. “Okay. Who’s driving?”

“Me,” another paramedic said, hauling a gurney over. “Gotta be all official.”

“Drew’s with Mac, so I’m gonna ride with you. Momma and Daddy are going to close up the diner and meet us there. I can’t believe it. In all the years we’ve been open, we’ve never closed except for Christmas, and now twice in a week.” She moved out of the paramedics’ way.

“Sorry,” Lee mumbled. “It’s my?—”

“Oh, hush.” Katy reached out and patted his arm. “It’s not. It’s Troy’s fault, and mine for getting involved with him in the first place. I hope they lock him up and throw away the key. Good riddance.” She mimed a key turning and then tossed it over her head.

They got Lee onto the gurney, buckled him down, and loaded him into the ambulance. With the lights flashing, they got to the hospital in record time. They wheeled him into the same bay as Mac where Momma Connor hovered, looking for all the world to be fighting back tears. When Katy went and hugged her, the waterworks broke.

Lee had barely a moment to take in Mac’s injuries. A couple of cuts on his face, a few more on one bared arm. A larger piece of glass was lodged in his upper arm and would need stitches if it went deep enough. So not as superficial as Katy had said.

Two nurses came in and transferred Lee to the bed, and by the time the paramedics left, an ER doc had arrived, escorting Dr. Rosie into their space with Drew on their heels. Dr. Rosie came straight for him while the ER doc checked out Mac. Drew rocked in the middle, his head swiveling back and forth, taking it all in.

“This is not the way to get out of practice, Lee,” Dr. Rosie chided, examining his knee injury and then rattling off the supplies she’d need to a nurse. “Where else? Shoulder?”

Lee nodded. “And hip.” He lifted his arm to point and winced, cutting the movement short.

“Don’t move. I’ll help.”

“I’ll do it,” Drew jumped forward to help Lee remove his suit jacket and button down, while across the small divide, Momma Connor aided Mac. Lee was pretty hyped that Mac was getting as much preferential treatment as he was. It would have sucked to be taken care of while his boyfriend waited hours to be seen.

It still took a couple of hours to get their wounds cleaned and stitched, for head CTs and shoulder/hip X-rays to be taken and analyzed. Finally able to get up and stretch, Lee groaned as every muscle protested.

“You report every day, including Tuesday, to me before you do anything. Drew, Cutter, and I will work up a plan to make sure you’re healing right. I won’t let you play if I think there’s a problem. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lee said, peering down at the much shorter, yet stern Dr. Rosie.

Her gaze softened as she grabbed his arm. “Try not to be a hero off the field anymore.” Dr. Rosie made a noise of discontent. “In front of the police station.” She shook her head, clearly exasperated, as she left, loudly reminding him, “Tomorrow. Sleep in. I don’t want to see you until noon at the earliest.”

“I’ll be there,” he called back, turning to help Drew steady Mac. “Looks like we have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow.”

“You do,” Mac said.

“If I have to be there, and Drew has to be there, we’re not leaving you home.” Lee linked his hand with Mac’s. “I made a commitment to you, and you,” he added, cupping the side of Drew’s neck. “We’re in this together, and no way am I leaving you home right now. And speaking of home…”

“Yes, please. Go home,” the head of the ER department said, passing by, “and take your friends with you. They’re polite enough, but they’re taking up all the seats.”

Lee stared at the doctor’s back, confusion tightening his brow. Drew chuckled and handed Lee his phone. “Look.”

“A hundred and fifty messages!” Lee laughed. “We better get out there, so they can see I’m alive.”

“Your team’s out there?” Mac gasped. He glanced down at the scrub top and carefully touched his bandaged cheek.

“Shush,” Drew hushed him, pulling Mac’s hand away from his face. “You’re fine. It’s late. Nobody is gonna look good at this point.”

Lee ran an approving gaze from the top of Drew’s head, right down to his toes. “I beg to differ.”

In the waiting area, the team was crowded around a television. Red and blue flashing lights lit the screen, followed by a wide-angle shot of the diner and a close-up of the shattered window. The scene then moved to the police station, Troy being arrested, and then still shots of Troy, Lee, and the infamous picture that had pushed Lee to come out about his relationship.

“I hope this is the end of us being famous,” Lee mumbled.

“I don’t,” Mac said, clinging to Lee’s arm. “I love seeing your name and picture up there every Sunday.”

“I agree,” Drew said. “Your name, picture, and ‘Rookie of the Year’ would be amazing.”

“I’ll do my best,” Lee amicably agreed. It sure would, and he’d work hard to get it. Not just for him, but for his men, too.

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