Page 62 of Hear Me Roar

“All his clients, everything he's worked for.” I shook my head. “He's gonna loseeverything.”

“He might, yes, but once he's well, he can rebuild. And you never know, some of those clients might wait it out for him,” she offered, reaching for one of myhands.

“I doubt it. Those stay-at-home moms are fickle asfuck.”

Luis stirred then with a groan, my eyes darting to where he laid. I leaned forward onto the bed and waited for him to come to, his eyes squinting from the bright lights in the room. My girl shot up to her feet and switched a few off, just as he turned his bandaged head towardme.

“Hey, bro…” I said, one corner of my mouth tilting up in a smallsmile.

“Knox? Hazel?” He glanced between us, confused. “Where the fuck amI?”

I swallowed deeply. “You don’t remember whathappened?”

He shook his head and reached up to feel the bandage wrapped aroundit.

“You were in an accident. A badone.”

“Howbad?”

I motioned to his legs that were slightly elevated and his eyes widened in alarm. Fiberglass casts cradled his calves and feet, while splints and plasters held it all together. It was a gruesomesight.

“Well, shit,” hecroaked.

Hazel shuffled to other side of his bed and pressed a kiss to his cheek, smiling as bravely as she could. “You're gonna be fine,okay?”

He smiled back but it didn't reach his eyes. Reality was setting in quickly for him and it wasn't pretty. All we could do was offer him the support he undoubtedly needed to pull through this difficult time. We wouldn’t really know how difficult, though, until the doctor came in to check onhim.

“Oh shit, it’s Rey,” my girl said suddenly, her phone now in her hand. “I’ll be rightback.”

Luis shot up to sit as Hazel scurried out the door into the hall. “Oh my God,Reyna…”

“Woah, woah, take it easy, buddy.” I caught him gently by the arm and laid him back. “You’re not getting up from here any time soon. Justrelax…”

“Fuck, I just ruined her entiretrip.”

“I’m sure she could care less about the trip. What’s important is that you’realive.”

He scoffed. “Yeah,barely.”

Knock,knock!

The same man I’d spoken to when Hazel and I arrived poked his head in through the door, his expression lifting just slightly when he saw Luis wasn’t underanymore.

“Ahhh, Mr. Fonseca, you’re awake. May I comein?”

Luisnodded.

“I’m Doctor Jennings, how are you feeling?” he asked, en route to the computer beside thebed.

“Like I got run over by atrain.”

“I’d be worried if you didn’t. Do you remember whathappened?”

“No, everything is pretty fuzzy right now. I remember being in the car, but I don’t remember anything from the accident,” Luis explained, his words laced withworry.

“That’s not uncommon, Mr. Fonseca. It’s very likely you have some sort of a concussion from the force of impact, and you’re only just beginning the recovery process. It may come to you overnight, or it may take three months. Sometimes only bits and pieces will return. Sometimes none atall.”

“How'd the other driver makeout?”

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