Page 136 of Mr. Broody

As they wheel Bodhi into the hospital, briefing the nursing staff as I follow aimlessly, my gut twists and turns with the thought of having to tell Henry when he’s so far away.

While they move Bodhi from the stretcher to a bed, I call the only people I know can guide me through this.

“Hello?” Reed answers. “Jade?”

“I need you and Mom to come down to Children’s, and do you have any idea how I get a hold of Henry while he’s playing a game?” All the words come out in a rush, and I somehow manage not to break down in tears.

He groans and sighs.

Yeah, I screwed up.

He puts the phone on speaker, and I tell him and my mom the entire story.

“You let him break his arm?” Owen asks, laughing in the background.

“I didn’t let him. It was an accident,” I snipe.

“It happens. Okay, Reed and I are on our way,” Mom says. “And, Jade, don’t freak out. These things happen all the time.”

“I’ll see about getting the news to Henry,” Reed says.

“No. I want to be the one to call him.”

“I’d dodge that bullet, sis,” Waylon says. “Let Dad take it. He’s way past his prime anyway.”

“Excuse me?” Reed says, clearly insulted.

“Your dad is still in his prime,” Mom says.

“Can we revisit this line of conversation later? Just get me the number of who I need to call. I need to tell Henry myself.” Although I can’t deny I’d love to hand it off to someone else.

“Sure thing. We’ll see you in a little bit,” Reed says.

“If I don’t see you again, love you,” Owen says, and I click End, not wanting to hear their bullshit.

I head into the room where one of the nurses asks me what happened, who I am to Bodhi, and where is his father. I answer all their questions. Then a doctor or intern or someone comes in and asks me all the same things again.

“Am I going to get a cast, Jade?” Bodhi asks once everyone is out of the room.

I track Henry’s game on my phone to see that they’re in the second period. I hate that he has no idea what’s happening right now. “I think so, but I don’t know.”

“Willow had a purple cast. Can I get red?” He’s watching the TV mounted in the corner and not paying any attention to me.

“I’m sure you can get whatever color you want.”

Another nurse, or it could be social worker for all I know—there have been so many introductions, and I don’t know who anyone is—comes into the room. “So, what happened, Bodhi?” she asks, looking at me.

Am I supposed to answer, or is he?

“I broke my arm,” Bodhi says.

“And how did you do that?” she asks, glancing at me again.

“We were playing hot lava, and a killer whale tipped our ship. Jade fell in, and I dived in to save her.” Sweet Bodhi rehashes the entire thing.

“What was a killer whale doing in the lava?” she asks.

Bodhi shrugs with his good arm. “I don’t know. Jade said he was there.”

---