Page 66 of Final Ride

“Won’t hurt to get an x-ray and find out for sure.”

“I ain’t never been to a doctor.”

Travis smiled. “You won’t mind it much. You ain’t getting stitches or needles or anything like that.”

Virge made a face.

Medical Center. Amarillo. Texas.

Travis punchedmedicalinto the GPS and the map lady took him to the closest clinic. They were just opening for the day and there was nobody ahead of Corb in the waiting room.

The doctor on duty checked him out. An X-ray confirmed Corb had two broken ribs, a sprained wrist and a lot of bruises.

“I’m going to give you some tape, son, to help with the ribs. Not common practice, but your breathing isn’t the best and I think it’s the thing to do in your case.”

“Thanks, Doc,” said Travis. “He’s in considerable pain. Can’t sleep much.”

Corb came out of the exam room with a bandaged wrist and a lot of tape holding his ribs together.

“Wasn’t too bad, was it?” asked Travis.

Corb smiled and that was new. “Piece of cake.”

Travis paid the bill, and we headed south.

Trauma Center. Watertown. New York.

Tammy was allowed out of bed for the first time, and she took it slow. Her head was dizzy, and she was wobbly and a little unsure on her feet.

One of the nurses helped her to the bathroom and back to her bed.“You’re doing well, Tammy. That was your first time out of bed. A couple more times today, and you’ll be able to go to the bathroom on your own.”

“Thanks for the help.”

“That’s what we’re here for.”

Tammy lay on her bed thinking about finding Eldon and having make-up sex with him. Her head swam after getting out of bed and her thoughts were fuzzy.

She tried hard to remember Eldon and how much she loved him, and she couldn’t recall a lot of the past except for the part where they were riding in the truck and heading for the depot.

Trying to picture his handsome face, it kept getting mixed up with Willy’s face. She smiled when she remembered Eldon letting her drive the big truck.

Tammy tried so hard to remember the kind of truck it was. She knew the name and it wouldn’t come to her.

I have to think of the name of the truck.

Maynooth. Northern Ontario.

Bobby sat on the back porch of Mrs. Powell’s sweet log cabin wondering if the old guy down at the general store planned to call Tammy’s mama down in Texas and rat him out.

“I love living here on the lake and if you make me move, that will really piss me off, old guy. You do not want to piss me off.” Bobby patted Cleo’s big head. “Maybe he doesn’t have her number, Cleo. That would be best for us, wouldn’t it?”

Cleo was concentrating too hard on the bear smell to pay much attention to who had who’s phone number. The scent was so strong all around the cabin, Cleo couldn’t leave it alone. She followed the trail down into the ravine over and over.

The result was the same. No bear.

“Should I just sit here in paradise and wait to get kicked out, or should I go down to the store and do a little head bashing?”

Cleo ran off into the woods and didn’t answer.

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