Page 22 of Somewhere We Belong

The doctor narrowed his eyes at him.

“Her Glasgow Coma Scale was a nine,” the doctor said reluctantly. “Her scan looked ok, but her symptoms have me worried and the amount of time she was unconscious.”

“I’m a single mom; I can’t stay here tonight.” My voice was high-pitched as my nerves settled in. “She has nowhere to stay, and I can’t afford a hospital stay and and…”

I flinched from moving my arm too quickly.

“Stay with us,” Atlas said, turning to look at me. “I can keep an eye on you, and we can help you with Sol.”

“No,” I said immediately.

“Then admit her, Doc,” he said, staring at me. “If you won’t accept help, then you should stay here, where someone can watch your symptoms.”

I glared at Atlas.

“I don’t appreciate being manipulated to do what you want,” I snapped, my visions getting a little blurry.

“I’m not manipulating you. I just know you are stubborn enough to say you are fine, pushing your discomforts aside to take care of Sol.” Atlas raised a brow, daring me to disagree. “You need to be monitored, and these are your two options. Do you also want to put poor Sol in the position where she needs to go running to us? What if it happens at night?”

I scowled, grimacing in pain again.

“What if?—”

“Ok, fine I will stay with you if it means I don’t have to stay the night here,” I relented.

Atlas didn’t immediately look happy. He studied me as if he knew I would bullshit my way out of this, but he was right, I couldn’t put Sol through that.

“I can’t do that to her again,” I said softly.

He nodded as we turned to the doctor.

“Ok, well I’ll get discharge papers, and I’ll have Jane come give you paperwork,” he said looking between Atlas and I curiously before leaving.

Jane came in fifteen minutes later explaining what to look for and what to do about cleaning my cut and also the care for my shoulder. I would need to wear a sling for at least four weeks and probably do some physical therapy. No work till I was cleared for my concussion and then my shoulder.

Atlas gingerly helped me into the car, mindful of my injuries. Exhaustion was too hard to fight as my eyes fluttered closed. I leaned my head against the door attempting to stay calm. Crying was all I wanted to do, even though it seemed like it would make my symptoms worse. A panic attack was just below the surface, attempting to pull me down. I needed a break to catch my breath, to rest before the weight of life got heavier and heavier, threatening to pull me under. Sol had no one else but me, and as much as I wanted to give up, she needed me.

Atlas held my hand as he drove us home. He squeezed my hand comforting me and in this moment, he was the only thing keeping me from drowning and giving up.

8

theodore

Ranch chores had never been done sofast. I usually enjoyed doing everything at a slow pace, taking my time with the animals, enjoying the silence, being with nature and enjoying where I was in life.

Since we had found Nova unconscious, I had felt such uneasiness and anxiety that I hadn’t felt in years. It reminded me of when I was with my parents, and I always felt like something was going to happen. Atlas called it my fight-or-flight response and being here in Sterling Ridge had kept it away until now.

After moving the herd, I made my rounds with the heifers, checked on the new calves, milked a few of the older cows and made sure they were all fed. I never realized how much work I had to do when I normally took everything in stride at a peaceful pace.

“They probably won’t be back till after we have to pick up Sol,” Colt said, getting on his horse and following me back home.

I grunted, not knowing what to tell Colt or give too much away. There was something I had been harboring for years that I felt ashamed of, but I didn’t know what to do about it. Thelast five years of living close to Nova were torture and happiness wrapped in a barbed wire bow.

I really thought I was gay, but when I first saw her, it was like seeing my guys for the first time. I knew she should be mine. It just felt right and every year being around her only cemented my feelings for her, even though we hadn’t had many interactions and nothing romantic had happened between us. Guilt ate away at me that I had feelings for another person that wasn’t my boyfriends.

“Theo!” Colt shouted at me, bringing me back from my thoughts before we went the wrong way.

Colt went faster, bringing his horse right in front of me, making me stop. He studied me, looking at me with a scowl that grew deeper the longer he stared at me.

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