Page 3 of Fires Creek
14 years ago. Age 16
My head hitthe dirt with an almighty thud as my wrist gave out and I tumbled down from the back of Terror. He was a good bull, young and fit; but so was I. I was in my fuckingprime.Apparently, that didn’t mean shit tonight. He was out for blood, and I was the unlucky bastard who drew his card.Next time, boy.
I felt the air leave my lungs as my body slammed into the cold, hard floor of the arena. My third championship was slipping away, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. I would be out for the season, maybe more, after a fall like this.My first fall.
“Someone call a fucking ambulance, he’s down!” A panicked scream came from somewhere in the arena.
Voices echoed all around me, a sharp ringing radiated through my ears. My eyes were gritty and heavy as my visionblurred, and my surroundings became nothing but dimly lit shadows.
“Teddy! TEDDY! Talk to me!”
Link?
“Is he okay?” Another familiar voice cut through my fucking ears.
Hannah?
“Fuck knows, he’s breathing though!”
“Get the nurse! Where’s Maggie?” A panicked reply came from someone in the crowd.
Maggie?
Who the hell is Maggie?
Why wasn’t anyone coming for me?
Feeling myself weaving in and out of consciousness, I let my eyes close as tears welled in my ducts and threatened to escape down my cheeks.No, you fucking don’t.The ringing sound grew louder and louder; it was starting to hurt. Everything was starting to hurt. I had no idea who was gathered around me, but I could make out voices arguing over what had just happened.
I tried to open my eyes, but they refused. So, I just lay there, waiting to die. I mean, I don’t exactly know if I was going to die, but I sure as hell wanted to. My ribs were on fire, my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest, and the fucking incessant ringing noise was giving me a violent headache. I felt a sudden, sharp prick inside the crook of my left elbow as a soft hand found my cheek.
“It’s okay, Theodore, you’re safe,” a gentle, feminine voice echoed through the ringing. Her hands stroked my face slowly, and everything faded to black.
“Good morning, Mr James,” that same, gentle voice chimed through my ears.
My tired eyes slowly fluttered open, allowing me to take in my surroundings.I was in the fucking hospital.I was hooked up to several obnoxiously loud machines and had cannulas inserted into my wrist and elbow.Great.
The nurse gracefully entered my room, carrying a tray of medicine and a bottle of water.She had little pink ponies on her scrubs, and her grey hair was pulled neatly off her face.
“What happened?” I asked, wondering how I ended up here.
“Here, son. Take these, they’ll help with the pain.” She handed me the pills, which I downed instantly with the water. Everything. Fucking. Hurt.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Oh, please, it’s Maggie. Maggie Carter,” she said, smiling at me and taking my empty glass.“You had quite the tumble, dear. Had the whole town worried.” She said, her voice soft and kind.
“Yeah, feels that way. What happened to Terror?”
“He’s back at the Jensen’s, ready to buck another day. Unfortunately, my dear, I don’t think we can say the same for you. Your surgery went well, but the damage to your wrist is undeniable. You also fractured multiple ribs, tore some ligaments in your shoulder, and had quite a nasty concussion,” she explained.
Maggie checked my cannulas and topped up the bags of whatever shit was in the IV’s as she answered my question. Her eyes narrowed as she checked my blood pressure. She shook her head and retested before taking her notes. I watched her eyes scan over my injuries, her hands scribbling more notes onto my chart.
“So, what does that mean?” I asked, my mind racing in a panic.
She stopped prodding around and sat on the shitty hospital chair next to my bed. Taking my hand in hers, she murmured. “You may need to rethink your career prospects, my dear.” Her soothing voice did nothing to lessen the blow of her words.
I lay there, swollen, sore, and absolutely fucking furious as I absorbed the information Maggie just divulged. It felt like a fuck tonne of cement had been dumped on my chest to slowly suffocate me. I felt my lungs heave as I desperately tried to inhale oxygen.
