Page 7 of Wild For You
The end of the countdown neared, and I held my breath, knowing I gave the performance of a lifetime. Hopefully, my score reflected the flair and precision of my show.
Just as the buzzer sounded, I settled up on the horse while he continued to rear and kick. The pickup men struggled to grab his flank strap, and without a saddle, I had to work to safely remove myself from the bronco’s back.
Just as I tried to slip free, the horse twisted, and my right leg tangled between his. Pain radiated through my leg as his hoof hit my knee. After a few rounds of being tossed about, I was able to release my hand from the harness, and I fell to the ground with a thud. Searing agony spiraled up my back as I worked to catch my breath. I watched in horror as the pickup men continued to grapple with the flank strap, one of them taking a kick to the chest as the horse spun around.
I worked to try to stand, but my leg and back refused to follow my mind’s orders. The horse twisted and focused his angry gaze upon me. Thankfully, one of the pickup men jumped from his horse and lifted me. He tried to walk with me assisting, but my entire body collapsed once again.
“Shit,” the guy mumbled, then he called out for help.
Suddenly, I was hoisted high into the air and thrown onto the back of a horse, only to slide off the other side.
That’s when everything went black.
“Ah, fuck,” I moaned as I came to, the memories flooding back with the dream. The rodeo, the nagging feeling in the back of my mind that something could go wrong, the pain.
“Oh, are you hurting?” Betty asked as she adjusted one of the drips above my bed.
“I… I remember.”
“Remember what?” she asked as she was busy making adjustments to the IV and typing on her computer.
“How I got here, what happened, my name….”
“That’s wonderful news. Let me update your chart.”
After a few taps, she looked at me expectantly.
“My name is Andrew Philip Keyes.” I followed up with my birthdate and address.
“Well now, that should ease your mind some. I’m going to reach out to the doctor and let him know your memory has returned.”
“Okay.”
“While I go do that, is there anyone you want to call?”
At first, I insisted I didn’t, until I realized that my best friend was probably worried. He was the only one who knew what I did in my spare time, and I always made it a point to let him know what event I was going to. After a fall when I was in college, Nate made me promise I’d always let someone know what I was up to.
“Was my cell phone damaged? There is someone I need to reach out to.”
“Unfortunately, we didn’t find any devices on you.”
Realizing it was probably still sitting in the center console of my truck, I asked if there was a phone I could use. Betty pulled over a landline that was hooked up in the far corner of the room.
It took me a minute to recall Nate’s number, since he had been programmed into my favorites for years. After a few frustrating failed attempts—and one nice woman who invited me to dinner—I got ahold of Nate’s voicemail. I contemplated leaving a detailed message but opted for something short instead.
Nurse Betty watched me curiously as I asked him to call me back at the number scrawled across the top of the phone’s cradle. If it was Friday, he was likely with his twin daughters and his wife—my sister, Alex—at her cake shop. But I also knew Nate didn’t answer his phone for unknown numbers. As a tech genius and billionaire, he received phishy calls on a daily basis.
“He’ll call back soon,” I explained to the frowning nurse as she fluffed my pillow before leaving the room. Glancing down at my immobile leg wrapped in a brace, I realized I had no way home. Not only could I barely sit up straight without experiencing excruciating pain, but I wouldn’t be able to drive with the bum leg.
“Fuck,” I groaned as I used the remote attached to the bed to turn on the television. If Nate didn’t call, I was going to need to reach out to one of my siblings… or worse, my mom. The fear of hearing the disappointment in their voices left me sweating.
I must have dozed a bit as I watched an old western film, because the room was bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun when I opened my eyes again. As I readjusted myself on the bed, the phone rang. I hesitated as I lifted the receiver, wondering how my best friend was going to react if it was him.
“Hello?” My voice cracked as I greeted the caller.
“Andrew? Man, what’s going on? I got your message. I’ve been trying to reach you for days,” Nate said frantically. The worry in his voice was palpable.
I quickly explained that I was in the hospital after sustaining injuries after a nasty ride at the rodeo. Nate cursed and then quickly said a muffled apology. I suspect he was in the room with his daughters and Alex sent him one of her nasty glares.
