Page 43 of Spar
He jumped up at the sight of Claire coming out the double-doors that led to the patients’ rooms and nurses’ station. She motioned for him to sit as she stood before him.
“He’s going to be fine. They set the bones and gave him something for the pain. He’s resting now.”
“Can I see him?”
“Yes, but only for a few minutes. Technically, it’s past visiting hours, but I went to school with the charge nurse.”
He stood, anxious to see his brother, but Claire laid a hand on his chest to stop him.
“Five minutes! I don’t want to push my luck.”
He nodded in agreement, and Claire moved out of his path.
Chris’ skin crawled as he walked down the dim hallway searching for Travis’ room. The beeping of machines and the squeaky wheels of a nurse’s cart rolling down the hallway were the only sounds this time of night.
He crept in quietly so as not to disturb his brother. It’d been a hell of a night, and Chris had so many questions, but right now, he just wanted to be there and see for himself that Travis was resting easily.
The sight of Travis’ left arm in a hard cast flashed a memory of how Travis had looked when he found him. Three men had circled around as Travis lay on the ground already moaning in pain. Chris hadn’t known how long he’d been down, but it was clear the men surrounding him weren’t done yet. One man had paced around Travis, telling him if Danny didn’t get his money in a week, they’d be back. The other men had sneered in the background, nodding and grunting their encouragement to the ringleader.
Chris hadn’t been sure of what he had intended to do as he’d strode forward directly toward the men. He hadn’t been in a fight outside of the ring in years, but the adrenaline rush at the sight of his brother being attacked had flipped a switch in him. He’d attacked the leader just as he’d reared back to give Travis another solid kick. He’d enjoyed it, too. That first punch, landing square on the jaw, had felt awesome. Judging by the way the man’s eyes had glazed over, it would have only taken another punch to knock him out cold, but before he could verify that theory, the other guys had grabbed him and gotten a few punches in.
“You look like shit,” Travis mumbled, his eyes barely open.
Chris chuckled softly. “You’re one to talk. At least I’m standing on my own two feet.”
Travis laughed and then winced in pain, grabbing his side. “You got me there. I don’t think I’m going to be standing on mine for a day or two.”
Chris sat looking over his brother as carefully as he could in the dark. Broken nose and broken arm and more bruises stretched out over every inch of his uncovered skin.
“I’m sorry,” Travis said quietly, closing his eyes.
“We can talk about it another time. You just rest.”
“No, I need to say it now. I knew it was a bad idea going tonight.”
“You knew they were going to be there? That’s why you didn’t want to go,” Chris said to himself, thinking back to Travis’ odd behavior as they were leaving Sweetbriar. “Shit. I’m an idiot. I thought you didn’t approve of me boxing.”
Travis laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes. “I knew Danny’s thugs were looking for me. If they got wind you were fighting, I’d be easy to find. I knew it was a risk, and I didn’t say anything. I put you in this situation, and I’m sorry. Years of living and dealing with shit-bags like Danny, and I always thought I was better than them, as if I had some sort of moral compass that knew right and wrong on a higher level than theirs. But tonight, I led us into a situation that I knew could end badly. I should have told you.”
“Don’t you dare compare yourself to those assholes. You’re better than that.”
Travis laughed and winced, grabbing at his side with his good arm. “I don’t know anymore. I can’t seem to get my shit together.”
“We will get through this together. You’ve got me and Charlie. We may not have been there for you like we should have been after Mom and Dad died, but we’re here now.”
“Since when did my little brother become smarter than me?”
“Knock, knock.” Claire poked her head into the room. “The nurses are pacing out here. I think it’s time to let him sleep.”
Chris nodded at Claire as he stood next to Travis. He wanted to reach out and touch him, assure him in some way, but the fear of hurting him further restrained him. “I’ll be back. Get some rest.” He left the room and joined Claire in the hallway.
She looped her arm through his and bumped her shoulder against his. “He’s gonna be okay. He’s in good hands here.”
“Thank you.”
Claire stopped outside the nurses’ station. “Tori is in the waiting room. I’ll catch up with you guys in just a minute.”
Tori was sitting on the edge of her seat, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth. She stood as he stepped forward, but stayed firmly in her place.
