Page 34 of Skid
The thought of Baylor undergoing surgery terrified her. I saw it in the way her jaw tensed and her eyes blinked. She was scared out of her mind, but she was doing her best to hide it.
“The break is in her growth plate,” the doctor explained, tracing the line on the X-ray. “The fracture is unstable at the joint, so we will need to use pins to hold the bone in place. That will help it heal properly.”
“When will you do it?”
“The orthopedic surgeon will be here in a few hours. We will do our best to keep her comfortable until then.”
“Okay.” I could tell she had more questions, but she simply nodded and said, “Thank you.”
When the doctor left, she didn’t move. She just sat there holding Baylor’s hand. The sweet thing was pretty drowsy from the meds, but every now and then, she let out a little whimper, and damn if it didn’t cut right through me. And I had no doubt that it got to Laken, too.
I stepped to the side and sent Dad a message, letting him know what had happened. He and Jenna offered to come wait with us, but I told them to hold off until we knew more. I shoved my phone back in my pocket and turned my attention back to Laken.
I hated seeing her upset, so I crouched down beside her and whispered, “She’s gonna be okay. They’re going to take good care of her.”
“I know. I just hate this so much.” She wiped the tears from her eyes as she whispered, “She’s just so little. What if…”
“Don’t go there,” I cut her off. “She’s gonna be fine. You did everything right. You got her here, and they’re going to fix her up as good as new.”
“I hate seeing her hurting.”
“She’s tough like her momma.” I gave her a wink. “She’ll get through this just fine. You wait and see.”
She didn’t respond. She just buried her face in my chest and sighed. I pulled her close, holding her tight as I listened to the monitors beep and Baylor’s soft breaths. I held her for a moment longer, then released her and whispered, “I’m going to check on our girl.”
She nodded and watched as I stepped over to Baylor and sat on the edge of the bed. “Hey, kiddo. How ya doing over here?”
Baylor blinked up at me with eyes that were way too tired for someone her size. She poked her bottom lip out with a pout as she mumbled, “I wanna go home.”
“I know, and we’re gonna get you home real soon. But first, the doctors gotta help your arm feel better.”
She looked up at me with those big, brown eyes, listening to my every word like it was gospel, and it damn near gutted me. “And you know something cool… When arms break like yours did, they heal back twice as strong. I don’t know why. It’s just the way bones work, but when your wrist is all healed up, it will be super strong. You’ll be a regular Wonder Woman.”
She didn’t respond, but the story did earn me a slight smile. And right then, that was enough. But that smile quickly faded when she muttered, “My star. I broked it and da tree.”
“That’s alright. Trees fall. It’s nothing we can’t fix.” I gave her a reassuring smile as I added, “I’m gonna get you the biggest, brightest star you’ve ever seen to go on top of that tree. You just wait and see.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, baby,” I answered softly. “And we’re going to put the star you made on it, too. The tree wouldn’t be the same without it.”
“He’s right. It was a very pretty star. It was just what the tree needed,” Laken interjected. “But no more climbing in the dark. You scared Momma half to death.”
“Okay, Momma.” Baylor’s chin dipped, eyes going glossy. “I sorry.”
“I know you are, sweetie. And I am, too. I should’ve helped you get the star on the tree before we went to bed.”
Baylor sniffed, then looked back at me, like she was checking to see if I was mad at her, too. I gave her a little wink and said, “It’s all good. Accidents happen, and I’m real proud of you. You’ve been handling all this like a champ. You just have to hang in there a little longer, and then, we’ll be back home, eatin’ popcorn and watching Christmas movies by the tree.”
She gave me another tiny smile, and damn if it didn’t hit straight to the heart. Little by little, she was letting me in. A moment like that does something to a man. It certainly did tome. I swore right then and there that I’d do whatever it took to protect them and keep them safe.
A few hours later, the nurses came for Baylor, and after that, everything was a blur of bad coffee and endless pacing. Laken was a mess. She kept staring at the waiting room phone, waiting for the call from the doctor. I did my best to be there for her, but there was nothing I could say or do that would ease her mind. She wasn’t going to be okay until Baylor was back in her arms.
She didn’t say much. She just kept twisting the sleeve of her hoodie and whispering little quiet prayers. I knew she was thinking the worst, but at least she wasn’t thinking it alone. I was right there at her side. It didn’t matter if she needed a shoulder, a distraction, or someone to refill her coffee. She had me, and if I had anything to say about it, she always would.
After what felt like hours, the call finally came, and shortly after answering, Laken turned to me with a tired smile. “She did great. Everything went as planned.”
“That’s great. I knew she’d do fine.”
