Page 10 of Sustain

He nods to himself, understanding, though I wish he could explain it to me. I would think she would want to be pain-free if possible. Plus, she knows she’s been getting narcotics already in her IV. This sudden shift is a bit confusing.

“Can we keep the IV going for now, and when we release you in the next couple of hours, we’ll go over your pain management plan? I think the risk outweighs the reward to your pain level for a little while at least. You are going to be hurting.”

She studies him for a long moment, and even I begin to squirm under the intensity of it. Eventually, she nods and sits back, pushing into her pillows with her eyes closed, releasing a deep breath.

I glance up at the doctor expectantly, unsure of what’s next. I’m not a big fan of hospitals, and seeing as Mackenzie’s injury isn’t as bad as originally thought, I’m anxious to get us out of here.

He nods at us as he leaves the room. “We’ll be back in shortly with the brace and more instructions. Just sit tight.”

Once he’s gone there’s a heavy silence between us. I’m unsure if I should bring up what just happened, or let it go. Changing the subject feels just as awkward as saying something.

“Sorry, I just...” Mackenzie whispers, avoiding eye contact with me.

I hold my hands up. “You don’t owe me or anyone an explanation. It’s completely up to you what course of treatment you take. Hell, you could jump out of that bed right now and run out of here, and I wouldn’t stop you.”

That at least gets a smirk from her. “Really?” The dubious glance she gives me is worth it.

“Well, I might at least call after you.”

“Is that all?” I love the sparkle of challenge in her eyes.

“To be honest, I don’t think you’d get very far,” I smirk right back. “You know, broken leg and all.”

“Yeah, there is that.” Her brow creases, and she’s suddenly serious again.

“What is it?” I ask.

She glances up at me, reluctant to voice whatever it is that’s bothering her. “I don’t know how I’m going to navigate this festival if I can’t get around. You’ve seen me at shows, Ian. I’m never in the same spot for more than a minute. This is going to be a nightmare.”

It’s true. I’ve seen Mackenzie in action at a few Murderous Crows shows, and she’s constantly moving. A broken leg is going to be a severe hindrance, especially with all the snow that’s currently falling.

“Well, lucky for you that I’m here then. I’ll just handle everything for both of our bands. It won’t be a problem.”

How hard could it be? Most of the preparations are already made for all of us. It’s just a matter of getting everyone in the right place at the right time.

Nine rockstars. No problem. I have two young girls. I can handle some adults.

The dubious glare now coming from Mackenzie is almost laughable. The morphine must really be kicking in now since the glassiness in her gaze isn’t tears anymore.

“Do you have my phone?” she asks. “Can I have it, please?” She holds a hand out expectantly.

“No.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “What do you mean, no? Did you leave it on the mountain?”

“No, it’s not on the mountain.” I can’t help the smile that cracks through my attempt at being stern.

She’s not amused.

“Give me my phone, Ian.”

I’m almost tempted to give in and hand it over, but I hold my ground. She just broke her bloody leg, and she’s on morphine. There’s no way I’m letting her try to conduct business right now.

“You need to rest,” I say, reaching over and plumping her pillows behind her. “I told you, I’ll handle everything. Don’t worry.”

I catch a twitch of her lips before it turns into a scowl. “I’m not a baby,” she mutters.

“Nobody said you were,” I sigh, sitting next to her on the bed again and draping an arm around her as she leans her head on my shoulder. “In fact, I think you’re a talented business person, and very good at your job. You’re just getting sidelined for this game, that’s all.”

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