Okay, then they’d deal with that later. Trey tugged Dominic down into a chair next to Benji, then sat on the other side, their hands tangled up together. As his adrenaline wound down, fatigue started to settle in.
Zelda and Robert Bounds stormed the waiting room around four thirty, sharing strong hugs with all three of them, even though Trey wasn’t the one who needed looking after. Mrs. Bounds had a small cooler with bottles of chilled water that she passed around. Trey urged Dominic to drink as much as he could without getting sick, then sipped at a bottle of his own.
“Has anyone told you boys anything about Lincoln or Joshua?” Mr. Bounds asked.
“No, but they know we’re all together,” Dominic said. “The nurses said they would.”
“Well, I’m going to go see if there’s an update about the boys.”
Trey was grateful for the man taking charge of the situation and being proactive. All Trey could think to do was hold Dominic’s hand.
Mr. Bounds returned a few minutes later, his expression grim.
Dominic tensed, his hand squeezing Trey’s painfully tight.
“Tyson has a broken ulna and fractured radius,” Mr. Bounds said. “It’s been set and he’s getting a cast put on. No other major injuries. He won’t be admitted.” The long pause made Trey’sstomach clench. “Lincoln and Joshua have been stabilized and taken up to the surgical floor.”
“Why?” Dominic asked.
“Joshua has some deep lacerations on his face and chest, and a broken piece of the car door is lodged in his abdomen. They need to remove it and make sure it didn’t damage any internal organs.”
Benji dropped his face into his palms and started crying. Mrs. Bounds squatted in front of him and tugged him into a firm hug.
“Lincoln?” Trey asked.
Mr. Bounds shoved his hands into his slacks. “It’s pretty serious. Lincoln has a skull fracture and has been unconscious since the accident. They wouldn’t say much beyond that. Traumatic brain injuries can be tricky.”
“But he’s gonna live, right?” Dominic asked.
“He’s young and he’s healthy, so the odds are in his favor.”
“I can’t lose him, Dad.”
“We won’t.”
Trey let go of Dominic’s hands so Mr. Bounds could wrap his son up in a tight hug. He didn’t resent Dominic’s closeness with Lincoln anymore, and he ached for Dominic’s obvious pain. Head injuries were scary beasts. People bounced back like nothing happened, or they ended up a vegetable. Until the doctors told them more, all they could do was sit and hope.
He was dozing in a chair when his ringing phone jerked Trey wide awake. Seven thirty. Bobby calling. “Hey, man.”
“Dude, did you take my car again?”
Trey excused himself to the other side of the surgical waiting room. They’d gone upstairs to wait after a slightly loopy Tysonwas delivered to them. “Had an emergency.” He filled Bobby in on the accident and everyone’s condition. “Joshua’s in recovery right now, and his family just got here. Still no word on Lincoln though.”
“That sucks ass, man.” Bobby sounded genuinely upset, and that surprised Trey. “They get the other driver?”
“No, it was a hit-and-run.”
“Seriously? Shit.”
“Yeah.”
“Oh wow.” Bobby’s tone had shifted from serious to upbeat in a snap. “Oh my God, you know this means we’re competing now.”
“Competing for what?”
“Unbound, Coop, duh.”
Trey blinked at the wall. “Are you seriously thinking about that right now? Christ, Bobby, we don’t even know if Lincoln is going to live, and you’re thinking about Unbound?”
