“Out.” He could just hear the word, forced past that clenched jaw and he could just hoot with it.
Yes. Yes, that’s right, you stubborn motherfucker. Don’t let yourself get embarrassed out here on the floor.
“We got to get him up, get him out of here.” If Jason could move and talk then he could get upright enough to get dragged out. And not on the backboard. “We’re gonna lift you now, Jason. I swear to God, you don’t stay straight, I’ll let AJ drive your truck.”
“Out.”
They got him moving, the silent crowd going wild all around them. AJ had one arm and he had the other, his shoulder pushed up into Jason’s armpit, holding the man up.
Those legs were moving, Jason trying to walk, and Bax tried hard not to sag with relief. That probably meant Mini’s back was okay. Or at least not broken up in pieces. Not that he still wasn’t worried, but Bax figured Jason could out-stubborn anything that wasn’t spinal.
They made it to sports medicine, got Mini laid out on a bed. Doc Madding nodded toward the door, lips in a tight line. “Y’all get.”
“Not leaving.” No way. Bax stared the Doc down, then nodded at AJ. “Keep everyone out.”
“You got it.”
AJ was a good ‘un. He’d do what they asked.
Doc was in Jason’s face, shaking his shoulder a little, trying to get the son of a bitch to wake up right.
“Out. Out. Out!” Nowthatwas fucked.
“Okay. Get the EMTs in here. He needs a CAT scan. Now.” Doc Madding never snapped at his staff like that.
The doc was snarling, turning to get his assistant to move faster, and Bax leaned down quick like, trying to get Jason to focus on him. “Mini? Come on, Mini. Say my name.”
Jason’s eyes rolled like dice, moving faster, as if Mini was dreaming, was looking for him. “B?—”
“That’s it.” He grabbed the one hand that kept flailing. “Don’t do this to me, Jason. Don’t you get all messed up on me now.”
“Ba…”
“We need to move him, Andy. Get out of the way, now. He’s got to go.” Doc moved between them, just like that.
“Doc. I… He needs me.” He met the doc’s worried eyes, trying to get the man to understand. “Let me go with him.” He’d throw a fit like no one would believe, the doc made him stay behind.
Doc stared at him a long second, gray eyes moving back and forth, and he could feel that fit building when Doc nodded. “Go get his stuff, meet me in two minutes in the loading dock.”
Yeah, they’d need Jason’s information and he’d have to call Momma. The wreck’d be on the TV in an hour. He got his ass in gear, heading out, nodding at AJ again. “I’m going with him. You just tell them all he’ll be fine.”
He went to get Jason’s gear and his own, keeping his eyes down so he didn’t have to answer questions.
Goddamn it, Jason would have to be fine.
Anything else just wasn’t gonna fly.
Chapter Eight
There was something beeping, steady and irritating as all fuck.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Jesus fucking Christ.
“Bax, turn that fucking alarm off before I kill you.”
Shit, his throat hurt like a motherfucker and this was the darkest hotel room on earth. What had he fucking been drinking last night?
