“Well, you sure proved that today. What’d you do? Buy out half the shop?” Parker laughed, lifting more bags and heading towards the kitchen.
Harvey chuckled, and picked up the remaining bags, looping the handles over his wrists, so he could grab the final two. He’d only taken a single step when his foot caught, and gravity took hold. Then suddenly he was sprawled on the floorboards, a yell escaping as agonising pain radiated from his wrist. His breath left him in a whoosh. Apples rolled around him as he tried to work out what had happened.
He could hear Parker saying something in the distance, but his head buzzed. He looked up at his brother who was wide-eyed and staring. Following Parker’s line of sight, he focused on his wrist.Fuck!
His left hand was flat on the floor, but there was an obvious deformity of his wrist and his thumb was at a weird angle. Now he’d laid eyes on it, the agony intensified, and he screwed his eyes shut against the pain.Maybe if I keep my eyes closed long enough, when I open them, this will all be a dream.
“Bloody hell!” Parker dropped to his knees besides him. “What can I do to help? Can you stand? Do you need an ambulance?”
“Hang on. Give me a minute.” Harvey sucked in a deep breath, then another. He focused on his breathing for a minute as he untangled his hands from the bags. He finally got his knees under him and maneuvered himself until he was kneeling, at the same time drawing his damaged arm to his chest. He used his good hand to support the injured one. Nausea rolled over him, and he swallowed against the need to throw up. He wobbled slightly and groaned. “Shit. That hurts.”
Ravi rushed down the hall and skidded to a stop in front of them. “What’s… Shit! What happened? Fuck, Harvey. That looks bad.”
Ravi was pale as a ghost, and Harvey wanted to reach out and comfort him, but he could hardly keep himself upright.
“Help me get him to the car, Rav. Actually, go grab his stuff. His phone. The keys.”
“Sure.” Ravi swallowed heavily and looked like he was going to puke, but he swallowed again and nodded before rushing towards the bedroom.
Harvey groaned as he stood, the movement sending bolts of agony up his arm, but he was grateful to be standing. He held his arm tightly to his chest and tried to stop the trembling.
“Do you need an ambulance or do you think you can make it to the car?”
“The car. Fuck, Parker. What do I do if it’s broken?”Not just broken, what if I’ve fucked my hand and it will never be the same again?Jesus, the thought sent a shiver down his spine. He needed his hand for chrissakes, he was a guitarist.What if I can never play again?
Ravi arrived back with an armful of things. “I grabbed everything you asked for and got you a jacket, Harvey. Those hospitals can be freezing.”
Harvey mustered a smile. Ravi’s face held enough worry for the two of them.
“Let me grab my stuff and we’ll go,” Parker said. He patted Harvey on his good shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, Harvey, you’ll see.”
Harvey nodded and hoped to hell he was right.
Chapter Four
Threeweekslater
“I need some chopsticks.”
“What for?” Ravi glanced over at Harvey from where he stood at the kitchen bench. “I’m making sandwiches, not stir-fry. Plus, I don’t think you have any unless you saved a disposable pair from the last home delivery.”
Harvey got up from his seat at the dining table and crossed the room, opening kitchen drawers and rummaging around amongst the utensils. “How about a skewer then?”
Ravi shoved him out of the way and closed the drawer. “You’re not having a skewer, or anything else. So stop asking, and go sit down.”
Harvey grumbled under his breath but followed orders and returned to the table, making a show of dropping back into his seat with an exaggerated sigh. He picked up the pen he’d been using earlier and shoved it into the opening at the top of the cast. He moaned in a way that set Ravi’s blood boiling, but for all the wrong reasons.
“Give me that!” Ravi plucked the pen from his fingers. He knew Harvey’s arm had been itching like crazy, but short-term relief wasn’t worth the risk of getting an infection. “How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?”
“But—”
“No buts. Cut it out, or I’ll have to tie your good hand up.”
Harvey waggled his brows. “Promises, promises.”
Ravi gave a lukewarm chuckle. They’d been living under the same roof by themselves for two weeks, ever since the band left for the States—two weeks of pure bliss and pure hell as far as Ravi was concerned. But at least they were getting on, even if his emotions were all over the place. He just wished Harvey would stop with the flirting because his heart was having trouble remembering it was all just in good fun.
Poor Harvey had been dealing with his broken wrist for three weeks. He appeared surprisingly okay with how things panned out—the injury, missing the tour, watching his little brother take his place with the band, being housebound with Ravi, but the arm still drove him nuts. He got annoyed and impatient with himself but usually didn’t take it out on Ravi.
