Without hesitating, I acknowledge what she’s already looking at with her own eyes. “Your brother has always worn a brain bucket.”
“I’ve seen him ride off with it unbuckled. Is that what happened here? Is it why he was so seriously injured?”
A sick feeling swirls in the pit of my stomach because that behavior would be very on brand for my reckless friend. I open my mouth to answer but Rage’s voice cuts into the conversation.
“I know for a fact that he had it strapped down tight because I’m the one who cut it off when we stabilized him on the backboard.”
Before Rage can respond Siege speaks up, “Taking his helmet off at the scene was a risky move, don’t ya think?”
Rage frowns. “Who’s the paramedic here? I know damn well taking off a helmet is dangerous, but in this case, I had to do it. He was unconscious and having trouble protecting his airway. Half helmets are less risky to move than full ones.”
Chapter 9
Natalie
I gaze up at this paramedic who’s reassuring me he made the decision he could under some difficult circumstances.
I respond immediately, “Of course you did. How was he doing when you last saw him?”
Alarm jumps onto his face for a second before he forces a more neutral expression. “He was unconscious so I couldn’t do a full assessment. We stabilized him at the scene. From what I could tell he had a broken leg, shattered collarbone, and a head injury.”
A cool, familiar voice comes from the doorway. “Good job explaining his injuries in layman’s terms.”
Rage’s face lights with obvious relief.
“Thank fuck you’re here, brother. You can tell us what’s really going on.”
Patch’s expression turns serious. “He’s just out of surgery. You were right about most of what’s going on with him. Broken collarbone, lower leg injuries and a nasty ulna fracture that’s been pinned. He has organ damage to his spleen and liver, and there’s a right pneumothorax. That’s in addition to the head injury.”
Patch stops abruptly, opens his mouth and then closes it again. The grim expression on his face makes me panic even more than I’m already panicking.
Bear tells him, “Tell us the rest, brother. Natalie and I deserve to know.”
He sighs and then turns to me. “Rick’s currently in a medically induced coma.”
Hearing that almost makes my knees unhinge. Bear’s arm slips around me again and I fall against his big body. Feeling his strong, steady heartbeat through his cut, gives me the strength to pull myself together.
Patch is quick to add, “I know the word coma always provokes a strong reaction in loved ones, but not all comas are bad. A medically induced coma allows his body time to heal. If everything is going in the right direction they’ll probably try and wake him up in a few days.”
When I make a strangled noise that sounds like a sob, even to my own ears, Bear swears under his breath before telling Patch, “Maybe you could have sugarcoated it better, Patch.”
I smooth my hand down his chest. “It’s okay. Sometimes there is no easy way to deliver bad news.”
Patch clears his throat, “Thank you. Dr. Barnes is the best neurosurgeon in the county. Your brother is in good hands,” he pauses, then adds. “I also need to mention that because Rick can’t give consent for his own treatment, we need you to sign next of kin paperwork.”
Bear eases me back into my chair and squats down to hold my hand in his. “Rick’s a tough motherfucker. He’s been through worse and he’s still breathing,” he tells me quietly. “They got him stable. We just need to give him some time and he’ll pull through this.”
I nod, fighting back tears. “When can I see him?”
Patch looks down at me and explains, “He’s in recovery right now, they’ll want to monitor him closely for the next hour or so. After that they’ll be sending him to ICU. You’ll be able to visit him once he’s moved there.”
Glancing down at his watch, he sighs. “I need to get movin’. I’ve got an evening clinic. I’ll keep you updated if there’s anything else you need to know, I asked Dr. Barnes to alert me to any changes.”
Siege tells him, “Thanks for the update, Patch.”
“Not a problem.”
Glancing at me, he adds, “I’ll send one of the nurses from recovery to get that paperwork signed. Not sure when he’ll be getting moved to ICU. They have visitation twice a day for two hours and don’t allow family to stay outside those times, but they might let you see him briefly, given the circumstances. Once he makes it out of ICU the visitation is much laxer.”
