Chapter 26

Nick stood in the aisle watching her breathe.  Come on Bron, Kev needs you he thought to himself. 

He grabbed her hand and started rubbing the top of it gently with his thumb.  Bending down to her ear he started speaking to her softly,  “Come on Bron you can fight this.  You can do this.”  Pausing and absently stroking her hand, “Kev needs you Bron, please.  I don’t want to be around him if something happens to you.  I know it’s fast and all, but that’s how Train is."

He paused again, “Bron if you're not here he is going to start fighting with us; come on don’t do that to us.  Look I know he as a nasty temper so do you; that’s why you are so attracted to each other.”  He halted, “Bron opposites don’t work with Train, he can scare people just by not talking.  Sometimes he even freaks me out too,” He laughed quietly. 

Nick inhaled deeply trying to figure out what to say next to her as he stroked her hand.  “Bron you have to wake up you owe me a chapter,” he whispered as he leaned closer to her.  “You wouldn’t want Kev to read the last one you wrote would you?” he questioned her.  He saw her eyelids flutter.  That’s it he thought with excitement.  “Bron if you don’t wake up right now I’ll show Kev what you wrote about him and A.J.,” he warned her.

Bron heard someone talking to her but didn’t recognize the voice at first.  Oh, it’s Nick, she said to herself.  She heard Nick say he was going to show Kevin the last chapter.  I have to stop him.  Oh God my head hurts she cried on the inside.

Nick watched her face contort in pain and frowned.  Her eyes opened slowly and then closed shut again.  “Come on Bron, I will show him and then he’ll beat your ass for doing it,” He laughed softly to her and smiled.

Her eyes came open.  “You do Little Man and you’ll be next,” she whispered to him.

“There’s my lady,” he grinned.

“Nick it hurts,” she whispered as the tears rolled down her face.

“I know, let me go get Mary.”  He quickly went to get her.

Nick walked to the end of the aisle and motioned Mary to follow him.  Nick watched Kevin to make sure he wasn’t looking.  Mary needed to see Bron first, he thought.

“Hey honey, you’re back,” she smiled at her. 

“Please tell me I wasn’t in the tequila again,” Bron asked Mary as the pain started to get unbearable.

“No honey you weren’t,” she told her.

“Mary it hurts,” crying slightly harder and starting to grab for the back of her head.

Mary pushed her hand down, “I know it does, but don’t touch it and I want you to stay still.”

“Mary please help me it hurts so bad,” she begged.

“Bron, I can’t give you anything for that yet, we’re almost there,” Mary sighed.

“Where Mare?”  Bron asked through closed eyes.

“To a friend, I want him to check you out.”  Mary knew this wasn’t going to go over well so she waited for Bron’s reaction.

“I’m fine Mare.  I’m a hard headed woman,” Bron answered her, slightly miffed.

“I know, but you’re going anyway,” Mary answered with a terse tone.

“You can’t make me Mare and you know it.  Just give me something for this freaking headache,” she glared at her.

Mary smiled at her.  “Oh I know I can’t.  But Kevin can.”

Bron winced in pain.  Mary wasn’t sure if it was from the pain or what she had said.

Kevin picked his head up hearing his name.  It hit him like a rock and he was up the aisle.  Shoving Nick out of his way he looked into the bunk.  Her face had tears running down it.  “Hey,” he said to her as his heart raced in his chest.

“Hey,” she replied.

“How do you feel?”

“It hurt’s,” she cried.

As he wiped the tears from her face with his finger he spoke to her, “I’m sure it does, but Mary will take care of that for you.”  Kevin looked at Mary who was shaking her head violently back and forth.  Kevin was puzzled by her reaction.

“Kev,” Bron whispered.  He leaned his ear down to her lips.

Whispering to him, “Be nice to Nick.  He woke me up early.”

Kevin smiled and looked behind him and saw Nick scowling at him.  He reached out, pulled him forward to the bunk and draped an arm around him.  “Better?” he whispered.

Slowly her eyes closed, “Thank You, I’m so tired.”

Mary, Nick, and Kevin walked up front.  Mary glanced at A.J.  “Thirty minutes,” he told her. 

“What’s going on?”  Kevin asked Mary.

“I’m taking her to see a friend.  I think she will be fine but I want a set of films and a cat to be sure.  I promise it won’t take long,” Mary informed him. 

“I don’t give a damn how long it takes,” he hissed at Mary.

Mary rolled her eyes at him, “She doesn’t want to go.”

Kevin gave her a look, “She will.”

Mary nodded her head up and down while grinning at him, “Yes, you’ll see to that won’t you Kevin.”  The three of them went to join the others in the back lounge waiting for the time to pass.  Mary whispered to A.J., “I really shouldn’t let her sleep, never with a head injury, but in this case I think I have to.”

The bus pulled the parking lot of a hospital a half hour later.  Mary saw Jim standing by the door shocked at the sight of a tour bus in their parking lot.

Kevin walked to Bron’s bunk.  She was awake and not crying, but still in observable pain.  “Feeling any better?” he asked her. 

“Yeah I’m fine.  Why’d we stop?” she questioned him.

He studied her and realized she was lying to him immediately.  “We’re at a hospital.  Mary’s friend wants to take a look at you and run some tests,” he answered her.

“No I don’t think so.  It’s not necessary and it’s a waste of money,” Bron told him.  “I’m not going in there,” she spoke as her voice lowered with each word she spoke.

Kevin watched her a minute and thought okay you don’t want to cooperate; I guess will do this my way.  As soon as I know you’re fine, then I’ll knock some sense into that stubborn head of yours.  He chose his words carefully so she knew exactly what his intentions were.  “Yes you are going in there.  You are going to do as you’re told and not act like a kid,” he spoke to her in a quiet voice.

Bron began to protest but the implication of what he said hit home, she closed her mouth, and let out huff.

“Good Girl,” he whispered to her as kissed her cheek.

Mary came back to Bron’s bunk, “Let’s go Kev.”

Kevin shoved his arms under Bron and pulled her out of the bunk.

“Put me down, please,” she whispered to him.

“No,” he replied.

“Kevin I can walk.  You are making a fool of me,” she whispered louder.

He never answered her as they followed Mary off the bus and through the hospital doors.  Once inside the doors, Mary pointed to a gurney.  Kevin set her down on it and stood next to her.

“Dammit, knock it off,” she spoke as she started to sit up.  She felt pressure on her shoulders forcing her back down.  “ERRR!” came out of her as he watched her.

Leaning down and looking her straight in the face, “Please behave and don’t act like a child.  All of this is your fault and I have just about had it.  If you had been with me like you were supposed to be none of this would have happened.  Don’t even say another word.”

Bron sized him up he is so sneaky.  Now he is veiling his little threats, rather well no one is noticing.  I swear I am going to smack him senseless the first chance I get.  I am tired of him pushing me around.  Bron glared back at him.

Bron submitted to the poking, prodding, and tests without a word.  Finally, they were in a room off by itself.  She just rested there on her side watching Jim and Mary.  They were looking at x-rays and all the other junk they had done to her.  Kevin was standing behind Bron leaning on the gurney watching Jim and Mary also. 

Jim turned around, “Well you’ll live, with one heck of headache.  You are a very lucky lady, you turned just in time or you would have had a broken neck or worse.”  He walked up to Bron and stood opposite Kevin.  “I want to check the stitches one more time.  It seems Mary didn’t consider cutting your hair,” he told her. 

Bron put her hand up in protest.  Kevin dragged it away.  She started to speak but he lowered his face to hers and gazed at her.  Bron rolled to face Kevin so they could check Mary’s handiwork.  “You have quite a commanding presence with Bronwyn,” Jim chuckled. 

“Sometimes,” Kevin answered him.  Kevin was watching Bron trying not to laugh at Jim.  Boy if he only knew, he thought.  Bron stuck her tongue out at Kevin.  He laughed, typical for her.

Mary caught what Bron had done and figured yep she’ll be fine.

“Ok, you’re all set.  I want you to take it easy the rest of the day,” Jim told her as she rolled back over.  “I’ll restock Mary’s meds for the pain and her bag tricks,” he laughed.  “It was a pleasure to meet you Mr. Richardson.  My daughter is a real big fan of your group.”

“I’ll sign something for her if you want me to?”  Kevin told him. 

“Jim come here,” Mary interrupted the exchange between the two men.

Jim walked over to Mary.  She scribbled something on the chart.

“Mmm,” he looked at it and grinned.

The gurney squeaked and both of them glanced to find Bron and Kevin caught up in a very serious kiss.  “Kevin!”  Mary shouted at him.

His head shot up.  “What?” embarrassed at being caught.

Jim turned around very serious, “There will be nothing strenuous for you until Mary says it’s okay.”

“What!  Don’t leave it up to her she’s mean.  She’s mad at me too!”  Bron whined so loud they all laughed. 

Jim could hardly control himself.  He knew Mary was devious, but not this bad.  “Sorry it’s her call.  Bron you took one hell of a hit this morning.  You’re very lucky,” he stated.

Kevin was upset and Mary could see it.  Well Mr. Richardson, it’s about time you learned a lesson too, she deliberated.

“Well you’re free to go.  I will send you the bill in the mail,” Jim announced.

“Oh great!”  Bron exclaimed.

“I’ll take care of it,” Kevin stated.

Bron shot him a look of pure rage, “I don’t think so.”

Kevin laughed at her.  Jim handed him a piece of paper and he signed it.  Then Jim handed him another and smiled, “For my daughter.”  Kevin signed it for him. 

“Let’s go, I’m hungry,” Bron said sliding off the gurney.  As she walked by Jim, she saw the bottom of her chart.  Kevin needs to learn a lesson was scrawled in Mary’s handwriting.  Bron picked up her head and smiled at Jim, “Thanks.”

Bron was out the doors and on the bus before they even had moved.  “She must be really hungry,” Jim smiled at Mary.  “Not for food,” was Mary’s response. 

Kevin gave her a look that said I can’t believe you said that.

 

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