“Kel?”
“Ahh!” Kelsey cried, startled out of an uncomfortable sleep in one of the hospital chairs.
“Hey, sorry,” Avery said, sitting down beside her. “I just got your message. Have you been here all night?”
“Yeah,” Kelsey replied, rubbing her sore neck. “What time is it?”
“About 7.”
“Hell.”
“How... how is he?”
Kelsey shook her head.
“I don’t know. They took him in for surgery. Internal bleeding. I don’t know what’s... what’s... oh hell...”
Kelsey started to cry and Avery wrapped her arms around her. She said nothing. There was nothing she could say. Even saying “he’ll be okay” felt like an empty promise.
“Mrs Hanson?”
“Yes?” Kelsey replied looking up.
“The surgery went well,” the doctor informed her. “He’s got a couple of broken ribs and his left arm has been fractured. There was also some minor damage to his spinal cord, but with treatment we can fix that. If all goes well he’ll be up and about in a couple of months.”
Kelsey nodded slowly.
“Can I see him?”
“Certainly,” the doctor replied. “But keep it short...”
He glanced briefly at Avery.
“I’m his sister.”
The doctor nodded.
“You can see him too... but one at a time. Try not to excite him. He needs his rest.”
“Sure thing,” Avery agreed.
The doctor lead them to Zac’s room and Kelsey headed in first.
“Zac?” she asked softly, fighting back the tears that threatened to form at the sight on him in the hospital bed with all that... stuff... hooked into him.
Zac looked up wearily, and smiled with tired eyes.
“Hey Kel,” he replied.
“You okay... stupid question...”
Zac’s smiled broadened a little.
“Doctor says I’m going to be okay... treatment... therapy... crap...”
“I know,” Kelsey replied, sitting beside him and gently taking his hand. “I was so afraid... I think I even rode past the accident. Four wheel drive?”
“I think so. It was still driving up to the intersection when I got there. I was almost across and the next thing I know I’m flying through the air.”
“My poor baby. At least... at least you’re going to be all right.”
“Yeah.”
“Avery’s here... Doctor said we shouldn’t talk long...”
“Okay. Love you, Kel.”
“I love you too.”
Reluctantly, Kelsey stood up and swicth places with Avery. Brother and sister exchanged pleasantries, as it were, and as Avery stood up to leave, Zac called after her:
“Hey, make sure Kel gets some sleep okay? She looks like crap.”
“You think you look any better?” Avery teased.
“That’s what makes me an authority on the subject,” Zac replied with a yawn.
Avery chuckled and left. At least he still had his sense of humour.