“Come on, let’s go back to the room, and I’ll explain what we found on the scan,” Patch said.
When we entered the exam room, I took a seat, and Patch delivered the news. “The scans showed a small, slow bleed in Bronze’s brain. It’s so small that it’s barely visible even now. So, this isn’t something that was missed or overlooked. Due to the size and location of the bleed, it will be a somewhat challenging procedure for the surgeon. That’s the bad news. The good news is a small bleed means less damage to the brain and higher chances of a full recovery.”
“What are the chances of, of him,” I couldn’t finish my question, couldn’t bring myself to utter the words.
Patch seemed to understand without me saying the rest. “There is a risk with every surgery. A lot of physicians will spout off percentages and statistical data regarding expected outcomes. I try to avoid doing that whenever possible, because I feel like it’s pointless. We never know who’s going to fall into the favorable percentage and who isn’t. What I will tell you is he has a phenomenal surgeon operating on him, the team in there will do everything they can for him, and he has his age and health on his side. The rest is out of our hands.”
“Thanks, Patch. I appreciate everything you’re doing for him.” I closed my eyes and tilted my head toward the ceiling. The next few hours were going to be some of the longest of my life.
20
Iwas sitting in Leigh’s bedroom, trying not to drive myself crazy with worry when a knock on the door startled me. “It’s just me. Can I come in?” Leigh called from the other side of the door.
“Of course, you can. This is your room,” I reminded her. I was told a camper had been reserved for Copper and I to stay in, but Leigh thought it would be better for me to stay in the house until Copper returned. I completely agreed with her.
She entered with her phone to her ear. “Here she is,” she said and handed the phone to me.
“Hello?”
Copper’s tired voice filled my ear. “Locks, baby, you doing okay?”
“I’m fine. How’s Bronze? How are you?” I asked.
“I need you to keep this to yourself, okay?” I readily agreed, and he continued. “They found a small bleed in his brain from the explosion. They took him right into surgery after they found it. He’s in recovery now and should be going to a room soon. The doctor said everything went well with the surgery.”
“You don’t sound relieved in the slightest. What are you not telling me?”
He sighed, “He’s not out of the woods yet. There’s a chance his brain could start bleeding again, and he would have to go back to surgery if that happened. On top of that, we won’t know if there’s any permanent damage until he wakes up.”
“Oh, baby, I wish I was there with you.”
“I know you do, but it’s safer for you to stay there. Judge, Phoenix, and Patch are here with me. I don’t know how long they’re staying, but I won’t be back tonight. Not sure about tomorrow. Where are you staying?”
“I’ve been hanging out in Leigh’s room. She said there was a camper outside for you and I, but she thought it would be better if I stayed in the house until you were back.”
“I would feel better if you were in the house, too. Tell you what, I’ll have Judge stay in the camper, and you can stay in his room in the house tonight.”
Despite my protests, he insisted and I relented. He had too much on his plate to be bothered with trivial issues. We spoke for a few more minutes before he had to go, promising to call with an update in a few hours.
I handed Leigh her phone. She smiled, “Come on, I bet you’re hungry.” I really wasn’t, but it sounded like I couldn’t refuse.
I followed her through the house to the kitchen. The house was surprisingly quiet and seemed relatively empty. I had expected to be bumping into people left and right.
When we entered the kitchen, three women I had never seen before were standing around an island, each holding a glass of wine and laughing. They paused when they noticed us.
“Girls, this is Layla. She’s Copper’s friend who will be staying here with us. Layla, these three nuts are married to club members. From left to right, Tiffany, Lauren, and Andrea,” Leigh said. All eyes shot to me. I tried not to squirm or fidget while they silently appraised me. Leigh cleared her throat and said sternly, “Not that kind of friend.”
The group collectively exhaled and smiled. Tiffany was the first to speak. “It’s nice to meet you, Layla. Would you like a glass of wine?”
“Yes, please, if you don’t mind,” I said quickly, eliciting giggles from everyone.
“Sorry about our initial reaction. We don’t associate with the whores. Leigh doesn’t either. So, we weren’t sure how to respond when she introduced you,” Andrea said.
I shrugged, “You weren’t the first to think that, and I’m sure you won’t be the last. No harm done.”
“Leigh, what are you over there doing?” Tiffany asked.
“Making something to munch on.”