Another sniffle escaped Claudia as Lupita put an arm around her shoulders and guided her back into the bedroom.
He waited until the two women were behind the closed door before he turned back to the young man on the couch. “Show me.”
“It’s nothing. Just more bruises, but I didn’t want my mom to see it.”
“We’ll determine if it’s nothing once I take a look.”
Miguel nodded and took his shirt off. Hector’s eyes went immediately to the right side of his ribs, where a huge, dark bruise covered his skin.
“Foot or fist?”
“Foot.”
Hector nodded. “I figured.” He gently raised Miguel’s arm so he could get a better look and see if the damage went any further. Hector lightly prodded the injury with his fingertips, and Miguel sucked in a quick, sharp breath. “Is it hard to breathe or anything?”
“No. I don’t think anything is broken or cracked. Just really sore,” he answered in a strained voice.
Hector ran his eyes over him everywhere. The only other injuries he saw were finger-shaped bruises high on his left arm. He eased Miguel’s arm back down. “All right. Put your shirt back on. We’ll get rid of the mamás, and I’ll get those treated as best I can.” Hector went back over to his bedroom and opened the door while Miguel tugged his shirt over his head.
“Mamá, it’s late. You two should head home.”
She started to say something but Hector held his hand up to hold her off.
“I’ll get Miguel settled. All he needs for tonight is a pillow and a blanket. We can worry about the rest later.”
Lupita nodded. “You’re right.”
Both women came out of the room, going over to the couch to fuss over Miguel. Hector allowed it for a few moments before he herded them out. They reluctantly left, with promises to come back the next day with food. After closing the door behind them, he looked back at Miguel. “Let’s go in the kitchen.”
Miguel winced as he stood, his hand going to the bruise on his ribs. Hector watched him carefully, but he didn’t seem to be favoring anyplace else. Still, he had to be sure. “You’re positive nowhere else is hurt?”
“I’m sure. He grabbed me and hit me in the face. When I fell, he kicked me. That was it.”
Hector raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? I think that’s more than enough.”
Miguel’s shoulders stiffened. “I only meant that was all he did, so you’d know I wasn’t injured anywhere else. I don’t need you judging me.”
“Whoa, take it easy. I’m not judging you at all. I’m judging him.”
Miguel relaxed, a smile touching his swollen lips. “As long as all you do is judge. I think he’s too big for you to stuff in a locker.”
Hector grinned, remembering the kid who’d tormented Miguel back in high school. “That punk had it coming. He shouldn’t have been messing with you.”
“I think he learned his lesson after that. He never bothered me again.”
“It’d be nice if it was still that easy to keep people from being assholes,” he said as he put ice in a Ziploc bag and wrapped it in a dish towel. Hector squatted once more at Miguel’s side, directing him to raise his shirt. Hector ran his fingers over the area, verifying that there were no protrusions signaling broken ribs. With the exception of the bruise, Miguel’s skin was smooth and unblemished. Hector passed him the ice pack. “Are you hungry?”
Miguel shook his head then flinched as he held the ice to his skin. “No, I’m just tired.”
“Okay, let’s get you to bed.” They left the kitchen, and Hector started to lead Miguel to his bedroom. Miguel stopped him.
“Uh. I can sleep on the couch.”
“No, you’re not. You’re all bruised up and sore. You need to sleep somewhere you can be as comfortable as possible. You take the bed, and I’ll crash on the couch for a few nights.” Hector thought that would settle the issue. But Miguel stayed where he was, his shoulders going stiff again.
“No. I’m already putting you out. I’m not taking your bed too.”
Hector noticed the hard line to Miguel’s jaw. They weren’t exactly the best of friends after going so long without seeing each other, so Hector imagined he was probably embarrassed to show up out of the blue with a crying mother, a bruised body, and nowhere to go. If it meant that much to him to sleep on the couch, Hector would go along with it and let the man hold on to his pride.