Page 73 of Leading the Blind
“Turning you off now,” he told Dillon.
“Oh, every day, Jase.”
Fucker.
Jason wanted to reach for Bax, hold his hand, but he couldn’t. He knew that. “I need to go now.”
“I’m going to get the truck. Someone will come get you and help you out.”
Wait. Was Bax mad? Had he done something wrong?
“Sure.” He’d just sit here and be blind.
Bax was gone before he could even think what or how to ask, and Jonesy was still humming some tuneless thing, but Doc was working on one of the Brazilians, it sounded like.
He stayed put, and it wasn’t long before Coke was there, freshly showered. “I told Andy I’d help you get to the truck. How bad is it?”
“Not bad.” Nothing he wouldn’t leave in sports medicine.
“Good deal. Come on.” Coke was always willing to take him at his word, but he almost made a lie of it when he slid off the exam table.Shit.
“Ah.” Coke grabbed the back of his jeans, hauling him upright. “Gotcha. Let’s try a few steps.”
“Who’s watching?” He didn’t want this to get worse.
“Me. I got your ice pack. Walk.”
He managed a few steps. Each one felt like he was stepping on knives. He knew it wasn’t permanent, knew it was swelling back there, but damn, it was scary. Just as scary now as it had been the first time it had happened.
“Just out to loading now,” Coke said. “Then you’re golden, huh?”
“That’s me. End of the fucking rainbow.” He did it by grinding his teeth until he thought his jaw would pop.
“You’re a little green like a leprechaun.” And there was Dillon. “You ride with the boys, babe. I’ll follow y’all to the hotel.”
“Sure thing.” Coke got him into Bax’s truck where he could stretch out in the back, then the doors all closed. “Good to go, Andy.”
“You’re gonna let the clown drive your vehicle?” Bax asked.
“He has his own set of keys.”
Jason chuckled, praying that Bax didn’t hit a lot of bumps.
Bax was damn quiet, but he did drive careful, easing them out into traffic, which was always a bear after events.
“You going to be able to eat supper, Jase?” Coke asked, and he nodded, because otherwise Gramps wouldn’t leave him alone. “I want a baked potato or something.”
“That sounds good. Maybe I’ll just have some fries.” Something he could eat with his uninjured hand.
“Finger food,” Bax murmured, and he had to strain to hear it. What the hell?
Goddamn it, why did Gramps have to be here? If they were gonna snarl, they damn sure needed to have it over and done with. He didn’t want them to be all quiet and not talking to each other.
They got to the hotel, and Coke seemed to know all of a sudden, gently touching his shoulder. “We’ll be up for dinner. I’ll wait down here for Dillon. AJ wanted to come too.”
“Half an hour,” Bax snapped before hustling him to the elevator.
He kept his lips tight all the way up, down the hall, and until the door lock clicked. “What the fuck is wrong?”
