Cleats in Clay (21 page)

Gertie gave Gina a pat on the shoulder and glanced over at Bobby as she stood. “Why don’t you boys head upstairs for a bit. Grab the yellow room again,” she said over her shoulder as she went to the office.

Bobby gazed over at Odis, pretending an ease he didn’t feel. “How about it, Odie? Let’s go upstairs.”
Odis blinked but showed no other response.
John looked over, trying not to show worry. “Go ahead, Odis. You can stretch out a minute.”
Gertie rushed back into the dining room. “They found Tuck,” she nearly yelled. “They’re rushing him to Hutchinson now. He’s mostly okay,” she said, looking down at Odis.
Odis snapped back into himself. “He’s not…?”
“No, he’s okay, mostly,” she tried to say cheerfully, but she threw a concerned glance at Bobby before plastering on a smile.
That look left Bobby very anxious about her definition of “mostly.” He put some spirit in his voice as he smiled over at Odis. “We can go to the hospital in a bit, if you wanna eat something first,” he gently suggested.
Odis shook his head. “Not hungry.”
“That’s okay.” Bobby nodded. “Maybe we should go upstairs first. Freshen up a bit?”
Odis thought on it a moment. “Okay. We should do that. I guess.”
Heimdalla stood up when Bobby did. He patted Odis on the shoulder. “Let’s go, then.”
After pushing to his feet, Odis led the way to the stairs. When he was on the second tread, Bobby told him, “Oops, I forgot my duffel. I’ll see you up there in a sec.”
Odis nodded as he continued climbing the steps.
Heim followed Bobby back to the dining room. Gina looked over when he bent down to grab the duffel from under the table. “Where’d the dog come from?”
John looked over and quietly chuckled. Bobby stepped up close to Gertie. “How bad?” he asked quietly.
“His hand was crushed under a freezer,” she said in a low whisper. “He’s goin’ straight to surgery, so stall awhile or ya’ll just be sittin’ around the waiting room.”
Bobby nodded curtly and then went up the stairs to find Odis. Heim stuck right beside him as they climbed the treads.
John turned to Gertie. “Any word on his house?”
“In the burn zone,” she said as she gathered up the dirty dishes.
“Lord, give us strength,” John prayed under his breath as he turned back to his plate.

U
PSTAIRS
, Bobby found Odis in the little side bathroom, leaning against the sink. “You washing up?” he tried to ask cheerfully.

“Oh,” Odis replied before he remembered to turn on the faucet. He splashed some water on his face and then gazed at the reflection of Bobby’s eyes in the mirror. “How bad is it, really?”

Bobby dropped the smile. “His hand’s hurt. They might take him to surgery when he gets to the hospital,” he fudged. “So we should prob’ly hang out here a few minutes before heading over. They’ll have to get him all checked in and everything first, anyway.”

Odis smiled tightly. “Don’t ever go play poker at the casino,” he said while turning around. “Yer not a very good liar.”
Bobby tried to look innocent.
“Just tell me,” Odis insisted.

“It’s his hand. It was stuck under a freezer. He’s going to surgery for it.”

“Humph.” Odis walked into the bedroom. “And I don’t suppose that freezer just lightly floated down to gently rest upon his hand before it got stuck.”

Bobby shook his head.
“
Which
hand? How badly crushed? Just
some
of the fingers?” “I don’t know. They’ll know more when he gets to the hospital, I’m

sure.”

Odis opened his mouth to speak again, but Bobby reached out, grabbed him, and pulled him into a close hug, smashing Odis’s face into his chest. “Don’t ask. I don’t have any answers. Just hug me, Odie. He’s alive, that’s the important part. Right?”

Odis nodded against Bobby’s chest before wrapping his arms around Bobby’s back. His relief couldn’t overshadow the cold sense of dread he felt throbbing in his guts. He let Bobby’s warm scent comfort him.

Bobby dragged him toward the bed, and they reclined back against it. He scooted them all the way onto it and then spooned up behind Odis, hugging the little man tightly in surrounding arms. “Let’s try and sleep a little,” Bobby said. “I know how hard it is to try and sleep at a hospital, if we’re there late, so try and nap now.”

“All right,” Odis agreed, closing his eyes. “You think he’s gonna be okay?”

Bobby wanted to say,
Sure thing, Tuck’ll be fine
, but felt it would be a lie. “I don’t know,” he soon admitted.
Odis nestled up against him, trying to absorb Bobby’s strength and warmth. He needed all of it that he could get. As he worked on breathing slowly, he felt Heim jump onto the bed.

Chapter 19

 

A
KNOCK
at the door roused them. Bobby hadn’t actually slept, but he thought at one point Odis had dozed, at least a little. Brushing at his now wrinkled shirt with his hand, Bobby got up and went to the door.

He blinked as he opened it to find John in the hallway. “Gertie’s back. We’re gonna head over to Hutchinson. You guys wanna come along?” John asked, peeking into the room to see Odis curled up almost fetally on the bed. “Or ya could just follow us later,” he suggested.

“Any news?” Bobby asked, looking around for a clock. He felt Heimdalla push up against his leg.

John shook his head. “Didn’t expect to hear any yet. It’s only one thirty,” he added.
“Then we’ll head out a little later,” Bobby said with a nod.
“Good, then.” John returned the nod and went back to the stairs as Bobby closed the door.
He turned around to find Odis still curled up, but his eyes were open.
“I almost don’t want to,” Odis whispered.
“Want to what?” Bobby asked as he crawled back onto the bed.
“Go to the hospital. It’s never been my favorite place.”

Bobby curled up behind Odis again. “Mine either,” Bobby agreed.

Odis sighed and pulled him closer. “It looks like ya’ve been adopted.”
“Huh?” Bobby asked.

“Heimdalla. Never saw her act that way with
anybody
before. Looks like she adopted you. Yer her human now.”

“Oh, guess so,” he said as the dog jumped onto the bed and squatted beside him again.
They rested quietly a moment before Odis asked, “You have a flight Monday?”
“I’ll change it,” Bobby reassured him. “I won’t leave while things are….” He trailed off, not wanting to even consider finishing the thought.
“I don’t want you to go at all,” Odis said. “Not ever.”

“I have to, though, eventually. Still some loose ends.”

“I know.” Odis tried to push back the empty loss of his house. He shivered as he tried to fight a sob. “Ya like this room?”
“Sure, seems like a nice room. It’s where I stayed the other night.”
“It’s my old room,” Odis said, shivering again. “I guess it’s home again, now.”
Bobby tightened his arms in a reassuring hug and nuzzled up next to his ear. “Then it’s a great room,” he whispered. “The best one we could have.”
Odis looked at the rug on the floor. “I wonder if it’s still there?”

“What is?”
“My desk used to be over there. When I’s, oh, I guess about twelve, I spilled some red Testors paint over there on the floor.” Odis almost chuckled. “I was such a goofball, though, I didn’t really try to clean it up, I just moved the rug over to hide it. The paint sat there so long before Mamma found it that red splatter had stained deep into the wood.” Odis shivered again. “I was such a mischievous kid.”
“You still are,” Bobby whispered in his ear. “A mischievous leprechaun.”
“I still miss her sometimes,” Odis said with a heavy breath. “You’d have liked Mamma. Gertie’s just like her. Sometimes I can close my eyes and pretend she’s Mamma.”
“I like Gertie,” Bobby agreed.
“What’s
your
mamma like?”
Bobby pulled back just a little to slide his arm out from under Odis before it fell asleep. He raised his hand and ran his fingers through Odis’s sloppy-looking hair. “Not today. Okay?”
Odis rolled over onto his back to look up at Bobby.
“I promise I’ll tell you someday. Just… not today?”
“Okay,” Odis agreed with a nod. He rose and met Bobby’s lips with a quiet kiss. “I don’t think I’m gonna sleep anymore.”
“You wanna go over now?”
Odis looked over at Heim. “Better take yer dog outside first.”
“Fine.” Bobby scooted off the bed, and Heimdalla jumped down to the floor. “Come on, then, dog, let’s go outside.”
She perked up and wagged her tail, following Bobby out the door. Odis crawled from the bed and went into the bath to get himself at least somewhat presentable.

T
HE
guys didn’t talk much in the car as Odis drove. Neither man wanted to discuss what they might face once they got to the hospital. Soft silence seemed like the safest option.

They entered the tiny building and were assaulted with that unique hospital odor as they walked through the doors. Odis spoke with a nurse at the counter, then led Bobby down the left hallway. At the end of the hall, they found a waiting room area lined with plastic chairs. Gertie jumped to her feet when they approached.

“News?” Odis asked hopefully.

Gertie shook her head. “Still in surgery. Everybody else is doing well. Hawk’s here now too.” She motioned to the chairs. “He had a bad bruise on his back right behind his kidney. They wanted to run scans and make sure there’s nothing internal.”

Odis glanced over as he sat. “Is that why we’re in the ER?” Gertie nodded. “Josh is just over there,” she said, pointing to another curtained area. “He’s okay. They’ll prob’ly turn him out soon. I don’t know if they got Ham a room or not.”
Bobby just smiled and tried to look supportive. None of these names meant anything to him. He wondered how long Tuck had been in surgery.
“Darlin’,” a female voice called out. Bobby glanced up to see Gina emerging from behind a curtain, looking right at him. She almost glowed, not looking at all like the crumpled woman he had shared lunch with earlier. “There ya are.” She called him over with her hand as she turned back. “He’s here now, hon.”
Gertie patted Bobby on the back. “Go meet Hawk,” she urged with a slight hand push.
Bobby stood up, put on his public smile, and then walked over to Gina. “Hi again,” he told her.
She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the bed. “Hawk, here’s Bobby. I’m gettin’ some coffee,” she said as she disappeared around the curtain.
Bobby looked down at the bed. The man looked to be nearly the same build as Tuck, only a few years younger. He also had the same bold Nordic features, but with more blue in his eyes, making them look more turquoise. It was easy to see that golden boy image Odis had mentioned. “Hello, Hawk,” he greeted. “Gina said you wanted to meet me?”
With a smile, Hawk reached out and grabbed his hand. “Sure did.” He gave Bobby’s hand a vague shake. “
The
Bobby Lane,” he said, trying to sit up a little. “Have ya met my brother yet?”
“Your brother?”
“Tuck,” he said. “Have ya met Tuck yet?”
Bobby nearly laughed. When he looked at the man, it was so obvious now why he resembled Tuck so much. “Yes, we’ve met,” he said cautiously.
“Good, good.” Hawk nodded. “I think he really needs to meet you.”
“He did. We had beers at Odie’s house last night.”
“Shit,” Hawk cussed under his breath. “I heard about the fire. I hope maybe Odis can salvage some of it. At least some.”
“Let’s hope,” Bobby agreed.
Hawk looked over at him with a suddenly serious face and lowered his voice. “Do you know who else is here? They won’t tell me a damn thing.”
Bobby looked over at Hawk, deciding what to say. If they hadn’t told him Tuck was here, there must be a reason. Bobby didn’t know Hawk like they did. Maybe he was the hotheaded type who would plow through the hospital until he found his brother if he knew Tuck was hurt. “Well, Josh, some DEA guy, and… I wanna say Humpty, but I know that’s not right.”
“Hampton?” Hawk offered.
“Yes, Hampton. Those guys were brought in a while ago. They’ll prob’ly release Josh in a bit, they said. Don’t know about the other two.”
Hawk shook at his hand again. “You should go say hello to Josh. He’s a huge baseball nut, and he’d be thrilled to death to meet a player.”
“Okay,” Bobby agreed as Gina returned.
She smiled at Bobby and then looked over at Hawk apologetically as she sipped from her cup. “They said ya can’t have any in case they hafta make ya pee blue again.”
“Tell that dang nurse I’ll pee when I wanna,” Hawk grumbled. He looked over at Bobby. “Go find Josh. Let me smooch on my wife a minute,” he said, gazing over at Gina.
“Okay, see ya later, Hawk,” Bobby said. He walked around the curtain and returned to the waiting room. He decided not to notice that Gina had handed the coffee cup to Hawk as he’d left.
Odis smirked at him. “Cantankerous?” he asked. When Bobby nodded, he sort of grinned. “Then he’s fine.”
“I’d say so. But nobody said he was Tuck’s
brother
.” He glared over at Odis.
“Sorry.” Gertie patted his arm. “Just got caught up in things and fergot ta mention it.”
Odis shrugged. “Sorry.”
Bobby glanced over at the other curtains and then turned to Gertie. “You said Josh was over there?”
Gertie nodded.
“Hawk said I should meet him.”
“Oh, sure.” Gertie got to her feet. “I’ll introduce ya,” she said as she led Bobby across the room. They stepped behind the curtain. A young darker-haired guy who didn’t hardly look to be thirty yet struggled to rise. “Hey, Josh,” Gertie called out. “Ya got a visitor.”
Josh sort of sat up. He tried to smile, but the movement must have pulled on the short, neat row of stitches across his left cheek, and he winced. “I do?” He turned to look at Bobby. In just a few seconds, recognition dawned on his face. “Bobby Lane!” he nearly shouted.
“I’ll leave ya boys to it.” Gertie quietly slipped out.
Josh nearly lunged out of the bed trying to grab Bobby’s hand.
“Hi,” Bobby said as he rushed forward to keep Josh from tumbling out. “Hawk said I should meet you.”
Josh grabbed his hand and pumped vigorously at it. “Hi, hi,” he repeated in a starstruck daze.
“Maybe you should lie back down?”
“Oh, sure,” Josh agreed and released Bobby’s hand before reclining. “I can’t believe it. Bobby Lane. That was one hell-uv-a game with the Orioles two years ago. Ya caught three flies in one inning, had all the outs ta yerself. Hell-uv-a game. I nearly pissed my pants that day. Didn’t wanna get up from the TV.”
“Well, nice to hear from a dedicated fan.” Bobby smiled, not sure what else to say.
Josh seemed to merrily reminisce a moment. Then his face turned more serious. He grabbed Bobby’s hand again. “I’m sorry. Ya don’t know how
pissed off
all that bullshit got me. I was ready to go up there and start kickin’ some commissioner asses. I still will if ya need me to.”
“No.” Bobby patted his hand, feeling a slight lump in his throat from Josh’s protective sincerity. He was still surprised by how supportive most of the straight guys could be. “We got it settled.”
“Good.” Josh lay back again. “Have ya met Tuck yet?” he asked.
“Yes,” Bobby said with a nod, feeling puzzled and a bit curious. This was the second time someone had steered him toward Tuck.
“Good,” he replied. “I think he should hang out with ya.”
“Is there a particular reason?” Bobby quizzed.
Josh hesitated with his words, as if he had a destination in mind but didn’t know quite how to navigate the terrain. “Well, yeah,” he said slowly, struggling. “Maybe… maybe you can inspire him,” Josh finally said.
“He needs inspiring?” Bobby wondered aloud. Tuck was such a gogetter. He didn’t seem to need any inspiration.
Josh hesitated again while nodding his head. “Let him know—let him see—he doesn’t hafta keep secrets.”
“Secrets?” Bobby asked, but before the word had fully escaped his mouth, the crux of Josh’s conversation smacked Bobby in the face. Josh was voicing his suspicions about Tuck and saying it didn’t matter. He was opening the door for Tuck to come out.
Josh just nodded when he saw the realization on Bobby’s face. Josh shook his hand again. “
Now
ya understand me.”
Bobby nodded back. “I do.” He didn’t feel it was his place to discuss it further—this would have to be Tuck’s conversation to resume. He had to bite his tongue, though, remembering in the SUV ride when Tuck talked about coming out to the department. Josh might be relieved to hear about it, but Bobby felt mentioning it would border more on gossip. He just nodded again.
“Where
is
Tuck?” Josh suddenly thought to ask. “He shoulda been here by now.”
“He’s here in the hospital somewhere,” Bobby answered vaguely, hoping Odis was wrong about his lying skills.
“Oh,” Josh replied, letting go of Bobby’s hand. “You should get along, then. I’m sure you’re actually here for somebody else.”
“Yeah,” Bobby agreed noncommittally. “I heard they’re gonna kick you out soon anyway.”
“So they keep sayin’.”
“You take care,” Bobby said with a smile. “And I’ll remember our talk too, next time I see Tuck.”
“You do that,” Josh said with a wave as Bobby left his cordoned-off area.
He found Gertie and Odis were still sitting in the same spot. Gertie shook her head when Bobby glanced at her as he approached. She stood up. “Keep my seat warm,” she told him. “I’m gonna… scratch up some drinks.”
Bobby sat in her chair next to Odis as she moved away down the hall.
“How’s Josh?”
“Seems good. He’s a big fan.”
“Is he…?” Odis asked, sounding almost jealous.
“No.” Bobby shook his head. “I don’t think. Just a baseball fan.”
“Oh. Ya never know.”
They sat quietly for a time. One of the nurses went into Hawk’s area; then they heard Hawk grumbling at her about something. She emerged with an exasperated look on her face.
Gertie returned, carrying a plastic tray with some drink cups and packets of peanuts. She handed the tray to Bobby before sitting next to him. “Have some peanuts, Odie. Ya didn’t eat any lunch.”
Bobby leaned back and set the tray in his lap. The drinks looked too pale to be coffee.
“It’s tea, some kind of weird jar-deer-ling stuff. Supposed to be good, though,” Gertie said, answering the question on his face.
Odis looked over at the tray. He picked up a packet of peanuts and opened it with his teeth before grabbing one of the drink cups.
Bobby tried not to sigh. He hated all this waiting. He just felt so useless. His only value was letting his lap serve as a table.
He suddenly realized he hadn’t seen John. He turned to Gertie. “Where’s John? I thought he came with you.”
“He did. He wandered up to the second floor. Children’s ward, I think he said.”
Odis nodded as he chewed some peanuts. “Not a surprise. He hates sittin’ around too.”
Gina stepped from behind Hawk’s curtain, sighing and shaking her head. She walked up to the group and glanced over at Odis. “Are all the Kricksons so damn stubborn?”
“Yep,” Odis said with a nod.
Gina turned to Bobby. “He wants to talk to ya again, darlin’.”
“Oh?” Bobby said, surprised. “Okay.” He picked up the tray and stood before Gina grabbed the tray from him and stole his seat. “Be back in a minute, I guess,” Bobby told them as he headed for Hawk’s area.
“Hey, Bobby,” Hawk greeted with a dopey grin. “Did ya find my brother yet?”
“I didn’t know I was supposed to be looking for him.”
“Well a’course ya are. You’re supposed to be meetin’ him.” Hawk scrunched up his brow. “No, wait, ya already
did
meet him. Shit. These damn pills are messin’ with my head.”
Bobby thought he should keep the conversation going before Hawk got around to asking where Tuck was. “
Why
was I supposed to meet him?”
“Well, ’cause he’s needin’ to.” Hawk nodded, satisfied with his grasp of English.
Bobby thought he seemed to be dodging the answer. Hawk probably shared the same reason that motivated Josh into making the same suggestion, but Bobby wanted to keep the man talking. “Why does he
need
to meet me?”
“Dammit, man.” He sucked in a breath. “Just talk ta him. Okay?”
“Okay,” Bobby agreed warmly. “But I have the feeling there’s something specific you think I should say.”
Hawk grabbed his hand. “He’s my brother. I don’t want him ta keep livin’ like a hermit ’cause he thinks he hasta keep things quiet. Talk to him.”
“Keep
what
quiet?”
“I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck yesterday,” Hawk threw out with a slight slur.
Bobby decided it was time to throw him a rope. “You think he’s gay.”
“I’m pretty damn sure,” Hawk said firmly. “Last time he took out a girl was for his senior prom, and I’m guessing that was just for appearances’ sake. A gazillion years ago.”
“And how is my talking gonna help him?”
Hawk stared at Bobby, wondering why he was being so stupid. “At least
don’t
let him get back with Vic. Tuck’s banged his head on that brick wall long enough. I don’t think he’d take that advice from me, though. You, he just might listen to.”
“Okay, no more Vic. Anything else?”
“Can’t ask for anythin’ else since ya already done hooked up with Odis.”
“What makes you say that?”
“News travels,” Hawk said with a shrug and a yawn. “Where
is
my damn brother, anyway? Tuck shoulda been here by now.”
“Don’t know,” Bobby said with a tight smile. “Let me go see if I can find out.”
“You do that, and talk ta him,” Hawk repeated while closing his eyes as Bobby slipped out.
He emerged from the curtain to see Gertie partway down the hall, conversing with a nurse. Gina and Odis sat in the chairs, chatting about somebody they knew. Bobby moved toward Gertie. The nurse nodded and scurried away as Bobby stepped up. “Gertie?”
“Outta surgery, finally,” Gertie said quietly. “They’re moving him into ICU now. We can go up in a little bit.”
“How’d it go?”
“Did the best they could. Won’t say much more than damage to his right hand.”
Bobby frowned. “Hawk was asking about Tuck. Should we tell him?”
Gertie shook her head. “Doc’s still worried about his kidney. He needs to stay put for a while. Gina said they gave him something to knock him out for now.”