Falling Hard

by Sandy Sullivan

  “You’ll pick it up in the next round.”

  “I hope so, otherwise, I need a couple of guys to get bucked off.”

  The first day, they would ride twice. The second day once, the third day twice, and the fourth day once for the final title round. These four days were nerve wracking to say the least, but after they’d ridden for the second time today, they could grab some grub, get a beer and relax until tomorrow.

  They continued to watch as each rider went through their turn. Several got bucked off, while a few more rode through their eight seconds. At the end of round one, Levi had gained two spots in the stands, while Curt gained five.

  By the end of the second round, Levi had gained two more spots in the standings while Curt gained one.

  Levi was beat. His shoulder hurt, hell, his whole body hurt from being whipped around and thrown to the ground. Man, I feel like I’m really out of shape.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah, just sore tonight.” Levi rotated his arm to relieve some of the stiffness.

  “Let’s grab some food, a couple of beers, and then some shut-eye so we can be ready for tomorrow. I can help you stretch it out in the room.” Curt waggled his eyebrows.

  “At least we only have to ride once in the next round.”

  “True. Tomorrow will be easier than tonight.”

  As they moved toward the locker room to grab their gear, Colt Tucker stepped in front of their path, blocking them from moving any farther.

  “Problem, Colt?”

  “I know all about you, Levi.”

  “You know what?”

  “You’re a fucking queer.” Colt moved closer so he was almost nose-to-nose with Levi.

  The other man stood about the same height, but he wasn’t near as bulky as Levi. He was thin and wiry.

  “I like to think of myself as gay, but you label it anyway you like.”

  Colt glanced at Curt and then back to him. “You two are fuck buddies, getting your rocks off by fucking each other in the ass. You need to get the hell out of here. Leave the circuit. We don’t want your kind here.”

  “What I do in my own bedroom is none of your business. I’m not coming onto you. I don’t even like you, so you don’t have to worry about me fucking you in any shape or form. My sexual preference has nothing to do with how I ride bulls and I don’t flaunt it in front of others on the circuit, so you can kiss my ass, Colt. Find someone else to intimidate because I’m not afraid of you. I’ll kick your ass into next week given half a chance. Back off, asshole.”

  He stared at Colt for several long seconds before the other cowboy backed down and let them pass.

  “You should have punched him,” Curt said as they reached the locker room.

  “Nah. He’s not worth the bruised knuckles.”

  “He called you a queer, a fucking queer at that.”

  “It doesn’t matter. His opinion is his own. He doesn’t like anybody if my sources are right. He’s a loner, keeps to himself most of the time, and doesn’t have very many friends.” Levi dropped his voice to a whisper as he leaned in a little closer. “He’s probably jealous because I’m fucking you.”

  “No way.”

  “Yes, way.”

  Curt grinned.

  What does that mean? Is he happy we’re fucking? Does he think about what it would be like to be in a permanent relationship with me? Levi shook his head as he bent down to grab his gear bag. I need to quit thinking about this shit. I’m driving myself nuts, but he only has a few more days to tell me yes or no.

  Once Curt had his zipped bag in hand, they headed back out the door, down the hall, and out toward the parking lot. A huge crowd of fans hung out near the entrance waiting for autographs. They spent the next thirty minutes signing things, taking pictures, and schmoozing with the crowd. This was the part of the evening Levi enjoyed the most. The fans were everything to him. Several other riders worked the crowd as well. This was their time to get some one-on-one connection with their favorite rider and the guys obliged.

  He and Curt worked their way toward his truck. After the last trip out to his place, they’d left Curt’s truck at his house and just took Levi’s. There wasn’t any reason for them to drive separate vehicles now with them practically living together. “The honkytonk?”

  “Yeah. I need a couple of beers to chill the hell out. This adrenaline high is giving me a headache.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, but I think I’ll take some Tylenol or something before it gets too bad.”

  They made their way to the bar and moseyed on inside to find the place packed with people. The bar had a couple of spots open, so they took two bar stools, signaled for the bartender to bring them a beer each, and got comfortable.

  The crowd was huge. A sea of cowboy hats, rhinestones, and Wranglers jeans told the tale of how popular this particular bar was, especially after an event apparently. Several of the other bull riders made their way inside as Levi sipped his beer and watched the people moving through. He waved to a few of the guys as they walked by, trying to find a spot. Some people stood, others danced, and a small amount managed to secure tables to sit at.

  Curt leaned toward Levi, bumping his chest into Levi’s shoulder. “Two girls have us in their sights.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.” He got close enough to Levi’s ear, he could feel the heat of Curt’s breath on his flesh. Shivers raced down his spine. “You into women at all?”

  “Not really. They don’t do much for me.” So this is it. Curt won’t be able to give up pussy for me, ever, it seems.

  “Pussy is nice every once in a while.”

  “I’m gay, Curt. Take it or leave it.”

  “What are you saying, Levi?”

  “I don’t want pussy. I want you.” He tipped the beer to his lips, draining the liquid in a few gulps. “You haven’t given me an answer to my question.”

  “I still have a couple of days.”

  “Obviously, you’ve already made up your mind if you’re pussy scoping.”

  “I’m not.”

  “You brought it up.”

  Curt set his beer on the bar. “I’m done. Let’s get out of here.”

  “Fine.”

  They headed for the door, weaving their way through the throng of people, trying to keep out of everyone’s way. Curt bumped into someone, spilling beer down the front of a lady’s dress.

  “You fucker!” The guy swung, hitting Curt in the left eye, dropping him back into the crowd as they parted like the red sea.

  He hit the ground and was out cold.

  “What the fuck!” Levi dropped to his knees next to Curt. He didn’t move, didn’t moan, nothing. “Curt?” Curt’s body began to jerk in weird lurching motions that were uncoordinated and scary. “Someone call an ambulance.” Levi turned his lover onto his side as he began to vomit. The crowd retreated, giving them a little room.

  Within several minutes, the ambulance arrived. As the paramedics began to treat him, Levi kneeled near Curt’s head, touching the curls at the top of his head as he whispered soothing words. He didn’t care what others thought. This was the man he loved lying in a pool of vomit as medical personnel worked on him. Levi answered as many questions as he could about Curt, including his age, address, medical history, and so on, but it didn’t seem enough. Nothing would be enough to make Curt better.

  As they put him on the gurney, Levi walked out behind them. “I’m coming with you.”

  “Sorry, you can’t ride with us, but you can follow us if you like.”

  “Fine.”

  Levi ran for his truck as they put Curt into the ambulance, turned on the lights, and sped away. He caught them just as they turned the first corner. He didn’t care if he was running lights. He didn’t care if the police chased him across the city, he was going to be there for Curt.

  The last few minutes rolled through his mind as he tried to make sense of what happened. The guy really hadn’t hit Curt that hard to caus
e him to lose consciousness, he didn’t think, and what was that jerking stuff going on? He’d never seen that before even for as long as he’d ridden in the circuit. He wished he could talk to Doc and find out what it might be, but they didn’t have time. Hopefully the emergency room would be able to tell him something quickly.

  The ambulance pulled into the hospital emergency room bay while he found a close parking spot. He rushed up to the back as they were taking Curt out on the gurney.

  “You won’t be able to go in this way. Go through the double doors to the left there, tell the receptionist who you are with, and the doctor will come out to talk to you as soon as he knows anything.”

  “But, I’m with him.”

  “I know. I’m sorry, but you can’t go in there while they are working on him.”

  Levi sighed, closing his eyes as he squeezed the bridge of his nose between his finger and thumb. It would be a long night at this rate.

  After what seemed like hours, a doctor came out of the double doors and asked if anyone was there for Curt Walsh. Levi stood and came forward. “I am. I’m a friend.”

  “Come with me.”

  Levi followed the doctor back through the doors and down a long hallway. Several curtained off areas stood to each side. He could see people lying on gurneys similar to what Curt had been on as they passed. The doctor didn’t say anything while they moved down the hall.

  When they finally reached the last curtain to the right, the doctor waved Levi in between the two panels.

  The doctor moved to Curt’s bedside before turning to face Levi. “What can you tell me about his recent history? Anything to do with his head or brain.”

  Levi looked at Curt lying on the wide sheet. His face was pale and drawn. He didn’t look like the man Levi had come to love with all his heart. “He had a concussion about two months ago after a nasty spill on a bull.”

  “He’s a bull rider?”

  “Yes.”

  “Has he had concussions before?”

  Levi shrugged as he continued to watch the slow, steady beeping of the monitor over Curt’s head. As long as it continued to beep, he figured everything would be fine. Just keep beeping. “I’m not sure.”

  “Was he out for some time with this episode he had not too long ago?”

  “Yes. He was unconscious for several minutes and confused for some time after that.”

  “Hmm.”

  “What’s wrong with him, Doc?” Levi asked, touching Curt’s hand before pulling it back. The flesh was warm and strong, all good things. Curt would get better. He had to.

  “He’s suffered a brain hemorrhage.”

  “What is that?”

  “A bleed on the brain. I understand someone hit him at the bar?”

  “Yes. Knocked him out cold.”

  “I believe that’s what caused this although from what you’ve told me, he probably had a weak spot on his brain from the riding accident. The blow at the bar just managed to cause a rupture.”

  “What’s this all mean?”

  The doctor waved his hand to indicate Curt lying on the stark white sheets. “Well, as you can see, he is still unconscious and that isn’t good. We’ve done a CAT scan and it shows a large bleed on the right side of his brain. We will have to admit him to monitor the pressure on his skull and brain tissue throughout the night. We may have to do surgery if we can’t control the swelling with medications.”

  “Oh God.” Levi sank into a chair sitting near the bedside. This isn’t good.

  “I’m sorry. Are you friends?”

  “Yes.”

  “I have to tell you, there may be some deficit when this is all said and done. He’s basically suffered a stroke which could cause many problems including weakness in extremities, inability to walk, he might not be able to talk, and a host of other things. We won’t know the extent of the problems until he wakes up and we can evaluate him in these areas. He also had a seizure from what the paramedics said.”

  “Yeah, at the bar.”

  “He hasn’t had any since, so that’s a good thing.”

  Levi rubbed his forehead with his fingers. What the hell am I going to do?

  “There are plenty of good things about his condition too, no seizures, he’s breathing on his own, he’s moved his fingers a few times, and his pupils are equal and reactive. These are good signs. He could make a complete recovery without any problems. We have to stay hopeful.”

  “Thanks, Doc.”

  “He’ll be admitted shortly to ICU. You won’t be able to stay with him in the room and you can only visit for five minutes at a time, once an hour.”

  “I appreciate everything you’ve done. Can I stay with him until they move him?”

  “Yes. You can check with the nurses when they get him upstairs, give them your number and tell them to contact you should his condition change.” The doctor rubbed his tired looking eyes. “Do you know his family? Can you contact them?”

  “I’m sure he has their numbers in his cell phone, which would have been in his pocket of his clothes.”

  “Clothing is in the bag on the counter there.”

  “Thanks. I’ll get it and try to contact them.”

  “We appreciate it.”

  “No problem.” Levi stood and moved toward the bag on the counter to retrieve Curt’s phone. He didn’t know Curt’s parents, but this was for Curt. He figured they would want to know about their son’s accident.

  Once he retrieved the phone, he stepped out of Curt’s room and down the hall to make the call. He found a number in the contacts under parents, so he stepped into a vacant room, and hit talk.

  A woman picked up on the second ring. “Curt?”

  “Hi. No, this is Levi Bond. I’m a friend of Curt’s. The one he’s been traveling with on the circuit lately?”

  “Ah. Yes, he’s talked about you the few times he’s called home. What’s he done now?”

  “Done?”

  “He’s always getting into scrapes. You know, fights and whatnot. Is he in jail or something?”

  “No, ma’am. He’s not in jail.”

  “Then why are you calling from his phone?”

  “There’s been an accident. You know about him having a concussion several weeks ago?”

  “He mentioned it, yes, but I thought everything was okay.”

  “It was until he got hit at a bar tonight for spilling beer on some woman accidently. It knocked him out cold. I’m at the hospital with him and they say he’s had a stroke. He’s still unconscious so they don’t know the extent of the injury, but his brain is swelling and they are trying to get that to come down.”

  “Oh my.”

  “I don’t have much else to tell you until he’s awake. I can call you as soon as that happens.”

  “Yes, please. His father and I would appreciate it very much, Levi. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, ma’am.” His shoulders dropped in relief since he wasn’t sure how Curt’s parents would react to him calling. He didn’t know how much they knew about his and Curt’s relationship and he didn’t want to rock the boat. “I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He hung up the phone before heading back down the hall. He’d seen a nurse walk into Curt’s room a few moments ago and he hoped they would be moving him soon. He’d have to head back to the hotel for the night to get some shut-eye if he could, but he would be back first thing in the morning.

  Shit. We were supposed to ride at four tomorrow afternoon. “Curt is obviously out for the duration. He won’t be able to ride in the rest of the finals. I have to though. I can’t not ride.”

  When he reached Curt’s beside, the nurse was unhooking things and transferring them to the bed. “Oh, hi. I’ll be moving him upstairs here in a second. You’re welcome to walk up with me.”

  “Thanks.”

  Several moments later, they had him situated in the bed in the ICU. The nurses explained the visitation
policy, before shooing Levi out of the room. “I’ll be back tomorrow to see him since I can’t stay up here. Here is my number. Call me if anything changes. I’ll have it by the bed.”

  “Certainly, sir.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  “No problem. Rest easy. He’s in good hands.”

  Rest didn’t come that night at all. Levi tossed and turned thinking about all the things that could happen to Curt, how he could be affected by this, and what their lives would be like should he be wheelchair bound, unable to move, or unable to speak. He would stand beside his lover no matter what, but they hadn’t come to any real solution to whether Curt wanted him. Now he may never know.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The next morning bright and early found Levi at the hospital. He’d showered and shaved quickly before grabbing his keys and heading over to be at Curt’s bedside, hoping he would be awake, alert, talking, and moving everything just fine. It wasn’t to be. Curt still hadn’t awoken.

  “He’s better this morning,” the nurse said, as Levi moved to Curt’s side.

  “How? He’s not awake.”

  “No, but the pressure on his brain is better. He’ll hopefully become conscious today and we can assess his function level.” She glanced at Levi. “Are you two really bull riders?”

  Levi fingered the sheet next to Curt’s hand, wanting to touch him, but holding back. “Yeah.”

  “That is so cool. I love to watch you guys ride. What’s your name?”

  “Levi Bond.”

  The woman grinned so big, Levi thought her face would split wide open. “I know you! You are one of my favorites.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Are you two good friends?”

  “Yeah, something like that.” He touched Curt’s fingers, running the pad of his index finger over the back of Curt’s hand.

  “Oh, I get it. You’re like together, right?”

  He was tired of denying things. He wanted people to know he loved this man and he wasn’t afraid to show his feelings anymore. “Yeah, we are.”