“Family? Is he married?” Sandy asked, disturbed by the idea of Travis having a wife. It was obvious Tess had feelings for the ruggedly handsome man.
“No, he’s not married. His mom lives here in town and he has two brothers who will want to know he’s here.”
“You go ahead and make the calls. I’ll get him set up and then you can start on the paperwork,” Sandy said, disappearing down the hall with Travis.
Tess quickly called Denni and left a message for her both at the store and at home. She then called the Triple T, offering Cady what few details she knew. Her next call was to Brice, who said he’d come sit with her as soon as he got off work. Looking at her watch, Tess knew that would be in a few minutes. Not sure why she felt compelled to do it, she called Rick and told him what happened. Being the nice guy that he was, he said he’d leave right away to come to the hospital. Tess should have told him no, but she didn’t. For reasons she couldn’t explain, she wanted Rick there.
Going to the nurse’s station, Tess started filling out paperwork for Travis. She knew all the basic information and Trey or Denni could fill in the rest when they arrived.
Returning to where Travis was getting X-rays, she didn’t have long to wait before they wheeled him out and headed upstairs to do the MRI.
“Tess, please go with me,” Travis whispered, stretching out fingers toward her. She took his hand and walked beside him.
She waited with him until the technicians were ready then sat restlessly while the images were made.
By the time they were finished with that, the doctor reappeared and had a nurse give Travis some pain medication.
He told Tess he’d be back when he had a chance to look at the X-Rays and scans.
Travis was put into a room about the time his family descended on the hospital. Brice arrived shortly after their phone call and sat in the waiting room while Tess stayed with Travis. Denni was crying, leaning on Trent while Cady looked quiet and solemn with her hand locked into Trey’s. Lindsay stayed with Cass so the rest of them wouldn’t have to worry about the little girl.
Relinquishing her seat by Travis’ bed and sliding her hand from his grasp, Tess hugged both women and walked out the door. All but Denni followed her to the waiting area.
“The doctor was going to look at the X-rays and MRI results and let us know the next step. We’re still waiting for him to come back. It shouldn’t be too much longer, I wouldn’t think,” Tess said, sitting down next to Brice.
“What happened?” Trey asked, sinking down onto a chair with Cady beside him.
“I’m not sure. Travis hasn’t been coherent enough to tell us what happened, but I do know he was out windsurfing, rescued a child and somehow got hurt in the process. I don’t think it is anything life-threatening, but the doctor can tell us more.”
Rick came in the door and looked around uncertainly before spotting Tess. His jaw, where Travis punched him, was already turning ugly shades of black, blue and green. Tess was reminded again that he was a really good man, especially to come offer his help and support for someone who would have beaten him senseless the night before, given the opportunity.
“Rick, thanks for coming,” Tess said, walking to him and squeezing his hand. He sat beside her and they only had to wait a few minutes before the doctor approached them.
“It looks to me like he’s torn both hamstrings. The tendons have ripped from the joints and we need to do surgery to repair them, but I would like to consult with another physician before we do anything else,” Dr. Lieb said to the group.
“Mind if I take a look at those results,” Rick asked, pointing to the file in Dr. Lieb’s hand.
“And you are?” Dr. Lieb said, sounding annoyed.
“Rick Martin. I’m an orthopedic surgeon at OHSU. I specialize in sports injuries,” Rick said, holding out his hand.
The doctor put the file in Rick’s hand. He and Tess both looked at the X-rays and MRI scans. He pointed, she nodded, and they closed the file.
“I don’t believe that surgery is going to be necessary,” Rick said, hanging on to the file.
“Care to elaborate?” Dr. Lieb asked with an irritated glare.
“Yes, I would. Surgery is completely unnecessary based on what I’m seeing. Can I show you?”
Dr. Lieb nodded abruptly and took Rick into an examine room where they put up the X-rays. Tess, Trey and Trent followed.
“See here, and here, and here,” Rick said, pointing to spots on the X-ray. “If the tendon had been completely torn, the avulsion would be evident. Look at the MRI scans. There are tears in the hamstring, but they are minimal. It’s still attached. The best thing for the patient right now is the RICE treatment.”
“RICE?” Trey asked, looking at Rick.
“Rest, ice, compression and elevation,” Rick explained. “You can take care of him at home as well as they can here.”
Dr. Lieb looked Rick. “I’ll go sign his release papers.”
“I’d like to speak with you before I leave, doctor,” Rick said. Again, Dr. Lieb nodded and shuffled out of the room.
Rick walked with Trey, Trent and Tess back to the waiting room. “I’d say that Travis has third-degree hamstring strains. Basically, something caused the thick part of the muscle on the backs of his thighs to tear where the muscle fibers join tendon fibers. For a while, walking is going to be impossible. In three to four days, severe bruising will develop and he’ll spend some time using crutches. Recovery can take up to ten weeks and he’s looking at several months of physical therapy.
Trey and Trent both sank down onto chairs to absorb the information. Cady put a comforting hand on Trey’s arm.
“What can we do?” Cady asked.
“The first few days the main goal is to control the swelling, pain and any bleeding caused by those tears. Because Travis has done a number on both legs, he needs to be completely immobile for at least a week. After that, he can add limited mobility based on how well he is healing. From what I’ve seen, the biggest challenge is going to be keeping Travis still. He must spend that week resting and lying down. No walking at all,” Rick said, looking around the group. “His legs will need iced at least four times a day in thirty minute intervals for the first couple days. I’d suggest even doing the ice every couple hours for the first day. Put crushed ice in a plastic bag and then it can be held in place with an elastic bandage or use ice packs. The ice helps control the swelling and pain and will also cut down on muscle spasms. When you aren’t icing him, you can also keep his legs wrapped in compression bandages. Some patients say it cuts down on the pain.”
“Anything else?” Trent asked. Being the one who took on most of the doctoring responsibilities, he assumed he’d be the primary caregiver for Travis.
“Elevation is important, especially the first few days. He will need to have his legs up higher than his heart, supported by pillows. Give him ibuprofen for the swelling and pain and try to keep him comfortable. As soon as the pain permits, he needs to start a program of stretching and range of motion exercises. I can recommend an excellent physical therapist I know who makes house calls,” Rick said, winking at Tess.
She smiled and the family seemed to relax a little.
“So what you are saying is that if we can keep Travis from walking and make him follow your orders to the letter, he’ll be perfectly fine,” Trey said.
“In theory. ‘If’ is the key word in this situation, I think,” Rick said, rubbing his bruised jaw.
Trey smiled and stood up, extending his hand to Rick. “We can’t thank you enough for stepping in and helping us out, especially after what happened last night.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Rick said. “I will remember, however, to avoid his right hook.”
Since Trey, Cady and Trent rode to the hospital together, Tess volunteered to drive out to the Triple T with Cady so Travis could lie down in the back seat of Trey’s pickup. Tess ran Denni home and while the older woman gathered up a pile of pillows and a blanket,
Tess packed her bags. She knew she couldn’t stay in town while Travis was injured. She’d move back out to the Running M until he was better.
Hurrying back to the hospital, they arrived just as Travis was wheeled outside, dressed only his swim trunks. Other than the wetsuit he had nothing else on when he arrived. Realizing he had to have his pickup parked somewhere in the area, Brice volunteered to take Trent to find it. After helping lift Travis into the backseat of the truck they took off while Tess and Denni gently propped up his legs with the pillows. The medication the doctor gave him for the pain hadn’t yet worn off and that was going to work in their favor during the long ride home.
Rick stepped up to the door and Travis gave him a lopsided grin. “Thanks for taking care of me, Rick. I really appreciate it.”
“Anytime, Travis, although I hope we don’t meet at the hospital again.”
“Me, too.”
Denni fussed with Travis for another minute before Trey closed the pickup door, kissed her cheek and assured her they would all make sure Travis was adequately cared for. Finally, she got in her car and drove herself home.
Since Trent went with Brice, Cady decided to ride home with Trey, which left Tess standing with Rick. She gave him a warm hug and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you for coming to the rescue today. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been here.”
“I’m glad I could help. If Travis follows orders, he’ll be as good as new in no time,” Rick said, walking Tess to her car and holding the door for her. “Drive safe and let me know how the patient is tomorrow. I’m going to go in and visit with that doctor for a few minutes.”
“Don’t chew him up too badly,” Tess teased. Knowing Rick, he would offer to personally help the young man until he better learned what he was doing. The guy must have entered college at the age of 14 for as young as he looked, which could also explain his attitude. “Thanks again for all you did, Rick. We really appreciate you.”
“Anytime, Tess. I’ll talk to you later.”
Tess was surprised when Rick shut her door and didn’t try to kiss her cheek. He usually snuck in a peck or two when they said goodbye. She didn’t give it another thought, though, as she drove toward Grass Valley. She wondered what exactly had happened to cause Travis’ injury. Until he felt up to talking, she supposed they’d be left in the dark.
By the time she stopped at the back door of the Triple T ranch house, Trey and a couple of the hands were carrying Travis inside. Cady was folding down the covers on Travis’ bed and Tess helped her finish just as the guys came in carefully moving Travis. Trey held his shoulders while Rex and Tommy each carried a leg. Laying him down on the bed, Cady and Tess went to the kitchen to make ice packs.
Trent and Brice found Travis’ pickup at the waterfront. Knowing where Travis would hide his keys, Brice fished them out and Trent unlocked the pickup to find Travis’ clothes and wallet inside. Stopping at a pharmacy, Trent bought elastic bandages, resealable plastic bags, refreezable ice packs, and a supply of ibuprofen. He picked up some magazines and a few books he thought Travis might enjoy, paid for his purchases and headed home.
Walking in the back door with his hands full of bags, Cass threw herself around his knees and started talking a mile a minute about Travis and his injury.
“I know, goofball, I was at the hospital, too,” Trent said, good-naturedly. “Did you have fun staying with Aunt Lindsay?”
“Oh, yes. We played fairies and she read me stories and we went for a nature walk. I got the prettiest rock, Uncle Trent!” Cass danced around him while he emptied the bags.
“You did, what’s it look like?” he asked picking up the little girl and setting her on the counter. She dug into her shorts pocket and pulled out a shiny rock shaped like a heart.
“Isn’t it cool?” she asked, holding it in her tiny hand.
Trent picked it up and admired it. “It sure is. You better keep it somewhere safe.”
“I will,” Cass said, throwing her arms around his neck. He carried her down the hall to Travis’ room where he could hear voices talking quietly. He found Trey, Cady, Tess and Lindsay all in the room, looking at Travis. On his stomach, he had an ice pack on each thigh with his legs propped up beneath him. He looked anything but comfortable.
“Hey, how’s it going?” Trent asked setting Cass down and kissing Lindsay’s cheek. She leaned back against him as he put his arm around her shoulder.
“So far, so good,” Cady said. “I don’t think his pain medication has worn off completely.”
“Not completely, but it’s getting there,” Travis mumbled against the pillow under his face.
“I brought home some elastic bandages and a few other things. Tess, if we use the bandages to hold the ice in place, could he lie on his back? I think he’d be more comfortable that way,” Trent said, trying to think how they could make this better for Travis.
“I think that would work well,” Tess said, looking at Travis in compassion. “I don’t think his current position is going to prove very restful.”
Trent retrieved the bandages from the kitchen. Shooing the girls out of the room, Trey and Trent helped Travis put on a pair of running shorts that allowed them better access to his legs. The alternative was to strip him down to his underwear and with the girls insisting on helping, they didn’t think Travis would appreciate the exposure.
By the time they got him settled and the bandages in place holding the ice, all three of them were sweating.
“Well, that was fun. What’s next on the agenda?” Trent teased as he adjusted the pillows under Travis’ legs.
“How about everyone clears out and leaves me alone for a while?” Travis said gruffly. He was tired of all the attention and wanted to be alone to brood.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Trey said, sitting down on a chair by the bed. “Why don’t you tell us what happened?”
Travis sighed and ran a hand through his mussed hair. He felt dirty and exhausted and completely trapped. Scared of what was going to happen to him when he couldn’t go work off some of his tension and aggression, he decided to close down that train of thought and focus on getting everyone out of his room.
“Why don’t you get the girls, then I’ll only have to tell it once,” Travis said, looking at Trent, who stepped into the hall and called for the girls to come from the kitchen.
“When I left after lunch, I decided to go windsurfing since I hadn’t been for a while. The wind was perfect. I put in at Riverfront Park and couldn’t believe how great the air was today,” Travis said, remembering how much he was enjoying the afternoon until he went into hero mode. “I was riding the water, having a great time, when I looked back and saw some jerk waving frantically from his board while his kid was trying to ride a board on his own. The wind was tossing him all over the place and the kid was terrified. I steered over with the hope of catching some air and grabbing him off his board when he blew by. All went according to plan except when I jumped up to catch him I heard a loud pop and then the pain hit me. I fell into the water, but managed to get the boy onto my board until some guys in a boat pulled us in. I tried to stand up when we got in the boat and that’s the last thing I remember until I woke up at the hospital to hear Tess call me an idiot.”
“You are in idiot,” Tess said with a warm smile. “A hero, but still an idiot.”
“I wonder if the boy is okay. Did anyone mention seeing him at the hospital?” Travis asked, concerned about the little guy. He was obviously frightened when Travis plucked him off the airborne board.
“The nurse said the guys who brought you in mentioned you made a daring rescue, but the boy wasn’t with them. I’m guessing they returned him to his father,” Tess said.
“I hope the kid was fine,” Travis said absently. He wondered again what kind of fool turned a child loose windsurfing when he obviously had never done it before. He hoped the parent wouldn’t repeat that kind of mistake.
“We’ll try to find out
for you,” Trey said, giving Travis’ shoulder a squeeze. He saw fatigue lining his brother’s face and decided they should probably let him rest a bit. Trent and Tess took off the ice packs with a promise to bring him new ones in a few hours then they all left the room. Turning off the light, Trey left the door partially open in case Travis needed something. He knew they’d all be listening to hear him call.
Going back to the kitchen, they made sandwiches and sat down to eat the simple meal. Trey gave special thanks for Travis’ safekeeping.
“Tess, you’re more than welcome to stay here if you want. I’ve got a feeling you might get more rest close by than if you go home and worry all night,” Trey said, looking at her thoughtfully.
Surprised by the invitation, Tess was grateful to accept.
“That would be nice, thanks. I appreciate it,” Tess said, looking at Cady. “If you’re sure it isn’t an imposition.”
“None at all,” Cady said, with a welcoming smile. “You can take the guest room by Travis’ room. That way if you want to check on him you won’t have far to go. Do we all need to take a turn sitting up with him?”
“I thought maybe Trent and I could take turns tonight. He’ll need to have ice packs on every couple hours and he will no doubt need some pain reliever at some point. Since you and Trey are clear on the other side of the house, maybe Trent and I can take the night shift if you want to take over during the day,” Tess said, thinking about the best way to give Travis the care he needed.
“I can help, too. I can do day or night shifts,” Lindsay said, glad that she was out of school for the summer and had the extra time available.
“If you could help during the day, Lindsay, that might be best,” Cady said, thinking of adding nursing duty to her already full plate.
“Great. I’ll plan to be here after breakfast,” Lindsay said, getting up from the table and putting her dishes in the dishwasher. “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”
The Cowboy's Summer Love Page 17
