Long Ride Home by Boeshaar Andrea

Author:Boeshaar, Andrea
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2012-06-25T16:00:00+00:00

Twelve

Kevin couldn’t say for sure what happened to him the night Lara visited, but for the remainder of the week, he felt less depressed and more determined than ever to get well. Rob, his physical therapist, taught him some strengthening exercises, and Kevin practiced them several times a day. His right arm and leg were showing signs of improvement; however, his speech was still slurred, and frequently, Kevin felt like his mouth couldn’t keep up with his mind.

“When do you think I’ll get out of this place, Doctor Kitrell?”

The neurosurgery resident looked up from Kevin’s chart. “Oh, I’d say a couple of weeks. But I have to be honest with you, it’ll be a long time, if ever, before you can compete in a rodeo again.”

“What?” Kevin slid himself into a sitting position on his hospital bed. “What are you saying?”

“You suffered a traumatic brain injury, although a fairly mild one, but a bruise to your brain none the less. A bruise forms when blood vessels rupture. As you know, there was blood accumulating around the side of your brain, so we had to insert a drainage tube.”

“Yeah, yeah, you don’t have to remind me.”

It made Kevin a little queasy to think of someone drilling a hole in his skull and sticking a tiny strawlike tube inside. He was just glad the awful thing had been removed a couple of days ago.

“Your last CT scan shows things are healing nicely,” Kitrell continued, “but any jolt or bump to your head could cause a reinjury that might have worse effects than those you’ve already suffered.”

“Like?”

“Like seizures, a stroke, permanent paralysis.”

“Look, I’ve had bruises before,” Kevin countered. “Plenty of bruises. They heal up and disappear, and you never know they were there. Why’s this bruise so different?”

“Think of it like this,” Dr. Kitrell said in a curt, no-nonsense tone. “Some athletes tear ligaments in their ankles and knees, and they’re unable to return to sports. The same is true with you, except your ‘tear’ was inside your head.”

“No!” Kevin couldn’t accept it. He wouldn’t. He loved rodeoing. It was in his blood. Riding barebacks was his life. “I’ll ride again. I’m a two-time world champion, going for three. I’m not about to give up everything I’ve worked toward for the last ten years. This head injury wants to turn me into a sideline spectator, but I refuse to let it.”

“Even if it means sacrificing your health, maybe even your life?”

“Yeah,” Kevin replied, undaunted. Then he heard Lara’s voice whisper through his memory. It’s a cause worth dying for. She’d been referring to her part in converting unbelievers to Christ. Kevin, however, had his own cause, one that he was willing to die for—becoming the best bareback champion such as the world had never seen.

“Well, I’d urge you to reconsider,” Kitrell said. He slapped the chart shut, and holding it in one hand, he let his arm drop to his side. “Have a good weekend.”

Kevin almost laughed. How was it possible that he’d

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