Sixteen and Dying by Lurlene McDaniel

Author:Lurlene McDaniel
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780307776334
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2010-10-26T22:00:00+00:00

Twelve

ANNE RACED OUT and turned down a path, made narrow by parked horse trailers. At the far end, she saw a large tent with a red cross painted on its side, and rushed toward it. Outside, a woman wearing an armband bearing the same red cross stopped her. “Can I help you?” she asked.

Flustered, Anne groped for words. “They brought in a rider from the arena … he’d been thrown, dragged. I need to see how he is. He’s a friend.”

The nurse offered a reassuring smile. “Calm down. The doctor’s taping him up now. He’s got a couple of cracked ribs, some bruises and contusions, but he’s going to be fine.”

Anne felt her knees buckle with relief. “He won’t have to go to the hospital?”

“I think he refused to go.”

“Do you suppose I could go in and see him?”

“You’ll have to wait in line—his family’s in with him now. They looked plenty scared—and hopping mad!”

“Are you positive he’s all right?”

The nurse reached out, took her hand, and said, “Don’t take it so hard, honey. These cowboys are a pretty tough bunch. I’ve seen men stomped on by bulls weighing a ton, and they still get up to ride another day.”

The tent flap opened, and a man in a lab coat stepped outside. “The boy doing okay?” the nurse asked.

“Miraculously, yes. The X rays showed no breaks other than his ribs, but that ride wrenched several muscles. He’s going to be sore for a while.”

“See, I told you not to worry,” the nurse said to Anne.

Anne still wanted to see Morgan. “Go on, honey. Go see for yourself,” the nurse said.

Smiling gratefully, Anne entered the tent carefully. Morgan was shirtless, sitting up on an examining table, a thick swath of adhesive bandage wound around his torso. Standing directly in front of him were his aunt and uncle.

She heard his uncle’s angry voice, “… can’t believe the chance you took!”

“I’ve ridden in plenty of rodeos. I just had some back luck today.”

“Bad luck! You almost got killed!”

“I like to ride,” Morgan replied stubbornly.

“No one cares if you ride in rodeo events,” Aunt Maggie interjected. “But what’s wrong with the barrel races? Or the calf roping?”

Morgan snorted. “They’re not my style.”

“Almost getting yourself killed is more your style?” Uncle Don shook his finger in Morgan’s face. “You know what your problem is? You’ve got a death wish, boy! You won’t be happy until you die out there.”

“Stop it,” Aunt Maggie commanded, grabbing her husband’s arm. “Carrying on here and now isn’t helping anything.” She stepped closer to Morgan and took his face between her hands. “Oh, Morgan, you scared us to death.”

Morgan looked into her eyes. “Sorry, Aunt Maggie,” he mumbled.

“You’re all the family I have left, Morgan. I don’t want to lose you. Please, please stop this crazy, reckless way of living. Why do you do it?”

Anne saw Morgan reach up and wipe a tear from his aunt’s cheek. “You, of all people, understand why, Aunt Maggie. You know more than anyone what might lie ahead for either one—or both—of us.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.