Bucked

I stroll back down the hall to Kanen’s room.

“Next time we’ll bring you some fine women to cheer you up!” I hear one yell and then the rest of them laugh heartily.

“How about that one that was sitting on his lap? Kanen, did you break your dick?”

“Well I bet she could fix it!”

“We’ll I’m sure she’d try. Over and over again!”

“With that magic pussy!”

They all laugh again, loudly, unapologetically. Who are these people? I guess I shouldn’t imagine rodeo cowboys to be paragons of virtue, but who was sitting on his lap? Oh man. Maybe it’s time for me to go home and get a shower and some sleep. And have a think about this whole situation.

I can’t forget my own issues. Possibly being kicked out of a country is not exactly a good thing. Or something you can ignore because your lover has cracked his head open. But I caught a ride here to the hospital in the ambulance, so my car is still at the rodeo. Wonderful. I call Lacey.

“Hey, are you working? Can you come pick me up?”

Twenty-Eight

Kanen

When I wake up, I’m alone, and my heart sinks. Is Canada still here? Where did she go? The room’s a bit of a mess right now. Looks like the boys from the rodeo were here, since there’s an old Diet Coke can on the table. Bill likes his Diet Coke. Though when I see him it usually has a splash of rum in it. Or more than a splash, if I’m honest. I hope they didn’t drive her out.

Maybe Chastity is just down the hall or something, and is coming back. A man can dream.

But it’s a lonely dream.

“Kanen?” I hear. It’s a high voice, but not Chastity’s. Nope, it’s Damien, from the center.

“Hey there, buddy,” I say. The three boys walk in.

“Kanen are you okay?”

“We were so worried,” Ricky adds, though he’s affecting a tough guy face. “But we knew you’d pull through.”

“Damien thought you we

re gonna die,” says Joe.

“Did not!” Damien yells, his lips pursing. “I knew Kanen would make it! I knew it!”

“Is it okay that we come see you? They brought us over from the center, but if you’re too tired...” Ricky says, but Damien scrambles up on the bed and throws his arms around me.

“I’m all right,” I say, struggling to sit up after the hug.

“Do you need anything?” Ricky asks. “You want something from the cafeteria? I tried to get the driver to stop off to pick you up a burger, but he wouldn’t do it.”

“Aw, that was nice of you,” I say. These kids, I think I’m doing something for them, but it’s pretty clear that they are doing as much, if not more, for me. The kind of love they have to give is priceless. If only their mommies and daddies thought so. Or were around, or alive. “But I’m good. Maybe next time he’ll give you the go-ahead!”

“Daddy,” says Damien. “I mean, Kanen!” His face is reddening. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Oh sure,” I grin. “It’s just a scratch.” If I had a kid, I would like him to be fiercely passionate like Damien. “I’m going to be right as rain in only a few days.”

“But what about the guy who was trying to sabotage you?” says Joe, quietly.

“What guy?” I ask slowly. Then I remember again. The shot in the bull’s butt. The strange lack of rodeo clowns once I went down.

“We were sitting behind him,” Joe says. “He told his friend that he was going to take you down.”