What Happens on the Cruise

72. Danny Boy

Tim laid his head down on Austin's bed, exhausted beyond words. He didn't know how long he'd slept when Betsy gently touched his shoulder.

"Tim, honey, should you be sleeping this soon after a concussion?"

He blinked groggily. "I don't know. There are some papers here somewhere..."

There was the softest of moans and Austin's fingers closed around his hand.

"Austin?" Tim said, fear and excitement mixing in his gut as well as in his voice.

Austin's eyes blinked open. "Hm? Hey," he answered weakly.

Tim brushed Austin's hair back and dropped a kiss on his forehead. "How are you feeling, honey?"

"Like death warmed over." He looked into Tim's face and saw the expression there. "Maybe that's a little too close to the truth."

"Hi, honey," Betsy said, patting his left leg.

"Momma? What are you doing in Mankato?"

"Looking after you and your fiance, apparently," she answered. "It's a long story."

"Tell me what's going on."

"Do you remember the accident?" Tim asked.

"Bits of it. It's all kind of disconnected. But we got T-boned by a semi, didn't we?"

"Yeah. You know that intersection that used to be a two-way stop? And people were always pulling out thinking it was a four-way stop?"

"Yeah."

"They put in a light. I don't remember this part, but apparently I missed seeing it and ended up in the intersection."

"Yeah," Austin said, closing his eyes. "I remember this semi just barreling down on us."

"Yeah. I hear he'd taken an antihistamine and was groggy. He didn't even brake till he was nearly on us."

"Is he okay?"

Tim smiled and stroked the back of Austin's hand, always amazed at his fiance's generosity of spirit. "He's got a sprained wrist."

"That's good that he wasn't hurt."

Tim realized he'd been unconsciously resenting the semi driver's good fortune, as if the other man's suffering would somehow lessen theirs. "Yeah. Yeah, it is good he's okay." He felt a tiny bit lighter saying it, and meaning it.

"Are you okay, babe?"

Tim kissed Austin's hand then pressed it to his cheek, so glad to be talking to him. "I've got a concussion. Some bruises here and there."

Austin's thumb traced his lips. "I'm so glad you're here with me." He smiled as Tim pressed another kiss to his palm. "What about Adam and Ericha?"

"Adam's got a broken collarbone and a few cuts and scrapes," Tim answered, then shook his head. "Ericha... Ericha's really bad."

"Oh, no."

"Fractured skull and vertebra, possible brain and spinal injuries. They've got her in an induced coma, but they've got no idea how bad it's going to be if she-- when she wakes up."

Austin drew back his hand to wipe tears away. "I was hoping... I was hoping I'd be the worst off."

"You haven't even asked about you."

"Considering how much it hurts, I'm a little afraid to know," Austin admitted.

"Oh, honey, you should have said something," Betsy said.