Standing By

Blow the Speakers!

(Tim)

"Settled into just a dull throb," I answered.  "I'm OK.  Austin, seriously, you're bleeding all over the place."

    "Not like I want to!" he snapped, getting grumpier by the minute.

    At the mention of 'bleeding all over the place,' Sam pushed past Rob and Kirstie and stepped over Adam, who was just sitting there gnawing on his thumb.  "Oh my God," she moaned.

    "I'mma be all right!" Austin said, pulling his jeans over his legs like a blanket.  "This ain't a lot of blood! Takes a lot more to die from blood loss! The biggest issue is your damn faucet!"

    "I'll put a work order in for that right away," Sam decided.  "And an out of order sign for the sink.  And a couple of people with mops.  Lots of mops."

    "Yes, lots of mops," Chance murmured.

    "We need to call Scott and Mitch," Adam insisted.  "Rob.  Call them.  Now."

    Frustrated, Rob pulled his phone out of his pocket.  "Great.  What's their numbers?"

    Adam looked like a deer in the headlights.  "Uh....."  He turned to Kevin.  "How about you call them?"

    "How about I would have, if I had my phone with me?" Kevin remarked sarcastically.  "It's on the table."

    "I got mine, but it hasn't worked right since I got drenched in the tap."  Avi poked at his phone, pushing buttons.  "Technology is not my friend tonight—crap!" he exclaimed as it started to dial someone unintended.

    "I'm working on it but I've only got five percent battery," Kirstie said, shaking her phone as if that'd make it work. "Come on, just a little juice here."

    "Mine's cracked," I said sadly, pulling it out of my pocket and scowling at a broken screen that wouldn't turn on.

    "Mine's good, but I don't have any of y'all's numbers," Chance said, pulling his out.

    "Hello?  Hello?" a tinny voice said on the other end of Avi's line. "Hello?"

    "I'm sorry!  Didn't mean to call you!" Avi apologized, trying to disconnect.

    "Hello?  Scott?" Kirstie asked.  "We're gonna need—Scott?  Can you hear me?  Scott?  Hello?  Kirstie—this is Kir—Scott? Hello?  This is Kirstie—hello?  Sco—?"  Kirstie broke off and stamped her feet.  "Crap crap crap ugh!"

    "Phone die?" Adam surmised.  

    "Go get mine from the table," Kevin advised.

    "Try Mitch then!" Austin told her.  "Try Mitch!"

    "My phone died, Austin, I can't call either one of them right now," Kirstie groaned.

    "OK, so try Mitch on your phone."  Poor Austin seemed royally confused.

    "My phone is dead, Austin!" she yelled.

    "Go get mine!" Kevin snapped.

    "No, no!  I'm sorry, miss, I got the wrong number somehow!" Avi tried to explain into his phone.

    "Chill, Kevin!  Don't yell at me!" Kirstie yelled right back at him.

    "Here's the checks!" Adam tossed both of them at Kevin and me.  I went ahead and signed mine to get it out of the way.

    Kevin just sat down on the toilet (pants still up).  "I'm just saying, Kirstie, go get my phone.  And Adam, I'd appreciate it if you didn't throw things at me."