I didn't lean against Ari in the backseat and his frustration grew. My shoulder was throbbing and it hurt every time the car went over a rough patch.
He was quickly sobering up and tried his best to rush the driver. Every time I made a little pain noise, Ari looked over at me and tried to reach for me. I shook my head. I was still mad at him. We arrived to a small emergency room that was nearly empty.
Ari filled out some forms while I sat in the chair and looked at myself in the mirrored wall. My shirt was torn at the sleeve but there wasn't any blood.
A nurse called me back and Ari went with me. She stopped him and said it was only for the injured person.
"He is minor... under eighteen. I am legal guardian with his mother! He is step-son," Ari lied.
"Oh! OHHH! Ok sorry. I didn't mean to sound racist or anything... you just don't look... uh... right this way sir! Please!" she said.
We were ushered back to a room that had six beds sectioned off by rolling curtains. She led me past a man who was clutching his stomach and coughing like crazy. She put us on the last bed by the window. It overlooked the lights of the city.
"A very drunk man knock him down on the street! He falls hard on the curb and hurts the arm," Ari rushed through a lie. I sat quietly and felt my shoulder throbbing.
"Let's get that shirt off," she said. I tried to lift my arm but it hurt too bad.
"Please, Lukas. Let me help." Ari whispered.
"Ok," I said. Ari carefully lifted my shirt and got it off the uninjured arm then eased it over my head and off the bad side.
"It's bruised... We can do an x-ray and see what the doctor thinks." She helped me off the table and I watched as Ari looked with wide, guilty eyes.
It wasn't his fault. I'm not a toddler and bad things happen. But I was mad at him so I looked away and followed the nurse.
They did the x-rays and then the doctor checked me over. She said it wasn't broken but I'd be sore for a few days and have a bruise for awhile. I felt better having everyone stand over me, but then I got chills from being shirtless in the cold room and my shoulder started to ache.
The nurse brought me a blanket wrapped in cellophane like the one from the airplane. She opened it and wrapped it around me so I wouldn't have to put my shirt back on or get more chills. The doctor gave me some pills for the pain and a prescription for more. Ari sat next to me on the bed and put his arms around me carefully.
"I hate that you are hurt. I should have keep watch over you better. I should have not take you to this bar in first place. I was weak to not protect my boy as he need. My father will be upset. We have to be so careful, my young love. It kill me to see you upset and injure for my fault." Ari whispered when the doctor and nurse left us alone.
"I shouldn't have wandered off. What about my dad? He's going to be pissed... But he's also used to me being clumsy. He always tells me I need to pay more attention. Maybe we should stick to the drunk on the street story," I laughed. It wasn't all that implausible.
"For my father it will not matter. He will say I could have left you with Sajid or Arash since your father was unavailable and was irresponsible for me to take you away from our home in the first place. Then he will say I should put you in hotel room and only take you for safe fun in the daytime. There is no way to explain where is not my fault... and of course is my fault." Ari sighed.
"It just happened. It was the drunk crazy guy's fault," I assured him.
"Tomorrow we fly home to... how you say... see a man about music?" Ari asked.
YOU ARE READING
Lukas & The Lion
Teen Fiction17 year old Lukas Smith has his life turned upside down when his dad loses his job in their scrappy desert town. He moves to LA where his dad finds work. Lukas takes a summer job at a local gym to save up for a new phone. That's where he meets a mu...
