Fragile(46)
Author: M. Leighton

At first, Hardy didn’t fully understand what she was getting at. He shrugged. “Then I’ll go to the doctor. It’s no big deal.”

“But what about football? You can’t throw a football with a broken hand.”

The reality of the situation slapped him in the face. His head swam dizzily and his hand throbbed. “Uh…um…I didn’t…” Backing up and resting against the side of the house, Hardy bent over and rested his good hand on his knee, taking slow deep breaths.

Miracle was quiet for a long time before she put her hand on his shoulder and spoke. “Will he hurt you?”

Hardy straightened, meeting her concerned eyes. He was more relieved than he imagined possible to see something other than fear, disgust and mistrust there. “I don’t know and I don’t care. That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Hardy, there will be consequences. You know that, right?”

Hardy sighed. “I know, Miracle, but I don’t care about that. I…I…” he stammered, ducking his head in shame. “I’m so sorry. I got into it with my dad after the game and then when I saw Jonah grab you…”

Hardy was wearing his heart on his sleeve and his regret on his face. Miracle searched the blue gray of his eyes for…something. He hoped she would find it.

With a sigh, Miracle glanced down at the still-unconscious Jonah. “I’ll try to talk him out of pressing charges, but I need to get him to the doctor.”

As if on cue, Jonah moaned. “It’s my fault. If you’ll pull my car around, I’ll get him in the backseat and you can drive us to the emergency room. I’ll just have to deal with whatever fallout there is. It’s my own doing.”

Miracle nodded, jogging off to Hardy’s car. He hoped he could undo some of the damage by being mature and responsible about the situation from this point forward. He couldn’t blame her if she never trusted him again, though. It made his heart hurt to think of it, but he couldn’t blame her.

With a lot of painful maneuvering, Hardy managed to get a groggy Jonah into the back seat of his car. His nose and mouth were still oozing blood, so Hardy pulled a clean t-shirt out of his duffel and gave it to him to use until they reached the hospital.

Once inside and registered, Hardy was taken to one room, Jonah to another. Miracle went with Jonah, although it made Hardy feel better when she looked back at him over her shoulder. Maybe he hadn’t completely lost her.

It wasn’t long before Wayne Bradford showed up. He schmoozed his way through the various medical personnel like a politician. To Hardy, his worries felt compounded the instant he heard his father’s voice.

He was all smiles and pleasantries to everyone he encountered, including Hardy, but Hardy knew his father was boiling just beneath the surface. He saw him flex his fingers several times as though it was all he could do not to punch Hardy where he lay on the hospital stretcher. The one good thing about the length of an emergency room visit, however, was that he would likely have cooled off somewhat by the time Hardy was discharged. It was much less likely he would get violent at that point.

After the first hour had passed, Hardy overheard his father asking the doctor if he could talk to the other boy involved. The doctor told him he didn’t think that would be a good idea. He wouldn’t even give him a status update. The doctor did, however, offer to let Wayne speak to the girl who was with the other boy.

Miracle.

Hardy held his breath when he saw the doctor return several minutes later with Miracle in tow. He noticed her glancing nervously into his room as the great Wayne Bradford questioned her. Thankfully, needing her help, Hardy’s father was very pleasant to Miracle, but he wasn’t fooling Hardy; he knew how his father really felt.

As Miracle stood outside Hardy’s room talking to his father and the doctor, Hardy got yet another unwanted surprised. Cheyenne.

Hardy gritted his teeth. There was only one person that would’ve called her, and he turned around and glared at Hardy just as Cheyenne rushed to his side. Wayne dared Hardy to resist when Cheyenne threw her arms around his neck.

Hardy looked away from his father, only to see the look of hurt on Miracle’s face. Hardy had never wished more that he’d broken his hand on his father’s jaw instead.

Things were getting worse by the minute. Hardy knew there was nothing he could do for the time being, so he closed his eyes against the world and leaned his head back against his pillow. He just wanted the day to be over.

Several hours, exams, x-rays and a Colles Fracture splint later, Hardy was released into the care of his father. Wayne informed the hospital that he would send someone after Hardy’s car later, as Hardy couldn’t drive after being given narcotics for pain. Hardy didn’t argue.

“Well, you’ve certainly done it now,” Wayne said as soon as they were out of the hospital parking lot. “I’ll have to call the scouts that have already seen you play and see if they’d still consider you. The doctor assured me that we’ll be able to get an acceptable report from the physical therapist…”

Hardy listened to his father drone on and on about the mess Hardy had made and how he was going to have to clean it up. About how irresponsible and selfish Hardy was and how he was lucky his father was influential enough to get Jonah to drop the charges. He reminded Hardy over and over again that he owed his life, his future, pretty much his entire existence to his father.

Hardy had no interest in the future that Wayne Bradford had plotted out for him. The only thing he was interested in was Miracle. And he might have lost her.

It didn’t take long for apathy to set in.

Unable to leave the house all weekend, Hardy tried dozens of times to call Miracle, but she didn’t answer. He texted her, but got no response. The longer she ignored him, the lower he sank into depression.

When Monday rolled around, Hardy was once more allowed to drive his car. Wayne Bradford couldn’t be inconvenienced with taking his son to school and far be it for a Bradford to ride the bus, so he gave Hardy his keys back.

The first thing Hardy did was drive by Miracle’s house. Her car was gone. He could only assume she’d driven herself to school. He went straight to her locker when he got there, but she was nowhere to be found. Deciding to bide his time until third period, Hardy stopped looking for her.

Miracle showed up in Chemistry Lab right as the bell was sounding. She didn’t look in his direction even one time during the entire class. Then, at the end, she was out of her seat and out the door the instant the bell rang. Hardy watched her go, feeling slow and frustrated.