Page 67 of Ship Happens

Kevin moves up to Owen’s shoulder, pressing a bit harder. Owen forces out heavy breaths to keep himself from making a bigger scene than he already has. “There.” Owen winces.

“One to ten?” Kevin asks.

“Maybe a seven? Or eight.”

“Can I test?” Kevin asks, and after Owen nods, he takes Owen’s arm and gently rotates it. “There’s not much swelling. I doubt it’s broken, but it looked like you tried to catch yourself when you fell.”

Fantastic, Owen thinks. He doesn’t even really remember doing it, but maybe he does? He does remember stretching for Jacob, the man just out of reach.

“How is your back?” Kevin asks, pressing his hands against the dip near Owen’s waist. “Do you feel anything here?”

“Not as bad,” Owen admits. “Maybe a three or a four.”

“Hmm . . . I’m going to go ahead and guess that your stubborn ass doesn’t want medical attention from the cruise ship?” Kevin asks, whispering so that not even Jacob will hear him. “We’re still docked, we could get you to the hospital. They could do X-rays and make sure nothing’s broken.”

“I thought you had X-ray vision?” Owen jokes, just to prove that he’s fine. He knows his body, he’s had hard falls before. Once in school, when he was at the library and trying to reach for a book on one of the taller shelves. Another time he’d been playing on Jacob’s UCSF softball team and tripped over his own feet on his way to first base.

It hurts. Terribly. But he’ll be fine after some rest.

“I’m okay, Kev,” Owen assures him. “I just need to get back to the room.”

“Okay, only if you’re sure.” Kevin waits for Owen’s nod before he stands. “We can always pump you full of ibuprofen.”

“No chance you’ve got any morphine on you?” Owen laughs.

“Should we call an ambulance to meet us at the dock?” the cruise employee asks Kevin.

Owen answers for himself. “I’ll be okay. I’m denying medical assistance.”

That’s enough of an answer for her, and she turns, escorting the lingering passengers to clear the space and give Owen more room.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Kaitlyn asks him at the same time Abigail shows up and asks what happened.

“I’ll be fine,” Owen promises them. “I will. I’m just gonna head back to the room.”

“Okay, well, we’ll go with you,” Kaitlyn offers.

“No!” Owen shakes his head. “I can make it, don’t worry.”

“Owen,” she interrupts, rolling her eyes. “You’re hurt, fuck the party, dude.”

“I’m fine,” Owen tells her. “You don’t have to worry about me.” He can feel himself getting heated. He knows that Kaitlyn means well. Worse, he knows that there’s no reason he shouldn’t accept her company. It’ll make the night that much easier. But there’s so much left of their evening—there’s still the countdown, and the northern lights haven’t even shown up yet.

“What if I go with you?” Jacob offers suddenly.

“You don’t have to,” Owen tells him.

“I know,” he says.

Owen looks at Jacob.

Jacob looks at Owen.

“Do you think you can stand?” Jacob asks, letting his hand hover an inch away from Owen, watching Owen carefully. Owen braces himself against the table and hoists himself onto his feet. He stumbles forward, and there’s an unsteadiness in his knees that causes a pinch in his spine, sending him back to the chair as quickly as he stood up.

“Yeah, no,” Jacob says, catching Owen and helping him back down. “Let me find you a wheelchair.”

“I don’t need a wheelchair,” Owen insists.