The Back-Up Plan by Debra Webb Read Free Book Online Page B

grinding action. He couldn’t get the mouthpiece in.
    Where was that doctor?
    As suddenly as the episode had begun, the convulsions stopped. The kid’s body stilled. Hank heaved a sigh of relief and thanked God. He would rather take a beating than to watch a kid suffer. He tossed aside the ineffective mouthpiece and caught a glimpse of Donna Jacobs running, bag in hand, across the ball field. The other players stood watching from a distance as Hank had instructed.
    “It’s gonna be okay, Stevens.” He squeezed the boy’s limp hand. Stevens looked pale. Tiny beads of perspiration had formed on his face and his skin felt cool and clammy. Normal reactions, Hank reminded himself.
    “What happened?” Breathing hard from the run, Jacobs dropped to the ground on the other side of the boy and started her examination.
    “Stevens has seizures. He takes phenobarbital. I don’t know if maybe he forgot to take his medicine or what, but he had a pretty rough seizure.”
    The doc’s gaze analyzed Hank’s for a moment. “How long did the seizure last?”
    “Too long,” he answered, concern adding a faint tremor to his voice. “I didn’t exactly time it.” Damn . He felt like a used up battery. Drained and unnecessary.
    Heaping even more remorse on his back, he recognized the disapproval in the doctor’s questioning gaze. She was wondering why he let a kid with a history of seizures play on his team. Right now he could care less what she thought about him; Stevens was his only concern. He would worry about appeasing the doctor when he knew the kid was okay.
    Her attention dropped back to the boy. Stevens started coming around as she checked his vitals. “That’s right, Stevens, time to wake up,” she said softly.
    The kid’s eyes opened and he blinked. “Where...where am I?”
    “It’s okay. I’m Dr. Jacobs.” She spoke in a quiet, soothing voice. “You had a seizure. Do you remember if you took your medicine today?”
    “I...I don’t remember.”
    “I didn’t think you would, but I had to ask.” She gave the boy a smile that made even Hank feel better.
    Stevens furrowed his brow in confusion. “Did I miss practice?”
    Hank breathed a light chuckle. “No, Stevens. You didn’t miss practice. In fact, you kicked the best field goal I’ve ever seen.” He gently tousled the boy’s hair.
    “Wait’ll I tell my dad.” His weak smile touched Hank.
    “Let’s get you in the field house. You can rest there while you wait for your old man.” Hank helped the boy to his feet and walked him to the field house. He positioned him on a small cot the team used for injured or overheated players.
    “Can we get some of this gear off of him?” Jacobs brushed past Hank to get to the kid.
    Hank muttered something he hoped resembled a yes. He knelt next to the cot to help Stevens out of his jersey and shoulder pads.
    Jacobs perched on the edge of the narrow cot to monitor the boy. She checked his pulse and took his blood pressure again. She didn’t seem to notice that her knees were nudging Hank in the side. He shifted to avoid the contact and tried to refocus his attention on Stevens.
    “His father is on his way.”
    “That’s good.” The doc glanced at him. “Don’t worry, Mr. Bradley, he’s going to be fine.”
    Hank knew he looked rattled, but it must have been worse than he thought for her to care.
    The minutes ticked by slower than contract negotiations. It was impossible, this close, not to notice her cute little turned-up nose and lush lips. He ordered his attention back on Stevens but every time she moved he ended up looking at her again. If she leaned forward his attention went automatically to the vee of her blouse, followed that irresistible trail of skin. The subtle rise and fall of her breasts mesmerized him. She smelled nice too.
    “Are you all right, Mr. Bradley?”
    Hank jerked his gaze up to meet her questioning look. “I’m...I’m fine.”
    “Are you sure? You look a little out of it.”