Page 159 of The Flirty Vet

I'm out again.

"Holy fucking shit!"

My eyes flutter open. Vision's blurry, but I can hear the panic in Gran's voice.

Something warm and soft touches my hand.

My throat's so dry it feels like sandpaper, and I become aware of a new sensation, like someone jackhammering at the back of my head.

I blink a few times.

I don't know if I'm capable of smiling, but I want to. Even through the pain, I'd recognise those two mismatched eyes anywhere.

"Col."

"Shhhhh," he says soothingly. "Don't talk. Save your energy."

It's him holding my hand.

"What happ?—?"

"You got kicked by a cow, apparently." He looks up.

I can't turn my head to see who he's looking at, but I hear Gran's voice loud and clear. "We have to get him to the hospital down in Brisbane."

"But how?" Col asks.

"I'll take him in the plane."

"Who's going to fly it?"

"Who do you think? Me."

Col's eyes bulge. "You can—you can do that?"

"Of course I can. Now, we're going to have to be very careful in moving him. And, Col, I'll need you to fly down with me."

Col's face turns bleach white.

"No, Gran. He can't…"

And I'm out again.

Beep… Beep… Beep…

The steady sound is the first thing I become aware of.

Then the air.

It's cold.

Really cold.

It tickles my nostrils.

Slowly, I open my eyes.

There's pressure on my arm. I tilt my head down. Col's sitting on a chair, the top half of his body slumped over me. He's asleep.