two good things ↳ cscoop

002

cooper schulz

we quickly thanked the uber driver and i guided riley towards the emergency room.

"hi," i spoke loudly to be heard over both riley's cries and the general commotion of the room.

"um, she just broke her wrist, and, um, we need help." good goin', coop. real smooth.

"okay, fill out this paperwork and someone will be right along to help her out," i took the clipboard from the uninterested nurse and guided her towards some seats, travis and i sitting on either side of her.

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"riley gecko?" a nurse announced.

the three of us stood, approaching the nurse, who eyed us up and down suspiciously.

"sorry, only immediate family is allowed past this point," we hesitated before riley spoke up.

"excuse me, but this is my fiance and brother, and i'd appreciate their company." she sounded stern for the first time all afternoon.

after another pause and a doubting look, the nurse continued. "sure. walk quickly."

as he led us down the busy halls, i leaned down and whispered to riley, "which one of us are you marrying?"

"you're my fiance. travis is my brother, his new last name is gecko and he doesn't have his ID on him. what's your last name?"

"schulz. not your first rodeo?" she shook her head 'no'. she was growing on me more by the moment.

we sped up the pace and i explained the plan to travis, who smiled mischievously.

"room 301. someone will get you some painkillers and the doctor will be with you soon."

jeez, that nurse could not give less of a fuck about us right now.

riley sat at the edge of the bed, still cradling her hurt arm.

"so... hey sis!" travis joked.

she snorted, looking supremely funny with mascara running down her face.

"what's up, big bro! do you know what mom's making for dinner tonight?" the bit continued.

"no, she's been too busy with wedding prep to worry about dinner lately. green and navy are your wedding colors, right?"

"no!" i shot in. "they're coral and teal! god, can't your mother do anything right?"

"don't say that about our hypothetical mom, you dick!"

"yeah! what she said!"

"great, now they're ganging up on me!" i huffed, watching riley giggle a few feet away.

"never doubt a brother's love!" she stuck her tongue out at me.

a new nurse came and forced riley to lay down, hooking her up to an IV with some sort of painkiller drip.

"eugh!" travis squealed, shielding his eyes from the needle.

i laughed, "dude, you're not even the one being hooked up to the damn thing!"

"i. don't. care." his fingers opened just enough for him to peek through, glimpsing riley's arm before squealing once more.

"know what, trav? here's a ten, please find me and the wife something to eat. there's gotta be a vending machine around here somewhere." he nodded as i pressed the bill into his palm, grateful for an excuse to be anywhere else but here.

"you two married?" the nurse asked, making small talk as she puttered around the room, setting up for riley.

"engaged," riley corrected, seeming at least a little more relaxed. her commitment to the bit was impressive.

"and the other young man?" she referenced travis, who was still likely wandering around in search of a vending machine.

"her older brother, my best friend." i smiled, "he's actually going to be my best man, if he manages to remember the date."

riley laughed, "yeah, he can be a bit absentminded sometimes. we met through him, actually."

time to piss her off. "yeah, i would come over all the time in highschool, and there'd be riley, following us around, all googly-eyed over me."

she scoffed, "that is such b.s."

"i'm sorry, sweetheart. i know you get embarrassed," i could feel a cheshire grin stretching from ear to ear.

"well, i wish you both the best of luck," the nurse smiled as she finished up her tasks.

travis came along not long after, touting some doritos, cheez-its, and sunchips, distributing the three equally.

"i love sunchips!" riley squealed, ripping open the package.

two curt knocks sounded on the open door of the room.

"riley gecko?" a man in a white coat, likely the aforementioned doctor.

"you've got her!" she grinned up at the looming man, happily crunching on a sunchip.

"i'm doctor shah, we're all ready to take you to get some scans of your wrist."

two nurses hurried into the room, one wheeling a folded wheelchair and the other with a johnny draped over her arm.

"gentlemen," travis and i looked to the doctor once again. "if you could just give the young lady her privacy as the nurses get her ready to be wheeled to the xray wing."

as we walked out of the room, i noticed a nurse pluck the bag of sunchips from riley's hands, as she desperately reached for them with her good arm.

we were instructed to wait in the hall for riley's return, not getting to speak with her more than waving goodbye as she was wheeled past us.

"but i can walk just fine!" she protested, still cradling her wrist, which hung at an unnatural angle. "are you going to bill me for this?"