Clay felt as though he had little choice but to stay and rest as Misty suggested. As far as no bill went though, he couldn't help his surprise. He might expect Rick to help him out, but not anybody else.
Putting the icepack back over his eye, he gives Misty a confused frown. "If I'da gone to the hospital, it woulda cost an arm and a leg. Might take me a while to scrape together payment, but I don't expect a free ride."
Leaning back on the table, he eases onto his back, letting one leg hang off the side. He wanted to go home. Now that he hadn't seen Rick right away, he dreaded what his uncle would say. His body, however, agreed with Misty about resting. He hurt all over and his head was still spinning. If only he'd been smarter. If only he'd gotten off work ten minutes earlier. If only he'd been more careful. If only. If only he had a real job and not some stupid part-time work at a gas station. He was just as bad off as he was when Rick had come to see him. And he knew he probably looked it too, in his ratty jeans, old t-shirt and scuffed old work boots. Yeah, he was in fine shape. If he wasn't so mad at himself, he might be embarrassed to be in this position.
"Good land, boy..."
Clay is quick to turn and prop himself up on an elbow to see Rick. "This is nothin'. Shoulda seen me before I got here."
Rick frowns and comes closer, taking a better look at his nephew. Misty had done a good job as usual. "What on earth did you get into this time?"
Clay smirks. "Just got punished for doing the right thing. Funny how that works." He eases down on his back again and shuts his eyes, continuing the hold the icepack in place. "Got beat up for giving the cops a tip. Figured coming to see you was my best bet."
"You mean to tell me you drove all the way up here?! In this condition?!" The lack of response was Rick's answer and he rolls his eyes. Turning to Misty, he shakes his head. "Thanks for taking care of him. Anything I need to know?"
Wandering into the barn, Dylan knew he needed to get busy with chores so he'd have time for his schoolwork later. But he'd do as Stacy suggested and make sure that Ashlee didn't mind him going alone to town this weekend. He figured she wouldn't...actually, he figured she'd probably like it, but that thought was just between him and his own self.
"Hey, Ash?" He'd found her in the tack room. "Your mom wanted me to double-check with you to make sure it was alright if I came along to town this weekend. I gotta pick up some new clothes and she said you guys were already going anyway."
"Did I hear something about a date?" Eric sits down next to Stacy with his coffee and cinnamon roll before giving her arm a teasing elbow. "I mean... if you and Dylan wanna go on a date, I suppose it would be okay. A little strange, but I won't stand in the way if that's really what you want."
Rosalyn giggles and tosses her dishtowel on the counter, finished for the morning at least. "Well at least there are no bedsheets in the garden, so we'll be safe for a while."
Going outside with Chad, her eyes automatically sweep the ranch yard to ensure her dad was not in sight. Finding the coast clear, she takes Chad's hand, leading him out back to the garden. Once there, she kneels in the soft earth and points out the dried plants. "All these here are done for the season and mostly dead. Of course, there's some weeds mixed in too, so at this end, everything needs to be pulled up and you don't have to worry about pulling up the wrong thing."
