Careless Fun

Careless Fun

Cory Slope heard a strident voice saying: “I don’t know what gets into kids today” It wasn’t a voice he recognized so he slowly opened his eyes.

“Where am I?” he croaked.

“In the hospital young man! You’re pretty badly injured.”

He looked into the eyes of a grey-haired woman who was bustling around his bed, fussing with the coverings and feeling his forehead.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Nurse Biddle. You’re lucky to be alive, kid!”

“Why what happened?”

“All those skateboard shenanigans caught up with you, I’d say!”

“Why?”

“You went head-first off the end of that metal railing on the stairs at City Hall.”

“I was wearing all the equipment,” Cory protested.

“Not quite all. Your helmet wasn’t snug, and it pulled off!”

“So that why I have a headache!”

“You mean that’s why you had a concussion!”

Cory winced.

“Luckily, only one other part of you got injured. In fact, I came to change the ice bag for a warm pack.”

“Don’t worry, kid! They’re just bruised. When you’re old enough to want to, you’ll probably still be able to use them.”

Cory blushed furiously, as the nurse removed the melted ice to add the warm pack.

“Take my advice, kid; I’d wear a jock strap from now on,” she said winking as she left the room.

His mom and dad rushed into the room, acting all anxious and stuff. He lay quiet as they fussed around him. He was still glad they’d come.

“We want you to stop skateboarding, Cory,” they said at last.

The way he felt right now almost made him agree. But he couldn’t, he wouldn’t!

“All pros have accidents, look at Evel Kinevil!” Cory argued. It was clear they were happy not to remember the motorcycle daredevil just now.