Rip - Trust (Completed)

Accidents Happen

"Oh my god, Rip are you alright?" Jamie asked. 

Rip knew right away he wasn't, the pain in his left arm and shoulder was killing him. "Chip's gone, we have to catch him", he said tearfully. "Never mind, horses always find their way back home, can you get up?" 

The boy tried to get up, but no sooner was he upright he felt the ground disappear from under him. Jamie caught him just in time or he would have hit the ground hard. 

When he regained consciousness, Jamie was leaning over him, looking him over for broken bones. In a panic and using the only arm available to him, he lashed out hitting, and scratching the man. 

Being experienced in looking after injured animals, like anyone would be growing up on a ranch, Jamie had him restrained and immobile in no time. He spoke soothingly to the boy, "Hush now...whoa...I am not going to hurt you... whoa... Calm down Rip. whoa... I am not going to hurt you... You are okay... whoa... Catch your breath boy!" 

It didn't take that long for the boy to be calm and alert again. "I'm sorry", he told Jamie, ashamed of himself, when he saw him sucking the side of his wrist where he had broken the man's skin. "Don't worry about it, I know", said Jamie reassuringly and added "You need to cut your nails though, you're like a little mountain lion." 

He couldn't understand how his father and brother could not see this. You would not whip a scared animal for lashing out. The boy tried again to get up, but Jamie did not let him. "Oh no, you don't. A broken arm is bad enough, we don't need to add a concussion to it. They'll come back for us."

"My arm is not broken. It's just dislocated! It happened before." Rip said defiantly.

"What happened, is he alright", Mr Dutton's sounded fearful. Jumping of his horse, he rushed over to them. Getting down on the boy's level, the old man wanted to examine him, but the boy tried his best to scuttle backwards away from him. Failing because of the pain and not being able to use his left arm, he fell over onto his side wincing in pain. The man realising his mistake, slowed down and like Jamie earlier talked soothingly to the boy. He gently pulled him up by the front of his shirt and sat him up against the bottom of one of the trees.

"I have no idea what happened to be honest. Both our horses reared up. No idea what spooked them. I think his arm is hurt. He says it's a dislocated shoulder." Jamie answered his father's earlier question. 

"Dad, I go back and get the truck, he probably needs to go to the hospital," Jacob said. He was still on his horse. The old man agreed, and Jacob rode off in the direction of the ranch.

"It's just my shoulder. It happened before. It will fix itself. Honest I don't need no hospital", despite his words, Rip sounded terrified and not brave at all. "Please, don't, I don't want to go to the hospital!" he started to cry. 

The old man knelt down beside him and comforted him. "It's okay, Rip. There is no need to be scared. They give you something for the pain, you'll be right as rain in no time." Mr Dutton told him. 

"You don't understand, sir. They won't let me come back here. They'll send me back to the home. Please don't," tears started to roll down his cheeks. 

The old man looked at Jamie, then back at his frightened nephew. "Don't be stupid, Rip. They fix you up and then we take you back home. I won't let anyone take you away from us, I'll promise," Mr Dutton said sternly, he could see that he had not convinced the boy though who looked utterly deflated. 

"At least we know now that he wants to stay!" Mr Dutton whispered sounding pleased with himself as he got back up to stand beside Jamie.