“We called the plant! Twice!”
Jimmie ignored them. He bent over his brother. “What you got there?”
Biff breathed a little—to show breathing was difficult. “Oh, nothing much.”
“Nothing much!” his mother shrilled.
Mr. Bailey said sternly, “He’s broken some ribs, Jimmie. Both legs. Maybe hurt internally. The surgeon’s taking forever to get here! We arrived”—he looked at his watch—“twenty minutes ago!”
“Who’d you hit?” Jimmie asked.
“Another car. Hit me. Rolled me—twice, I think. I was going across Stetson.
Didn’t see it coming. His lights must have been off. The guy was doing about eighty. I didn’t have a chance! I’d already stopped, for the sign. It was my fault, partly, in a way. I should have seen him even if he had no lights, I suppose—”
“How’s the other guy?” Jimmie asked.
Biff looked startled.