Buckin' Bull
Box filled for @walker-bingo: Bull Riding
Pairing: Bull Rider!Cordell x Reader
Summary: Trying to punch his ticket into the finals at Vegas, Cordell goes on the ride of his life.
Warnings: Bull Riding Injury, medical talk such as surgery, angst, fear, unplanned pregnancy,
Word Count: 4.4k
A/N: This story took a ride. I was expecting to maybe write a thousand words, but then one thing led to another and bam, 4k words later, it’s here. This is also my first writing in about a year so please be kind. I also apologize if I missed any warnings. If there is something you see that should be a warning, please let me know so I can fix that.
Masterlist
Walker Bingo Masterlist
Buy Me a Coffee
The arena was lit with bright lights. The seats were filled and the people were loud. You stood on the fencing on the far end of the dirt gated arena waiting for one name to be called. Geri walked up and put a beer in front of your face.
“Drink it. I can feel the anxiousness from the concession stand.” Geri said with a laugh. You grabbed the beer and took a huge drink.
“Thanks.” You said before looking back at the bull trying to buck off his rider. “You know how I get before Cordi rides. And with this being the ride that could send him to Vegas, I’m just extra nervous.”
“He’ll be okay. He’s been preparing for this moment his whole life.” Geri tried to soothe. You gave her a skeptical look and then forced a smile. She took that to you agreeing and looked back as they tried to get the bull out of the arena.
“Next up, we have a local that goes by the name Cordell Walker! Walker was born and raised here in Austin. Let’s make sure we give him a warm welcome as he takes on Shooter!” The announcer yells into his microphone. You slowly start bouncing on the balls on your heels with nerves. Geri side-eyes you to make sure you’re okay.
“Come on Cordi.” You whispered to yourself. Liam reached over and squeezed your shoulder in support. You slightly jumped forgetting that the entire Walker family was standing next to you on your left. You gave him a small smile as thanks. With Liam being your best friend before you even started dating Cordell, he knew your concerns every time Cordell jumped on the back of the bull.
You looked at shoot number 4 and could make out Cordell and his team making sure everything was set before they let the bull loose. Right before they opened the gate the bull started to kick. You watched as Cordell jumped up on the side as they calmed the bull. You saw Cordell look up and over to where you were standing. You couldn’t see it but you knew he was smiling at you. His way of comforting you without being with you at that moment.
Cordell slowly lowered himself back on the bull. He gave a nod and they pulled the gate open. You were always amazed at the way Cordell rode. It was like the two were dancing the tango. No matter how amazed you were, it didn’t stop any of the worries. Even though you have watched countless events, it never stopped all of the negative outcomes that popped into your head.
Eight seconds. That’s all it was. But it was the longest eight seconds of your life. You gripped the bar in front of you and watched on while never blinking. Holding your breath until you saw that Cordi was safe.
“Come on Cordi!” You heard Abeline yell.
“4….5….6….7 and…8! WOOOO CORDELL!” You heard Bonham yell in excitement.
That excitement was short-lived as the horn went off to signify the eight seconds but when Cordell went to jump off, the bull bucked one last time and threw Cordell five feet away. Then Shooter the bull charged at him and got one more hit that threw Cordell another two feet before he trotted through the open gate.
“CORDELL!” You cried as you started climbing the fencing. Liam was trying to grab you but you were too quick for him. You ran across the arena to Cordell, just as the medical team did.
“M’am you need to stay back.” One said trying to keep you away from your boyfriend.
“No! I need to see him!” You fought against his hold as tears ran down your face. Bonham ran up next to you and explained that you were the young man’s girlfriend.
“I get that, but she can’t see him right now.” He turned to look you in the eyes. “Let them do their job. You can stand closer, but you can’t be in their way.”
You nodded at the man that was holding you back. He led you a few feet from Cordell and stayed beside you to make sure you wouldn’t get in the doctor's way. As one person moved, you could see Cordell’s face. It had blood on it coming from somewhere in his hairline. You cried harder as Bonham held you up.
“Where’s that ambulance?” One young woman yelled. You turned to the entrance and saw an ambulance driving over. They stopped and one person got out to get the backboard and stretcher. “He needs to be seen immediately. He’s unresponsive.”
Hearing that made you cry harder as you watched them put a neck brace on your boyfriend and get him on the backboard. Once he was secured onto the backboard, they transferred him to the stretcher and started pushing him towards the ambulance. You looked over at Bonham helplessly.
“Can she ride with him?” Bonham asked the guy that had been holding you back. You saw him look towards the EMTs. He nodded and Bonham turned you towards him. “You ride with him. We will follow. Stay with him as long as they let you, okay? He needs you.”
You cried some more but nodded and ran off to the ambulance. They helped you in and you looked at Bonham one last time before the doors were shut and you were racing off towards the nearest emergency department.
You looked over at Cordell as two EMTs worked and did everything they could to help him. You grabbed his hand and looked at his closed eyes. “It’ll be okay Cordi. I’m here. I’m here. It’ll be okay.” You said to him, hoping he could hear you. “I love you. We’ll get through this. You’ll be okay.”
When you arrived at the hospital, they rushed Cordell into a room. You followed but stayed in the corner so the doctors and nurses could work. You didn’t understand anything they were saying when it came to running the test. They chattered some more and then you heard Bonham ask where his son was. You stepped out of the room to get him when Liam noticed you and got his family’s attention.
The Walker family and Geri all stepped into the room when the doctors looked at each other with worry.
“Call up to the OR. He needs surgery to release the pressure on his brain.” One said. This made you gasp. “Excuse us. Nurse Mayfield will show you to the waiting room near the Operating Room. When we have news, we will let you know.”
Liam wrapped his arm around your shoulders and guided you along with the rest of the gang. After the elevator ride and short walk to the waiting room, Liam guided you to sit next to him. He wrapped his other arm around you and pulled you to his chest as you cried once again for the love of your life.
“He’ll be okay y/n/n. They’ll help him. If anyone can overcome this, it’ll be him. He’s too stubborn to leave you alone.” Liam said, trying to lighten the mood. It worked as you gave a soft laugh. “Do you want a drink or a snack?”
“Water would be great.” You said softly pulling away so he could stand up. “Thank you, Liam.”
He nodded and went to the rest of the family to ask if they needed anything. You watched as Bonham and Abeline were comforting each other. Geri followed Liam to help with drinks and snacks and now that left you with your own thoughts.
You thought about all the times you had with Cordell. From your first date when you were freshmen in high school to the night you both lost your virginities the night of graduation to sitting in his truck a few nights ago discussing the future you saw with each other. As those memories passed through your brain at lightning speed, it became hard to breathe.
“I need some air.” You said as you stood up abruptly. Almost running to the elevator, you impatiently waited for it to get to the ground floor. You quickly looked for an outlet and found one that led to a small garden. Sitting down at the first bench you saw, you finally were able to grasp a full breath. You looked around at the beautiful flowers and smiled for the first time in a while. You looked up at the night sky and looked for the stars but sadly they were hard to see.
“Y/N.” You heard a soft voice say. You looked down at the way you came out and saw Abeline. “Are you okay? I know this is probably hard for you.”
“It is. I bet it’s harder for you.” You said as Abeline wrapped an arm around you.
“It is. I never want to see my boys hurt. I’d gladly take their pain if it meant they never felt it. But that doesn’t mean yours doesn’t matter or is less than mine.” She said as she kissed your temple. “He’ll be okay. I just know it.”
“He has to be. I need him.” You said as you put your hand absentmindedly on your stomach. Abeline noticed but didn’t push you to tell her anything, but she just needed to know one thing.
“You haven’t told Cordell yet have you?” You looked at her shocked. “I’m not going to ask or make you talk about it now, but does he know?” She asked gently. You shook your head and she sighed. “Okay.”
“I’m sorry.” You whispered. You were terrified that she was mad at you.
“Don’t be. I’m excited, but you tell him first. Talk with him. And when you are ready, you can come talk to me. Whether that be before or after everyone knows. All I ask is that you talk to him.” You smiled and nodded at her. “Now. Let’s go back inside. Maybe the doctor has some news for us.”
The walk back to the waiting room didn’t take as long as the walk outside. You saw a lot of the bull riders filling up the room. Hoyt, a guy that befriended Cordell on his first ride in the circuit, walked up to you. You gave a small smile and accepted his hug.
“How you holdin’ up darlin’?” He asked softly.
“I’ve been better. Will be a lot better when I know what's going on.” You said looking towards the door, hoping a doctor would walk in. “He’s a fighter. He’ll be okay and back on a bull soon.” He said, trying to be hopeful. The thought of Cordell getting back on a bull made you sick.
“I hope so.” You said monotone.
“Cordell is going to fight to get better for you. He is hopelessly in love with you.” He said, grabbing your chin. “I was in the shoot with him. I saw the way he looked at you from across the arena. I heard him whisper ‘I love you’ so just know that he will fight to get back to you.”
You nodded and smiled at him before going to sit between Geri and Liam. As you laid your head on Geri’s shoulder, a doctor walked in.
“Mr. and Mrs. Walker, may I have a word please?” The doctor asked. They nodded and went to the hallway. You watched on, thinking the worst. Liam squeezed your shoulder as he watched on as well. You saw Bonham give a small smile to the doctor. He turned and made eye contact with you and gave you the hand signal for “come here.”
You walked with Geri and Liam out into the hallway. You saw happiness in both Bonham and Abeline’s eyes.
“Hello, I’m Dr. Matthews. I was one of the members of the team that worked on Cordell. We relieved the pressure on his brain. We also noticed he had a brain bleed, but we were able to stop it. We will keep a close eye on it, but he should be okay. He’s still asleep. Only one person can see him at a time right now. I can take someone to his room.” Dr. Matthews explained. Everyone looked at you.
“I- I can’t go. Abeline, please go. He’s your boy.” You said.
“Go be with him. We will see him when he wakes up.” She said and placed a gentle hand on your arm. “Bonham and I will go get you some clothes and pack you a bag. He may be here for a few days. Liam, you and Geri go grab some food. Geri, since you’re friends with some of those guys, I’ll let you tell them the good news. See if they want anything to eat.”
You reached over and hugged Abeline before turning to follow Dr. Matthews. When you walked into the room, you noticed all the wires Cordell was hooked up to. You pulled up a chair and grabbed his hand as you sat down.
“I’m here, Cordi. I’m right here.” You kissed his hand before laying your head on his bed. “I’m not going anywhere.”
You woke up to someone running their hand through your hair. You looked around confused before you saw Cordell weakly smiling at you with eyes half-open.
“Cordell!” You said with a cry as you gripped his hand and gave it a kiss. Bringing it to your cheek, you leaned on it as you asked, “how are you feeling?”
“Better now that I’m seeing you.” He tried saying with a flirty tone. “My head really hurts and my side does too.”
“You took a nasty couple of hits. You broke two ribs and they had to have surgery to relieve pressure on your brain as well as stop a brain bleed.” You said. He immediately cringed knowing that whatever happened with his ride, was extremely serious. “Let me go get the doctor.”
“No need. I’m right here.” Dr. Matthews said as he walked in. “Mr. Walker. How are you feeling?”
“Like I was hit by a bull.” Cordell jokes. You gasped and slapped his hand. He smiled at you before looking back at the doctor. “My head feels like it’s pounding and my side hurts. I also feel really stiff.”
“All of that is normal for what you’ve been through. I assume Ms. Y/L/N has explained to you what has transpired since being in the hospital?”
“The surgery?” Cordell asked. Dr. Matthews nodded. “Yeah. Said you relieved the pressure and stopped a brain bleed. Thank you.”
“I’m glad you are feeling better. I’m going to give you some pain medicine to help you with the pounding in your head and will help the injury to your ribs as well. It will make you drowsy, so try to rest.” Dr. Matthews said before looking over to you and back to Cordell. “We can discuss more of what happened and where to go from here when you wake up.”
“Thank you, Dr. Matthews. Really.” Cordell said as a nurse walked in to give you medicine. Dr. Matthews smiled at him before leaving with the nurse. “I’m sorry if I worried you, y/n/n. I didn’t mean to do that.”
“I know.” You whispered. “It’s okay. You were doing something you love. Now, let’s not worry about the past. Let’s just worry about getting you better, okay?”
“Yeah. Okay. I love you, baby.” Cordell said as his eyelids started to droop. “I love you so much.”
Hours later, the sun started to shine through the window of Cordell’s hospital room. Abeline and Bonham had returned shortly after Cordell fell asleep and Liam and Geri were right behind them. You slept peacefully in the chair next to your sleeping boyfriend. His parents are still awake, overlooking him on the other side of the bed. Geri had long left with the promise to return in the late morning. Liam was curled up on the couch snoring away.
“Mama. Daddy.” Cordell said as he rolled his head slowly towards his parents.
“Cordell,” Abeline said softly. She didn’t want to wake the other people in the room.
“How you feelin’ son?” Bonham asked.
“Terrible, but from what I’ve heard, I’d rather feel like this than what could have been.” He said, squeezing his dad’s hand.
“You had us all worried,” Bonham said. “We will all help you get better.”
“Do you think I’ll be better in time for Vegas?” The young man asked.
“That’s what you’re worried about boy?” Bonham said, raising his voice enough to wake Liam.
“Daddy, come on.” Cordell pleaded. “I’ve worked so hard for this. I’ve put in too much time to give up before I can get there.”
“Cordell, you got extremely lucky. You need to work on getting healthy again before worrying about if or when you’ll ride again.” Abeline said.
“I’m going to Vegas. That’s final. It’s not for a few months. I have time to get ready and prep. It’ll be fine.” He said with finality in his tone.
Bonham was upset. He stood up and walked out of the room. Abeline was torn between going to comfort her husband or staying with her son. She chose to give Bonham some time to cool off. She just shook her head at her son and patted his hand.
“You’re riding again?” You asked with a tired voice. Cordell looked at you shocked. He thought you were still sleeping. You saw his confusion and said, “your dad leaving woke me up. Now answer my question.”
“Yes, I need to see this through.” He wasn’t as confident telling you as he was his parents. You just nodded. Willing to put this fight on the back burner until he wasn’t in a hospital bed. Abeline saw the pain in your eyes and decided to give you and Cordell time to talk.
“Liam, let’s go get some coffee and find your dad.” She said, grabbing her youngest’s arm and pulling him out of the room. She gave you a look to say ‘tell him.’
“Cordi, I need to talk to you about something.” You said not looking him in the eyes.
“Look, I know you don’t want me riding but-” Cordell tried to say before you interrupted him.
“It’s not about the riding. We can discuss that when we get you home and you’re rested. But I do need to tell you something. I was going to tell you at dinner last night. I’m uh…” You struggled to say it. You knew in your heart that he would be excited and happy, but your head was saying, he was going to hate and leave you. “I’m pregnant.”
“What?” He asked, shocked. “Are you serious?” You weren’t looking at him so you didn’t see the smile, but his tone was unreadable.
“Yeah. I had a doctor's appointment on Friday. They predict I’m 10 weeks along, but won’t know until my ultrasound on Tuesday.” You played with your hands as you told him this. Still not looking up and seeing the huge smile that was still on his face.
“I want to go with you. I want to see our little nugget.” He said. You could hear the happiness in his tone now. You looked up and saw the tears in his eyes and the biggest smile you’ve ever seen him smile.
“You’re not mad?”
“No. I’m not. I’m thrilled.”
You grabbed his hand and squeezed it as you stood up and gave him a kiss. You cupped his cheek with your other hand and ran your thumb over his cheek.
“My heart said you’d react like this, but my brain had me thinking you would leave me. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” You said as a tear rolled down your cheek. Cordell wiped it away.
“It’s okay. I’m glad you told me.” He said softly. “I’m going to be a daddy.”
“You are.” You said with a laugh. “You’re going to be the best daddy.”
“What?” You heard Bonham ask from the door. “Y/N, you’re pregnant?”
You turned and looked and saw the whole family standing in the door. All of them were shocked by the news but you could see the excitement in their eyes. All you could do was smile and nod as they all congratulated you and Cordell.
A few days later, Cordell was released from the hospital. Abeline is staying in the guestroom for a few days to help you and Cordell with anything you may need. She was currently taking a nap when she woke up to yelling.
“Cordell Beauregard Walker.” You yelled. “Calm down before I have to take you back to the hospital.”
“No! You aren’t listening to me. I’m riding in Vegas.” He said fighting back. “There’s nothing you can say that will change my mind.”
“Please sit down. Let’s calm down before we discuss this.” You tried again.
“Y/N. I’m calm. You just aren’t listening.” He said taking a seat on the chair.
“I’m listening. I’m just not agreeing with you. You took a huge knock to the head. Not just once.” You said kneeling in front of him. “I’m sorry that you think I want you to give up on your dream, but I want you to be here. I want you to be present. I want you to be the best father you can be. If it comes down to it that the doctor clears you to ride, I will load up and go with you. I won’t be happy about it, but I’ll be there to support you. Now, until we get closer to that time and we see the doctor, please sit here and calm down. I need you to rest. Keeping your heart rate down. Please.”
Cordell nodded before standing up and helping you to your feet. He moved to the couch and laid down. You grabbed a blanket and handed it to him.
“I’ll wake you up when dinner is ready.” You said while leaning over to kiss his forehead. You walked to the kitchen and sighed. You leaned on the counter and closed your eyes.
“You okay?” Abeline said as she started pulling out the ingredients for dinner. You looked up to her with tears in your eyes.
“I will be. I just need him better so we can calmly talk about it.” You said.
“Talk to me. I can see you’re holding in a lot.” She said as she pulled out the stool and had you sit.
“I just… Watching him get bucked like that and then having the bull charge him…” You paused, “I just can’t watch that again. I always hate watching him ride wondering when will be the last time he rides and when will be the last time I hear his voice. I know I shouldn’t think like that, but I can’t help it.”
“And with this injury, you’re afraid that it will happen again?”
“Yeah.” You sighed as you ran your hand through your hair. “Abeline, if he came up to you in two months and said he was riding again, what would your response be?”
“Let him ride.” She said as a matter of fact. “I won’t like it, but it’s his life. If I told him no, he’d just go do it anyway. I have never liked him riding. I hated seeing him take that hit last weekend and laying in the hospital bed, but I can’t make him stop riding. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink it.”
“I just want what's best for him. I love him and I want him safe. It kills me to say, please don’t ride because it feels like I’m telling him to give up on his dream. To give up on everything he has worked and trained for. But after this weekend, I can’t do this again. I didn’t tell Cordell, but my blood pressure was high at our scan yesterday. The doctor told me I had to get it down or it would be dangerous for the baby. I’m terrified I’m going to lose the baby because I’m constantly worrying about him. If he’s okay and is his brain fully healing. And now with him talking about preparing for Vegas, I just…” You sighed not knowing what to say.
You felt arms wrap around you from behind. You knew immediately who it was.
“If I rest, you rest. Vegas talk can wait until later doctor appointments. I’ll start focusing on getting better. I promise. I won’t even think about Vegas until I’m 100%. Now I’m also going to focus on you staying healthy. Come on. Mama is cooking dinner, which we appreciate by the way, now me and you will go take a nap.” He said, grabbing your hand and pulling you up. Abeline smiled at him as he guided you out of the kitchen and toward your bedroom.
You laid down on the bed and Cordell laid behind you and pulled you to his chest. You immediately felt calm. Cordell lightly ran his fingers over your stomach.
“You know, I’m excited to start a family with you.” He whispered in your ear. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize all the stress my bull riding put on you.”
“Let’s talk about that later.” You said softly.
“Okay.” His hand flattened on your stomach. “You’re going to be an amazing mother. I’m so thankful you let me be a part of this journey with you. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for agreeing to go on a date with me freshman year.”
“I’m glad you asked me out. I’m glad we’ve had six great years together. I can’t wait for the many more we have.” You said interlocking your fingers with his. “I know we fight sometimes and don’t always agree on things, but no matter what, I’m in your corner.”
“I know that. You have always done what you thought is best for me. And 99.9% of the time you are right.” He said with a small laugh. “Now, rest your eyes. I’ll be right here when you wake. Probably still asleep.”
You laughed so loud Abeline could hear it from the kitchen and smiled to herself. You laughed as you turned in his arms to face him and gave him a kiss. “I love you, Cordi. So much.”
“I love you too y/n/n. So much.” He kissed your forehead and then closed his eyes. You admired him before digging your face into his chest and falling into a restful sleep.
