My Heart in Atrophy

The smell of food cooking aroused my senses. I opened my eyes to find myself in an unfamiliar place. The walls were painted a dark grey, all the furniture black. Not much in the way of decoration except for a few framed posters that lined the walls. I was stiff from sleeping on the couch, I had no idea what time it was. I threw the blanket off of me and positioned myself to move. I had to grip my bad leg and picked it up, gently setting it on the floor fully extended. I pushed myself off the couch on my good leg and looked for my crutches. They were set next to the front door, too far away.

I set myself back on the couch, then slid myself onto the hardwood floor. I used my body strength to scoot myself backwards across the floor towards what I assumed was the kitchen. I cold hear the clinking of a pans against another hard surface and the smell of food was driving me mad. I kept scooting myself until I hit the lip that turned the floor from hardwood to dark grey tile.

I got myself to the table before Zacky even noticed me, the sound of me scooting the chair out brought him to my attention.

“Aubrey!” He dropped the spatula and ran to my side in a panic, “What are you doing?”

“I smelt you cooking, I just followed my nose.” I couldn’t help but giggle as he picked me up off the tiled floor.

“You should have called for me.” He lightly scolded as he set me in the chair. “Or at least used your crutches.”

“You know I hate those damn things.”

“I know but my house is all hardwood or tile, I don’t want you slipping and falling.” He walked over to the stove and made me a plate. He set it down in front of me with a cup of water and two pills, one my antibiotic, the other my pain pill.

“Yeah, smells good in here.” I took the pills and popped them in my mouth then washed them down with the water. “Thanks for letting me sleep.”

I took a bite of the thick slice of French Toast, it was like heaven in my mouth.

“Mmmm, so good.” I closed my eyes it felt like I was in pure bliss, “Is this your mom’s recipe?”

Zack nodded, “It took me a while to master, but I think I got it down.”

“You totally did, tastes just like hers.” I took another big bite, “I have eaten better back here than
I have in a long time.”

Zacky smiled and began to eat the breakfast in front of him. I ate so fast, that I started feel sick but satisfied. I watched Zacky, he still had the same mannerisms. I finished my breakfast and waited for Zack to do so. He wasn’t going to let me hobble or scoot my way back to the living room myself, so staying put was the best option.

He looked up from his plate and saw me playing with my napkin, “Are you finished? Do you want more?”

“I’m fine.”

He pushed his plate away and pulled my chair out, he picked me up and carried me to the living room.

“Val is going to come over and help you today, your appointment with Dr. Sobieski is at four.
The hospital has already sent over the images from your first MRI, they might take more.”

“Why is Val coming over?”

“I can’t hold you up in the shower or help you dress.”

I scrunched my face up in confusion, “You can’t or you won’t?”

He didn’t answer me, instead he handed me the remote for the television and walked back into the kitchen. Zack and I were quite familiar with each other’s bodies, never had sex but we did enough teenage exploring before my accident.

I turned on the TV, it was a lot nicer than the one I had at my house. Which reminded me, get a new TV when I get a new place to live. I found the channel that played only cartoons, my painkiller addled brain finding immediate amusement.

I heard the door open and Val appeared. She was smiling, holding shopping bags, and had a dog in tow.

“Hey girl!” She squealed, “How are you feeling today?”

I shrugged my shoulders, “I have been better.” The large dog that followed her jumped up onto the couch and started licking me all over the face, but stepped on my leg in the process.

Val dropped everything and ran to pull it off. “Bad boy,” She scolded, “Sorry, Bella gets excited when he sees new people.”

I gave him a scratch behind the ears, “It’s all right. He can’t possibly do much more damage. But, Bella? Really, you named a boy dog Bella.”

She lead Bella to the backyard then came back into the living room, “Yeah, blame that one on Matt.”

I chuckled and sat myself up on the couch so that Val could sit next to me. She went and retrieved the bags she dropped and brought them over to us.

“Brian said you didn’t have much with you, that wasn’t in storage so I went shopping and bought you a few things.”

She started to pull things from the bags, “Leggings and sweatpants mostly, I figured while you are strapped into that thing it would be the most comfortable. “ She showed me each item, in all colors of the rainbow, then folded them and put them neatly in the bags.

“These are just plain shirts, tanks, and sweaters. To top it all off, a couple of pairs of slippers.”

She smiled at me, “They have nice soles on them so you won’t slip and fall in this place. No carpet, except for in the bedrooms.”

The slippers I really did like, they were a soft bootie with fur around the ankle, one in black and one in tan. They were perfect. I felt like I was going to cry. Since coming home, this was the most loved I have felt. I couldn’t help myself and threw my arms around Val’s neck and nestled my face into her blonde hair.

“There’s more.” She grabbed the last bag and started pulling make up, lotions, and other miscellaneous bathroom products out of it. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Eye shadow, mascara, shampoo, all the necessities.

I felt the tears form in my eyes, I was going to cry. “Oh Val, this is wonderful. Thank you so much, but you didn‘t have to do all of this.”

“First off, thank Matt, it was his credit card and second, you are welcome.” She gave me her signature toothy smile, “I figured this would cheer you up a bit.”
It did, it definitely did.

She then reached into her purse and produced a few DVDs, “Some Like It Hot, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, or Sixteen Candles?”

We looked at each other with knowing eyes and both shouted, “Some Like It Hot!”

Zack came into the living as we started the movie, giggling like twelve year old girls. He wanted to know what were doing and we told him, in between fits of laughing. We watched the movie, singing along to all of the songs. Zack would pop his head into the living from time to time, ask if I was doing alright.

When the movie finished, Val pulled out her cell to check the time. “Almost three. We should probably get you ready for your appointment.”

I didn’t want to go to the doctor, I hated doctors for one, but I mostly didn’t want to hear bad news. I have already gone through this once and it wasn’t fun. Surgery, being laid up, then months of painful physical therapy. The physical therapy was the worse part, getting tortured legally for the sake of getting better. I once hit one of my physical therapists because they caused me more pain than I was originally in.

Zacky carried me into the guest bathroom, Val was in tow with an armful of the new products she had bought for me on Matt’s dime. She drew the bath for me and let me get undressed, I covered myself with a towel then she helped me step into the tub.

The tub was large and oval, a reproduction claw foot. It was perfect to soak in, long enough for me to extend my bad leg. I laid my head back with a rolled up towel for support. The warm water felt good against my tired body. Val had poured some sort of bubble bath into the tub before she exited the room, it smelt of orchids and some other scent that I couldn’t quite pin point, it was delightful and relaxing. I could lay here all day if I didn’t have things to do.

I sunk into the water, holding my breath as my head fell below the surface. When I came back up to catch my breath Val was standing over me, it didn’t startle me, but it was still a shock. She handed me shampoo and conditioner, telling me to hurry or else we would be late. I quickly washed my hair and then pulled the plug to drain the tub. I waited for the water to be almost drained then grabbed my towel, calling for Val to come help me up.

“Jesus girl!” Val helped me out of the tub, “I can’t tell if you gained weight or if its all muscle.”

“I’m not fat!” I playfully splashed some of the remaining water at her, getting a shrill yelp, but she didn’t drop me so that’s good.

She helped me as I hopped on the good foot to the bed, she had an outfit laid out for me. A black sweater and black leggings with the bones of the lower half of our body printed on them. Appropriate I thought. She topped them off with the black pair of slippers. I finished off my outfit with my mothers silver ring and two of my grandmothers vintage rings. Val did some quick natural make up on me then I put a little mouse into my hair, giving my ends a good scrunch so they would wave a little.

“You ready girl?” She asked

I shrugged, “I guess. I feel like I am a bit overdressed to be going to the orthopedic surgeons office to be told that I am going to have to surgery again.”

Val and Zack helped me into the medical building, the painkillers were wearing off. The medical building was huge and no available wheel chairs. My arms were around their shoulders, but it proved too much for Val. Zack took notice right away and picked me up while Val carried both of our purses. I nuzzled my face in to the crook of Zack’s neck, ready to cry at the amount of pain I was in. I took a deep breath in and focused on something else, the smell of his cologne filling my nose.

Once in the office, I was sat in a chair while Zack checked me in. He brought back a clip board and pen, I hated filling out paper work, but then again, right now I hated a lot of things. Just not the people who I was sandwiched between.

About twenty minutes after I had Zack give the clipboard back we were called into an examination room. It didn’t take long at all for the doctor to show up.

“Good afternoon, you must be Aubrey.” He was awfully chipper and stuck out a hand while I thought ‘no shit, what gave it away?’

I kindly took his hand, “I’m Dr. Sobiesky. So, Dr. Vernon from Hoag sent over your MRI results this morning.”

I shook my head and opened my mouth, “Give it to me straight Doc, how bad is it?”

He went to the computer and pulled up the images, “Well Aubrey, it seems that the first injury from when you were a teenager…”

I cut him off, “I know all that. Am I going to have to have surgery?”

Dr. Sobiesky sensed the tension I was feeling and smiled, “No invasive surgery. Your meniscus is barely torn, its all scar tissue from the previous surgery. Your LCL we can repair with arthroscopy, so no cutting you open. All out patient. You will have to have your leg immobilized for up to two months and a little physical therapy, then you should be as good as new.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. No major surgery. I couldn’t go through that again. The doctor took notice of my relief and leaned over, patting me on the shoulder, “Everything will be fine. I’ll have the nurse come in, we are going to get this done as soon as possible, lets say within the next three days. She is also going to fit you for a new brace.”

I hopped up and gave Dr. Sobiesky the biggest hug I could, without injuring myself all over again. After he left, I looked at Zacky and Val. I could tell they were happy and they could tell I was relieved.

“Now that’s all done, I say we go have dinner and a couple of drinks”

Val nodded in agreement and grabbed her phone, “I’ll call the boys and tell them, then we will figure out where to go.”

I didn’t care where we went, as long as they were all with me. Life is good right now.

Notes

Two chapters, one day!

Let me know what you think.