so scared,” she admitted for the third time.
“I don’t know what happened. One minute I am on the ladder and then—” A sudden twinge of pain cut his words short.
Rachael’s eyes grew wide. “Are you okay?”
Julien nodded. “I want to sit up.”
Rachael was about to stop him when Lind returned.
“He can probably sit up now, but stay close by him just in case.” He placed a small white paper bag on a counter and approached the table where Julien lay.
Lind had obviously overheard Julien’s request and Rachael hoped he had not also heard his potshots.
Dr. Lind pressed a button and the hydraulic table began to hum. Julien’s upper body slowly tilted forward.
Julien looked down upon the cast encasing the entire length of his left leg. He dropped his head back against the pillows; his temples began to pound.
“Well Mr. Grenier, you took quite a fall.” The doctor pulled up a tall stool up beside him and took a seat. “I’m sending you home for the night in what’s called a back slab—it’s a temporary cast. It should hold you together just fine until you get to Schenectady tomorrow morning.”
Schenectedy?
Heck of a time for a trip…
Lind fiddled with his pen and giggled inappropriately once more. “I’m giving you a referral to see Dr. Roman Ptak.”
Rachael interrupted, “Dr. Lind says he’s the best Orthopedic Surgeon in the area.”
Lind continued, “You have a mild concussion, multiple fractures in the leg…” He smiled. “…and I’m sure the rest of you is pretty sore as well.”
He jotted a note in Julien’s chart. “You’ll go home with pain medication for tonight. I would avoid any food or water after midnight…I’m sure Dr. Ptak will have to repair that leg surgically and he might want to do it right away.”
It was Julien’s turn for nervous laughter. He looked down at himself in disbelief.
Lind went on, “I was able to reduce some of the fractures, but he’ll need to reinforce my work with a few nuts and bolts…” He winked and clicked his tongue. “…he’ll have you up and walking in no time.”
Julien looked at Rachael who knew immediately what he was thinking. She bit down hard on her lip to fend off a grin.
Dr. Lind got to his feet. “Let me show you.” He turned on the light board illuminating Julien’s x-rays. “If you reach down to feel it, the front of this cast is padded well but soft, while the back is plaster and rock solid…it will allow for any swelling overnight, but be extra careful not to bang into anything and whatever you do, don’t fall.” His belly lurched as he chuckled some more. “Have you ever used crutches before, Mr. Grenier? I can give you a quick lesson.”
Julien looked away from the disturbing x-rays. “They don’t strike me as very complex.”
Rachael shot him a warning glance.
The doctor laughed yet again. “No, I suppose they’re not. You’ll figure them out. No user’s manual required.” He took no offense to Julien’s petulance.
He entered a closet off the far side of the room and reappeared with a pair of metal crutches. He scanned Julien and guessed at his height then adjusted their length with a few quick snaps. He leaned them against the far end of the table. “Let that I.V. finish dripping…a few more minutes, and you folks can head home.” He nodded and left the room.
Rachael placed the white bag containing a bottle of Vicodin in her purse. “Can you please be nice?” she asked.
“He laughs after everything he says,” Julien said. “It makes me angry. There is nothing funny ‘appening here.”
“I guess you have the right to be grumpy tonight.” She leaned forward and kissed him.
He pulled away from her. “Please Rach, not right now, okay.”
She frowned. “Hey…why are you so pissed at me?”
He glared at her and said, “I feel like shit. Just give me some space.”
“Okay.” She rubbed his stomach and made excuses for his behavior. “It’s the anesthesia.
“I don’t know what happened. One minute I am on the ladder and then—” A sudden twinge of pain cut his words short.
Rachael’s eyes grew wide. “Are you okay?”
Julien nodded. “I want to sit up.”
Rachael was about to stop him when Lind returned.
“He can probably sit up now, but stay close by him just in case.” He placed a small white paper bag on a counter and approached the table where Julien lay.
Lind had obviously overheard Julien’s request and Rachael hoped he had not also heard his potshots.
Dr. Lind pressed a button and the hydraulic table began to hum. Julien’s upper body slowly tilted forward.
Julien looked down upon the cast encasing the entire length of his left leg. He dropped his head back against the pillows; his temples began to pound.
“Well Mr. Grenier, you took quite a fall.” The doctor pulled up a tall stool up beside him and took a seat. “I’m sending you home for the night in what’s called a back slab—it’s a temporary cast. It should hold you together just fine until you get to Schenectady tomorrow morning.”
Schenectedy?
Heck of a time for a trip…
Lind fiddled with his pen and giggled inappropriately once more. “I’m giving you a referral to see Dr. Roman Ptak.”
Rachael interrupted, “Dr. Lind says he’s the best Orthopedic Surgeon in the area.”
Lind continued, “You have a mild concussion, multiple fractures in the leg…” He smiled. “…and I’m sure the rest of you is pretty sore as well.”
He jotted a note in Julien’s chart. “You’ll go home with pain medication for tonight. I would avoid any food or water after midnight…I’m sure Dr. Ptak will have to repair that leg surgically and he might want to do it right away.”
It was Julien’s turn for nervous laughter. He looked down at himself in disbelief.
Lind went on, “I was able to reduce some of the fractures, but he’ll need to reinforce my work with a few nuts and bolts…” He winked and clicked his tongue. “…he’ll have you up and walking in no time.”
Julien looked at Rachael who knew immediately what he was thinking. She bit down hard on her lip to fend off a grin.
Dr. Lind got to his feet. “Let me show you.” He turned on the light board illuminating Julien’s x-rays. “If you reach down to feel it, the front of this cast is padded well but soft, while the back is plaster and rock solid…it will allow for any swelling overnight, but be extra careful not to bang into anything and whatever you do, don’t fall.” His belly lurched as he chuckled some more. “Have you ever used crutches before, Mr. Grenier? I can give you a quick lesson.”
Julien looked away from the disturbing x-rays. “They don’t strike me as very complex.”
Rachael shot him a warning glance.
The doctor laughed yet again. “No, I suppose they’re not. You’ll figure them out. No user’s manual required.” He took no offense to Julien’s petulance.
He entered a closet off the far side of the room and reappeared with a pair of metal crutches. He scanned Julien and guessed at his height then adjusted their length with a few quick snaps. He leaned them against the far end of the table. “Let that I.V. finish dripping…a few more minutes, and you folks can head home.” He nodded and left the room.
Rachael placed the white bag containing a bottle of Vicodin in her purse. “Can you please be nice?” she asked.
“He laughs after everything he says,” Julien said. “It makes me angry. There is nothing funny ‘appening here.”
“I guess you have the right to be grumpy tonight.” She leaned forward and kissed him.
He pulled away from her. “Please Rach, not right now, okay.”
She frowned. “Hey…why are you so pissed at me?”
He glared at her and said, “I feel like shit. Just give me some space.”
“Okay.” She rubbed his stomach and made excuses for his behavior. “It’s the anesthesia.
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