Inherited Light_A Small-Town, California Romance Filled with Dogs, Deception, and Finding True Love Despite Our Imperfections

by Katie Mettner

  A tear slid out of her eye and I couldn’t comfort her. It killed me slowly to watch her cry. “You’re okay, baby,” I mouthed because it was all I could do. We got to the street and they showed me how to put the head of the board on the stretcher so they could lift her into the rig. Once she was in the ambulance the two men flew into action. In the blink of an eye, I stood in the street with my hand in my hair watching them drive away with the woman who trusted me to be her support. The idea alone was enough to spur me forward. I ran back to the house, grabbed her chair and all the items from her purse which had scattered when she tipped. I ripped the wheels off the chair, threw the whole thing in the front of the truck, and took off for the hospital, tires squealing and prayers said long and loud as I pounded the steering wheel.

  “Lorenzo?” a voice asked. I raised my head slowly to see a doctor in scrubs coming toward me as I sat in the waiting room.

  “Yes,” I answered, standing as he approached. He motioned me to follow him and took me into a small consultation room.

  “I’ve finished examining Catalina.”

  I held up my hand. “Wait, did she give you permission to speak to me about her condition?”

  He checked the paperwork. “You are Lorenzo Dalton, correct?” When I nodded, he turned the piece of paper around for me to see. “She marked you as her only next of kin and gave permission for me to inform you of her results.”

  I tried not to let the surprise show on my face. Instead, I asked him the first question to come to mind. “Shouldn’t we be talking with her about this?”

  He smiled and sat, motioning for me to do the same in the chair across from him. The room held two chairs the color of a brand-new penny, and a small square table big enough for a few magazines and a box of tissues. I wondered if this room housed the families of those who weren’t as lucky as I am, and their family member died. I wondered how many tears had been shed in this room and how many souls left shattered because of some unforeseen tragedy which suddenly stole their lives.

  I shook my head a little bit and sat, rubbing my hands on my jeans. He flipped through some papers and then opened his computer, turning the screen around for me to see.

  “I already spoke with Catalina, but she is compromised neurologically due to the injury and the pain medication we’ve given her. She’s also on muscle relaxers for back spasms. Both of those cause fatigue and inability to concentrate. Add her concussion into the picture, and she won’t remember a thing I said tomorrow.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck and grimaced at the pain. It had intensified the longer I sat waiting for word about her. The doctor set his computer down and stood, stepping behind me to examine my neck. I dropped my arm and let him. He pushed around the edges and I jumped, the right side too painful to touch.

  “You didn’t report your injury? This should be x-rayed,” he said, rather concerned.

  “I didn’t want anyone wasting time on me. She had greater needs than I did.”

  The doctor groaned and shook his head. He sat and picked up his computer, flipping the screen back toward him to poke at it with a stylus. When he looked up again he had turned the screen back to face me. “I ordered x-rays and a concussion test for you, too. Did you lose consciousness?”

  “I don’t believe so. At the time they hit me, I happened to be bending over to pick up my phone, which I’d dropped. When we arrived home the automatic light didn’t come on. I used the light on my phone to get around behind her handicapped ramp to check the bulb. I remember the ground coming toward me and a sharp pain in my neck and then I remember getting up on my hands and knees. I couldn’t have been down more than thirty seconds, I think. Unfortunately, I didn’t see who hit me. Cat doesn’t remember anything about the assailant either.”

  “Has this been reported to the police?” he asked, checking his notes.

  I pointed out the heavy wooden door. “I did not too long ago. An officer took my statement and they will be in touch tomorrow when they can talk to Cat.”

  He nodded. “Good, be careful when you go home, someone may have been in the house and you surprised them.”

  “You know her alarm hadn’t gone off, which tells me they weren’t there to rob the place. I think it was her ex-boyfriend giving me a warning because he’s still in love with her. What I can’t figure out is why he would hurt her when he claims to love her.”

  He cocked his head to the left. “It does seem odd. You better be extremely careful around the guy. If he does anything weird, make sure you report him to the police.”

  “Agreed. Now, about Cat,” I said and he turned his attention to his computer.

  “Yes, about Cat. She complained of pain in her ankle and back, so I did imaging studies of both,” he explained, showing me her ankle x-ray on the screen. “Her legs are tiny and the massive amount of swelling made it difficult to see anything on x-ray. Do you see this line?” he asked, running his stylus under it for me to see. “It’s a possible crack in the bone, but I can’t be sure until we get the swelling down.” He clicked a few times with the stylus. “This is a CT scan of her ankle, do you see these white spots here and here?” he asked and I nodded, feeling like the dumbest guy on earth for having no idea what I was staring at. “Those are torn tendons. You can see all the other soft tissue swelling around here.” He motioned around the rest of the scan with his stylus. “Best case scenario she stays in a boot for a few weeks and everything heals well.”

  “What’s the worst-case scenario?” I asked, awaiting his answer.

  “She doesn’t heal and an orthopedic surgeon has to repair the torn tendons. I’m not worried about the possible hairline fracture, it will heal on its own and we don’t have to worry about weightbearing restrictions since she doesn’t walk. I will prescribe an increased dose of calcium until we see resolution of this line, though. If those tendons don’t heal back together right they will be a problem she may need to address.”

  I held my hand up to stop him. “But she can’t walk. Why does it matter if the tendons are repaired properly when she doesn’t use them anyway?”

  “It matters because the tendons hold the bone structure of her foot and ankle together. If they don’t heal right, eventually the bones in her arch and heel will fall down and make her flat footed. While you’re right and she doesn’t walk, it’s still painful, even for someone who doesn’t bear weight on their legs. I don’t know how much sensation she has in the foot, but it would be my recommendation you follow up with an orthopedic surgeon to go over options. I can recommend a few who deal specifically with people who have neurological conditions. The two I have in mind are excellent in their field.”

  I swallowed hard, not knowing what to say, but finally nodded. “I appreciate it, thank you. I’m sure she will be happy to have the names, once she’s able to think clearly.”

  “I’ll include them as part of her discharge instructions. I’ll also email the doctors and let them know I’m sending them a patient. She can decide which one and call to make an appointment. She will need to be seen in three days at the latest. It’s also important she ices and keeps the leg elevated for the next seventy-two hours until some of the swelling goes down.”

  “Okay, no problem. What else should I be doing?” I asked, anxious to finish our discussion so I could see Cat.

  “Her back,” he answered, hitting something else on the screen with his pen. He leaned forward so I could see the scan he had up on the computer. “This is the area she says is painful. Do you see this?” he asked, pointing to a space between two white areas.

  “What am I looking at? Are those her bones?” I asked, fascinated but confused at the same time.

  “Those are her vertebrae. This one is starting to degenerate,” he explained. “She complained of back pain when they did the initial assessment, so I ordered the CT. She’ll need to have an MRI scan to better assess the degree of degeneration.”

  “She said her back hurt when we got in the car after her gallery showing tonight. Sh
e thought it had flared up from being in her wheelchair all day. I didn’t think too much of it as she seemed sure it would resolve with rest.”

  “Neither did she, since this is the part of her back the transverse myelitis affected.”

  I forced my face to remain unchanged, even though I wanted to scream, ‘What is transverse myelitis?’

  Instead, I pointed at the screen and asked, “She has back pain all the time, do you think it’s from this or the…” my brain stopped working and I had to snap my fingers to get the name back.

  “The transverse myelitis?” he asked and I nodded.

  “I don’t quite understand all of what happened when she was younger,” I lied. The truth is I don’t understand any of it because I don’t know what transverse myelitis is or what it does, but I wasn’t going to admit it.

  He called up the x-ray of her spine on the computer and pointed to a lower portion of the spine near the hips. “This is where we see the arthritis in the vertebrae. It’s jagged and inflamed according to the CT scan. We can settle the pain and inflammation down with some anti-inflammatories and maybe a cortisone injection. Here,” he said moving his pointer up to the middle of her spine, “is where children and young adults usually are affected when the virus attacks their spinal cord. Unfortunately for Catalina, her lower spine was affected, which is why she has persistent paralysis. I’m not surprised to see arthritis in those vertebrae. She sits all the time and hasn’t walked for almost fifteen years. Those two factors alone would cause pain and degeneration in the spine.”

  “Do you think if you treat the arthritis she will or won’t need surgery?” I asked, a little bit less confused, but still trying to glean as much information as possible from him. Whatever he didn’t tell me I would have to convince her to share and I didn’t think it would be easy.

  “The changes are early yet and I think we can get her feeling much better with some lifestyle changes and medication.”

  “What kind of lifestyle changes? She has an excellent wheelchair.”

  “I know, but I also know she doesn’t have a custom made cushion or back on it. With the use of those and physical therapy she should be feeling better in no time.”

  I nodded. “Good, she doesn’t like being down for long. I’ll make sure we get the chair updated immediately.”

  He leaned back in his chair and addressed me from under his eyebrow. “I’m sure she doesn’t like being down, no one does. She has a unique case and it will require certain treatments and medications due to the scarring left in her spinal cord.”

  I swallowed hard and made eye contact with him. “I’m aware, sir.”

  “Are you? Do you know what will be required as she gets older?”

  “What are you trying to get at here, doctor?” I asked, trying not to sound angry.

  “I know it’s easy to fall in love and be in love when you’re young, but eventually as the years pass, she’ll need surgery, possibly rehab, or other expensive pieces of equipment. I’m simply wondering if you’ve planned for those contingencies.”

  I nodded with my lower lip caught between my teeth. “I know I’m young, but I would do anything for Cat.” I meant it, too. I would take care of her if she gave me the chance. “She might not be able to use her legs, but she’s electric,” I said holding my hands out. “I don’t know if you know what I mean.”

  “You mean she has a special kind of light that spreads across even the darkest soul and gives them a reason to strive to be a better man.”

  I nodded, shock forcing my lips open. He stood and patted my back. “I’m married to a woman who has been in a wheelchair for twenty years thanks to MS. I’m well versed in loving a woman, who even without the use of her legs, is better than I’ll ever be.”

  I rubbed my neck as I played his words through my mind. “I’ll never be the kind of person she is, but she makes me want to be a better man. I don’t know if I deserve her love, but I’m sure as hell going to try.”

  He tucked his computer under his arm. “Be there for her, listen to her, help her when she asks for it, and back away when she doesn’t. Those are the basics. I’m going to have my wife talk to Cat next week. It might do her some good to talk with someone who has been through what she has and is still living life to the fullest. I know she’s talented and puts up a good front, but I also know pretending life is normal when it’s not isn’t sustainable. I don’t want her to think she’s alone in this battle.”

  I stood and brushed my hands against my pant legs. “She’s not alone, sir, but I’m sure she would appreciate speaking with someone who understands what she goes through. I know it isn’t easy, but I can’t relate to it on the same level your wife can.”

  He stuck his right hand out for me to shake. “It’s not easy, but it is worth it when you find the person who completes you. There will be times when you’re absolutely petrified of losing her to the disease. It’s the rest of the time, the loving, life fulfilling moments which make you forget about everything else. You’re young, but I can see you want Cat in your life for a long time to come.”

  I nodded once. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good. You have my support, if you have questions, not about her medical condition, but about being a man in love with a special woman, Cat will have my number. Make sure you go get those x-rays on your neck before you leave here tonight. If you need a note off work for a few days I’m happy to write it.”

  I shook my head carefully. “Not necessary, but thank you. I work for myself. I’ll just call in sick.”

  He chuckled and I got the first smile out of him since he strolled through the door. “I’m glad we have an understanding then. You can go see her once you’re done with x-ray. Good luck, Lorenzo.”

  I shook his outstretched hand. “Thank you for the advice. My family isn’t overly supportive of my choice to love Cat. I appreciate your words more than you know.”

  He patted me on the back once and left me standing in the room alone. It took my sore mind a few seconds to comprehend I just told the doctor I love Cat. Not surprising, I suppose, my brain was just too scrambled to deny the truth tonight. As I wandered to the front desk I wondered when, or if, Cat would tell me the truth about her disease, her past, and her pursuit of happiness.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Sit still, I’ll carry you into the house and then come back for your chair,” I said as I parked in the driveway again, more than three hours after they hauled her away on a stretcher.

  “I don’t want to move for hours,” she said, rolling her head toward me. “I feel like someone hit me with a bulldozer.”

  I put the truck into park and ran my thumb over her cheek, which was starting to bruise. “I know you do. I wish I could make it better, but I can’t.”

  She captured my hand against her cheek. “You have made it better, by being here for me.”

  I leaned over and kissed her lips tenderly. She was okay and I didn’t care if I had a blinding headache. She was the only one who mattered right now. She needed someone to care for her tonight.

  I opened my door, but left the headlights on, so I could see to get up the ramp and into the front door. I had her key in my hand and jogged up the ramp, relieved when it didn’t shake under my feet. I inserted the key and unlocked the door, making sure to type in the code to deactivate the alarm. Once the screen door was propped open I jogged back to the truck and opened her door.

  “Ready, beautiful?” I asked.

  She put her arms out and wrapped them around my neck. I lifted her, being careful of the boot she now wore on her left ankle. They told her to take the boot off when in bed and ice it until she could make an appointment tomorrow with one of the orthopedic doctors.

  Once I had her settled on the couch I checked the bulb on the fixture outside. I grasped it and twisted, almost blinding myself when it flared to life in a large watt kind of way. I dropped my hand and fisted it at my side. Someone had loosened the bulb and waited for us to come home. It didn’t take Einstein to
figure out who, either. If Xavier had anything to do with this, he would pay heavily for hurting Cat.

  With the light on over the ramp now, I turned the lights off on the truck and lifted her chair out of the back. I locked the truck and rolled the chair into the house, then closed and locked the doors. When I moved the chair over near her, she had her eyes closed as she rested against the back of the small couch.

  I knelt and brushed a piece of curly hair off her face. “Do you want me to recline this and prop a pillow under your knees? You can sleep here instead of your bed.”

  She reached for me, her hands on my face, but her eyes still closed. “I want to, but my back hurts, so I better go to bed. I have an adjustable one. It allows me to elevate my feet and legs which will make the swelling go down faster.”

  I put my hand over hers. “Before we do, I should tell you when I checked the bulb outside, it lit right up, once I twisted it back in.”

  Her eyes opened and the depths of their chocolate creaminess melted my heart. “You mean someone did this on purpose?”

  “It appears so. I want you to look around and make sure no one was inside the house and stole anything.”

  Her eyes drifted over my shoulder toward the large TV on the wall, the video game system and Blu-ray player. “You would think they would have taken those,” she said pointing. “I better check my jewelry box anyway, but my system would have been flashing if it had been deactivated. The cops would have called my cell if it had been breached. I don’t think whoever waited here for us was a thief.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t think so either, but we should at least check.” I stood and held the chair. “Okay, do you want to take your chair or do you want me to carry you to bed?”

  “I want to take a shower. I needed one before we ended up at the hospital. Now I really need one.”

  I leaned on her chair, holding it steady. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea. You had a knock to the head and you might get dizzy in the shower.” My eyes tracked to the splint on her foot. “What kind of shower set up do you have?”