by Krista Lakes
“I just...” Nikki began.
Oliver heard a sob come from the other end of the line. Nikki was crying, clearly upset about the connection that was growing between Ollie and his PT.
“You just what, Nikki?” he asked.
“I'm just worried that she could be using you. That's all,” she said between sniffles. “You talk about her all the time now. Something about the situation just gives me a bad feeling. I guess I don't trust her as much as I did when she interviewed.”
Oliver squeezed the bridge of his nose with his fingers, in an attempt to stop the oncoming headache. “Nikki, I talk about her all the time because physical therapy is my life right now. She's the only person I see. My whole world has become this stupid knee and she's helping me fix it. So in that way, yes, she has basically become my whole world.”
“You're sleeping with her, aren't you?” Nikki asked, her tone even more accusatory than usual.
“Good grief. No. I'm not sleeping with her,” he explained. “When I say she's my whole world, it's just an expression. She's currently a major part of my life and the majority of my time is with her. That's all I meant. Anyway, I'm tired and my knee is killing me. I need to take some more pain medication and try to figure out something to eat. Can we do this another time?”
“You are sleeping with her,” she said, her voice lowering. “Oh, my God. I can't believe this.”
Ollie sighed. “I swear to you that my relationship with Elsie is completely professional.”
“What? Like ours was?” Nikki asked.
Oliver took a deep breath. He was getting legitimately angry now and was sick and tired of Nikki pushing his buttons. “Even if I was sleeping with her, which I'm not, it really wouldn't be any of your business. Regardless, I really want to get off the phone now.”
He heard Nikki sniffle on the other end of the line.
“Okay, I should let you go,” she said, her voice quavering with crocodile tears. “I'm sorry, Ollie. I've had a couple of glasses of wine tonight and I guess my jealousy got the best of me. You know that I really care about you, though, right? I'm just looking out for you.”
“I know, Nikki,” Oliver said, his heart softening a little. “And I appreciate it.”
Despite their past, Nikki was still his friend and he did care about her feelings. He just didn't want to feel controlled by her any more.
“I'm really kind of embarrassed, now that I've said all of this,” Nikki said, between sniffles. “Again, I'm sorry. I hope you don't mind if I just hang up right now. Can we just pretend this phone call never happened?”
“Sure, of course,” he replied. “Water under the bridge.”
“Thank you, Ollie. You're the best,” Nikki said, with a sigh. “I'm sorry to put all this on you while you're trying to heal.”
“It's fine,” he said, suddenly extremely tired. “Seriously, Nikki. It's not a big deal. Go to bed. You'll feel better in the morning.”
“Okay. Goodnight, Ollie.”
“Goodnight, Nikki.”
Oliver stared blankly at the phone after hanging up. He thought he had been exhausted before that phone call, but the conversation with Nikki had sapped any energy reserves he had left. Even though he was still hungry, the only thing he felt like doing was curling up in his bed and watching TV. He didn't even want Elsie to pay him a visit any more, since he was in such a crummy mood now.
Maybe I'll call her tomorrow and she can come over to do my hair, he thought. It was a nice thought.
With the wind still howling outside, Oliver pulled the blankets over his head. He knew that sleep wasn't going to come visit him any time soon, but decided he might as well try to get some rest.
Chapter 9
Elsie
The second snow storm that week was coming in fast as Elsie drove down the county road, away from Oliver's house. The lights of her small town hovered in the distance, but were barely visible through the weather.
Warm weather can't come soon enough, she thought. I'm tired of storm after storm. I'd hoped the one last week was the end, but they just keep coming.
It was the end of March but there still hadn't been any real signs of spring yet. The days were getting longer, but even so, it was already almost dark out and only dinner time. She couldn't wait until summer, when the sun didn't go down until nine o'clock and she could sleep with her bedroom window open.
But the thought of the changing seasons was a double-edged sword for Elsie. Because despite all of the things she loved about spring and summer, the passing of winter also meant that her time with Oliver was quickly running out. It wouldn't be long before he'd be recovered and moving back to California. She was really enjoying the physical therapy sessions with him and wasn't looking forward to their end. She didn't want to go back to the same old patients and non-sports related injuries. She wanted to work with Ollie forever.
When she got to the end of the county road, she slid to a halt at the stop sign. Then she turned right, pointing her car down the main street that ran through the center of town. It only took a few minutes of driving before she pulled up to a small building, which sat lonely at the end of the block. It's dark cedar siding looked white, as drifts of snow piled up all around it. Elsie parked the car in the back and then made her way inside.
The building, which Elsie considered both her home and office, was owned by her uncle. On the bottom floor was the physical therapy clinic that she ran. The upper floor had a small apartment, which her uncle allowed her to live in rent-free. It was a decent place, but very small. In fact, it was smaller than the apartment that she'd lived in during college. But it was a place to stay and it was nice being so close to her clinic. The commute time of thirty seconds was something that never got old.
Grumbling about the cold and dark, Elsie made her way upstairs and into her apartment. She threw her keys into a bowl by the front door, before hanging up her coat. Even though her place was small, she'd made a distinct effort to make it a space where she enjoyed spending time. She'd repainted the kitchen from plain white to a cheery yellow and the living room to a soothing beige. She'd even updated the tile in the bathroom, changing it from the 1940's pink into a more respectable classy gray. All in all, she was happy with the place, but did look forward to a time when she could afford a full-sized house of her own.
She let out a yawn as she kicked off her shoes and made her way into the living room. As soon as she approached the couch, she plopped down on it, letting the overstuffed cushions pull her in.
I'm beat, she thought. I could fall asleep right here if I'm not careful.
Even though Ollie was her only real patient for the moment, she still had a lot on her plate. She still had to run the clinic, and keep her regular patients taken care off. It definitely meant extra hours and some odd work days, but it was working out okay. Still, she felt like she was juggling a lot and hardly had any time to just relax. Now that she was seated in a comfortable position, relaxing suddenly felt like it was going to happen whether she liked it or not.
As she kicked her feet up on the coffee table, she thought about everything that had brought her to that point in life. From the time she was young, it was like her future had been written. Her Uncle Frank had been a physical therapist for his entire career. All throughout high school, Elsie had spent all of her afternoons at his office, just watching him treat the locals.
She loved everything about it. It seemed like magic to her. A patient would walk in holding their lower back in pain and then after a few sessions with Frank, it was like they were a different person. They were no longer in pain and could walk upright without any problem. He was a magician and she wanted to be just like him.
So when high school was over and college came around, the choice of which direction to go was simple. She decided to become a physical therapist just like her uncle. She went to a school about a hundred miles away from home, where she earned her degree in sports medicine before getting accepted into grad school for physical therap
y. She'd worked her butt off in DPT school, but loved every minute of it.
After graduation, she'd been accepted into an amazing sports therapy residency. Two years flew by as she absorbed everything like a sponge. She got to work with professional and collegiate level athletes, some with very acute injuries. Elsie had landed her dream job.
But that all changed a few months later when Elsie's Aunt June passed away. Her aunt, Frank's wife, had been both the receptionist and assistant for his PT practice in Iowa. With June gone, Frank just couldn't run the place like he used to. Plus, he became deeply depressed about the loss of his wife. He didn't seem to care as much about doing physical therapy any more.
It was at his wife's funeral where he basically gave the practice to Elsie. He told her that he didn't want it any more, that it was something he and June had built together. There were too many memories there and it hurt him to be in the office. He said he wanted Elsie to have it, because he thought that she'd be able to take care of it the way June would want.
The offer had put Elsie at a crossroads. She was working the job of her dreams, but the clinic was where she grew up and it belonged to her family. In the end, she decided to move back home and take over Frank's practice. It seemed like the right move, especially since it helped her family. Her family meant more to her than any job. Plus, there were some big perks about moving back home. Her new patients were all her friends and she got the chance to help the community that she'd grown up with. Nobody stepped into her clinic whose first name she didn't already know. It made her feel like she was really part of something important.
However, working with aging farmers and the elderly was quite a bit different than working with the high-end athletes that she was used to. It took a lot more patience and a much gentler touch. It wasn't necessarily better or worse, just a different kind of work.
When she started working with Ollie, she was quickly reminded of the kind of physical therapy that she was truly passionate about. The need to get him up to peak physical condition inspired and motivated her. Working with Oliver made her feel almost like she'd landed her dream job once again.
“Oh, Oliver,” she whispered, clicking on the TV. “What am I going to do about you?”
Just thinking about him put a smile on her face. It always did. She got excited on every one of her drives over to the farm house, knowing that she was going to get to spend a couple of hours with him. And each session just seemed to be even better than the one before. They could talk about anything it seemed. She loved chatting with him about his brother and mom and she enjoyed telling him all about her niece and nephews.
She chuckled at one of the stories he'd shared with her that day. He'd said that his favorite memory as a kid was going to the fair with his little brother. His mom had given them enough money to buy the ride pass, which gave them unlimited access to every single ride in the park for the entire day. Apparently, Oliver and Michael had made it their mission to get the most value for their money. They rode every ride at least four times and only stopped when they both puked.
The TV in front of her was showing some game show. She wasn't really watching it, but it was good background noise. When the show ended and the news came on, she decided it was a good time to muster up some motivation and make some food. She hadn't eaten much all day and was starving. The first thing that came to mind was a frozen pot pie that was in the back of her freezer. It was easy, quick and would satisfy the craving for something that at least gave the illusion of “healthy”.
She peeled herself off of the couch and went to the kitchen, ready to indulge. But for some reason, as soon as she picked up the pot pie, she thought of Ollie.
Ollie wouldn't eat something like this, she thought. No way. He's always talking about sticking to his diet. I know he's serious about it, too. His perfect physique doesn't lie.
“Screw it,” she said, opening the box and tossing the pot pie into the microwave. She was hungry.
Elsie realized that she should be more careful about what she ate. She always lectured her patients about eating healthy and here she was, about to stuff her face with what might as well have been a bowl full of sodium. She really didn't want to be a hypocrite, but also really didn't want to cook anything more complicated than a five-minute microwave nuke. So frozen pot pie it was.
Oliver would probably give me a hard time if he knew what I was about to eat, she thought, with a smirk. He'd probably make the frowny face that he makes whenever I tell him to do ten more reps.
The frowny face of Oliver's was different than his concentration face. And was also different than his happy face, which was the one that Elsie liked best. That was the one he expressed whenever he talked about his younger brother.
Before the microwave had even counted down a full minute, her cell phone rang in the other room. She walked over and picked it up off of the coffee table. Her mom's picture filled the screen and Elsie's eyes lit up when she saw it. She was always happy to have a chat with her mother, especially since it didn't happen as often as it used to.
“What's up, Mom? How are you?” Elsie said, walking back to the kitchen to see how the meal was coming along in the microwave.
“Hey, Elsie. I didn't expect you to pick up,” her mom said, sniffling. “I was kind of hoping I'd get your voicemail.”
It was clear that her mother had been crying. A burst of anxiety barreled into Elsie's gut.
“What do you mean, Mom?” Elsie asked. “What's going on?”
Her mother paused for a second and Elsie listened as she let out a slow breath. “It's your uncle.”
“Uncle Frank?” Elsie said. Immediately, her heart began to thud quickly in her chest and her stomach turned to lead. “What happened?”
“You know how he's been tired lately?” her Mom asked.
“I guess so,” Elsie replied, her hands nervously trembling as she held the phone. “But I thought he was just fighting some sort of virus or something. That was just the last week or so, though.”
“Apparently, he hasn't been feeling well for quite some time,” her mother replied. “In fact, for the last couple of months he's been dizzy and dealing with chronic headaches.”
Elsie's brain was already going through every medical possibility she could think of and none of them were good.
“Mom, what happened? Just tell me what's going on with him,” Elsie said, desperately.
“Uncle Frank had a fall today,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “He was taking a walk around the park and got dizzy. He tried walking to the park bench to sit down, but he didn't make it. He collapsed and hit his head on the concrete.”
“Oh my God,” Elsie whispered. “Is he okay?”
“It knocked him out. He's fine now,” her mom replied quickly. “Just a little out of it.”
“What did the doctor's say?” Elsie asked, knowing that the fall wasn't the end of the story. Healthy men didn't just fall for no reason. “Do they know why he fell?”
Her mom sobbed and Elsie's heart sank. She knew that there was bad news coming her direction, but had no clue how to brace herself for it. Frank had been a constant and steady presence in her life. As far back as her memories went, he was there. In fact, to Elsie, he was a second father. He never had his own children, so Elsie was the closest thing he had.
“They did an MRI,” her mom said, speaking the words through choked tears. “They found a brain tumor, Elsie. It doesn't look good.”
Elsie heard the words, but it didn't feel real. It was almost as if she'd just heard it on TV or the radio. It was like her brain wouldn't let her absorb the reality completely. Her world went gray. She didn't remember sitting down, but the next thing she knew, she was seated on the kitchen floor with her back against the wall. Her cell phone was held limply in her hand. It now weighed a million pounds and took all her strength to hold it.
Memories flashed through her mind; images of her youth and time spent with her uncle. Countless hours of playing with him and learning a
ll about life through his experience. She thought about his miraculous ability to heal patients. She remembered all of the family picnics and the way Frank would make everyone laugh until they cried. The Christmases, the birthdays. It came rushing back in one giant wave. Flickering images flashed across her vision, each one sending another burst of emotion inside of her, causing her heart to ache.
“Elsie, are you still there?” her mom spoke into the phone. But her words were distant. It sounded like when she was under the water at a swimming pool, but still hearing the kids laughing and playing on the surface.
“Yeah, Mom, I'm here,” Elsie finally responded, wiping tears away from her eyes with the back of her hand. “Sorry. I'm just trying to process this. So what are the doctors saying now? What do they think should be the next move for Uncle Frank?”
“They haven't said anything yet. They're still looking at scans and need to run more tests before any decisions can be made,” she said, taking a steadying breath. “I'm guessing they'll consider surgery, along with chemo and radiation. But you know how Frank would feel about all of that. I doubt he'd want any part of it.”
Elsie stood up from the floor and walked toward the door, grabbing her purse on the way. “I'm coming to the hospital.”
“No, Elsie, please don't. Frank doesn't even know that I've called you. In fact, he had asked me not to. He didn't want to worry you.” The sadness in her mother's voice mimicked what Elsie felt in her heart. “I wasn't going to call, but you deserve to know what's going on. You're like a daughter to Frank. You and I are all the family that he has left.”
“Mom, I need to do something,” Elsie said. “I can't just sit around and pace my apartment. I want to be there. I want to help.”
“I know, darling,” her mom said as Elsie leaned against the wall next to her front door. “But there's no need to come here right now. Frank is sleeping right now anyway, so you wouldn't even get to talk to him. All you'll do here is drink bad coffee, read outdated magazines and pace the halls. I'm at the hospital now and I'm not going anywhere, so you don't have to worry. Frank won't be alone.”