“Hello?” His father’s voice could be heard on the other end.
“Hi, Mr. LaPointe. This is Amy,” she said remaining calm. “Adam asked me to call you. He has injured his knee and he is at the hospital.”
“What hospital are you at?” Mr. LaPointe asked as he tried to relay to his wife what had happened.
“Bad Axe General.” Amy rubbed her forehead with her hand as she felt the tension of a headache. “He had to go down to the lab for x-rays.”
“Okay Amy.” Mr. LaPointe paused as Amy heard Mrs. LaPointe in the background. “Is there anything we should bring?” His father relayed the message.
“Not that I can think of at the moment.” Amy replied truthfully. “He’d just be comforted to know you are here.”
Amy hung up the phone and collected her change from the slot. She turned around and spotted a stuffed lion that held a heart between his paws. Upon the heart read the words “I love you and I’m not lion.” She smiled as she picked it up along with a Sports Illustrated magazine and walked to the cash register. She looked up to pay the cashier and noticed it was the waitress from Denny’s.
“Hi Crystal,” Amy smiled as she handed her the money. She took her change and gift bag then proceeded back to the emergency room. She sat waiting for Adam to return as she thumbed through the magazine absentmindedly. Amy looked up relieved as the nurse brought him back to the room.
Adam grinned when he saw Amy as she walked over to his bedside. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek tossing the magazine on the nightstand. “I called your parents and they’re on their way. How are you doing?” She softly caressed his arm.
“I’m fine babe.” Adam said sleepily. “You’re the best.”
Amy pulled up a chair and watched Adam as he slept. She noticed the movement of his chest rise and fall as he breathed. She studied the contrast of his dark thick eyelashes and his curly black hair as it rested against the whiteness of the pillow. She drank in the image of his square jaw line which was now hidden by the bandage on his chin. Amy leaned over and kissed the scar on his right cheek as she touched the other one on his forehead. His lips turned slightly in a smile as he continued to sleep.
Amy had dozed off herself until she heard Mr. and Mrs. LaPointe as they entered the room. She rose out of the chair and greeted them both with a hug.
“How is he doing?” Mrs. LaPointe stood alongside his bed with a worrisome look upon her face. “I was going to bring him some pajamas but I figured it was more important to get here right away.”
Amy explained to his parents all the details Dr. Perry had given them so far. He woke up from his deep sleep just as Dr. Perry entered the room.
“Evening,” Dr. Perry displayed the x-rays on the illuminated screen. “The ligament is torn. We will graph a piece of healthy tendon from either your knee or hamstring to hold your knee joint together. I’ve scheduled you surgery for tomorrow morning.“
“How long will it be for me to get back to normal?” Adam pulled himself up slowly in bed.
“Full recovery can take up to six months.” Dr. Perry answered as he shook Adam’s hand. “You get a good night’s rest and I will see you in the morning.”
Amy sat there in silence as Dr. Perry’s words hung in the air after he left the room. She glanced over at Adam who looked as if someone slapped him across the face.
“Son of a bitch!” Adam picked up the magazine and slammed it on the tray in frustration. “What the hell am I supposed to do for six months?” He turned his face away from her to hide his emotions.
Amy’s heart melted that instance with compassion as she gathered Adam into her arms and rocked him gently. Neither said a word to each other but at that moment an unspoken bond had been made between the two of them.
Amy continued to sit with Adam and his parents as they waited for him to get a room. She rose from the bed as a nurse came in to check on him.
“Angie!” Amy exclaimed glad to see a familiar face.
“Hi Amy. How is he doing?” Angie asked as she checked his intravenous drip and added his medication.
“He has surgery tomorrow then we’ll know more.” Amy turned toward Adam’s parents and made introductions. “This is my brother’s girlfriend Angie. These are Adam’s parents.”
“Do you know what time his surgery is?” Mrs. LaPointe asked.
“It is scheduled for tomorrow at 9:00am.” Angie said as she lowered his bed then looked at his chart. “I also have a room ready for him on the third floor. Room 328.”
Angie unlocked the wheels on the bed and pushed the intravenous cart with it and Adam out of the ER. Mr. and Mrs. LaPointe grabbed their coats and followed Amy down the hallway. Angie stopped at the elevator and pushed the up button. The doors opened and they all entered the elevator.
Amy watched as Adam was set up in his new room which was to be his home for the next week. She called the cafeteria and ordered his dinner. She also arranged for his television and phone service to be turned on. His parents and her visited awhile and watched the evening news with him.
“We’re going to head for home now.” Mr. and Mrs. LaPointe rose. He helped her with her jacket. “Amy, we can give you a ride home.” They gave Adam a hug and kiss then waited for her in the hallway.
“I’ll see you in the morning Adam.” Amy leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. “Oh, I almost forgot.” She picked up the gift bag and handed it to him.
He lifted the stuffed lion out of the bag and moved his lips as he mouthed the words to himself. He looked up at Amy with misty warmth in his eyes. “I love you too, babe.” He squeezed her hand then kissed it.
The last thing Amy wanted to do was leave him, but his parents had already waited over five minutes. She kissed him again and left the room with tears in her eyes.
Amy sat in the back seat staring out the window into the darkness of the night. She tried to remember the exact moment she had fallen in love with Adam. It really didn’t matter she decided. All that mattered was that he loved her back.
***
Adam was in the operating room for four hours. Two hundred and forty of the longest minutes Amy had ever endured. Mr. LaPointe sat with Joey as they watched The Phil Donahue Show. Mrs. LaPointe sat across from Amy crocheting an afghan. She chatted with all of them but her heart just wasn’t in it today. She was worried about all the things that could go wrong. Please God let everything be alright.
“The family of Adam LaPointe,” Dr. Perry said loudly into the waiting room. He noticed them as they stood up and walked over towards them. He still had his scrubs on and a surgical mask around his neck. “Adam is doing great. He is a real trooper. The surgery was a success. He should be able to go home in about a week. He is still under the anesthesia so he may not be alert yet. You’ll be able to see him in a couple minutes.”
“Thank you.” They all said at once, relieved that all had turned out so well.
“I’m going to take off now,” Joey announced as he looked at the clock on the wall. “I promised Angie I’d give her a lift home. Her shift ends in ten minutes.”
“Okay Joey.” Amy gave him a big hug.
“It was nice to see you again,” Mrs. LaPointe said as she put away her afghan and yarn.
“Nice to see you both again too.” Joey shook Mr. LaPointe’s hand and walked out of the waiting room.
Amy watched some television while Adam was still asleep. Her favorite show Little House on the Prairie was on. Mr. and Mrs. LaPointe went home a few hours earlier to do all the chores on the farm. Amy sat next to Adam holding his hand. She was glad she could be here for him when he needed her the most. Amy was determined to give him all the love, support and help he would need to make a full recovery. She wanted nothing more for him than to fulfill his dream of playing hockey professionally.
Adam lifted his eyes slowly. “Amy, how did the operation go?” His voice was raspy from the anesthesia.
“It went great,” she said enthusiastically. “You’ll be back to
normal before you know it.”
***
Adam woke up the next morning to the sound of Dr. Perry’s voice. He stood by the end of the bed as he talked to Amy. He could only hear bits and pieces of the conversation.
“He will need crutches…he won’t be able to get it wet……need stitches removed in ten days…take pain reliever as needed….keep leg elevated and apply ice …..needs someone to assist him for a couple weeks….cannot drive.”
Adam woke up again this time to the pain of his knee. He looked through his eyes groggily and noticed Amy sitting in the chair reading a book. A nurse came in and gave him a couple pain pills and he dozed back off again.
Adam awoke a third time as a tall, dark skinned man examined his knee. “Good afternoon Mr. LaPointe. My name is Reggie and I will be your physical therapist. By the time you go home you will hate me,” he joked as he took the ice pack off of his leg. “Now I want you to try and bend your knee.”
Adam grimaced as he tried to slide his foot to bend his knee. He managed to bend it slightly and then his leg rested back on the bed. “Damn. That’s the best I can do.”
Reggie slowly slid Adam’s foot toward him as he made his knee bend. He slowly brought it to rest and repeated the same action several times. “This is what we want you to work towards and do on your own,” explained Reggie to Adam and Amy. Reggie worked together with them showing the exercises he wanted Adam to do three times a day. “The most important thing to remember is, use it or lose it. You want to push yourself so you get full mobility of your knee back.”
Adam was exhausted by the time his physical therapy session was over. “That wore me out more than if I had played a whole game.” He wiped the perspiration from his forehead.
“I’ll get a washcloth and some soap so you can freshen up,” Amy said as she went over to the sink and filled up a basin of water.
Adam sat up as she helped him. A part of him hated the fact that he had to let someone else take care of him. But the other part was glad it was Amy. He smiled and relaxed as she helped him wash his back.
“Don’t get too excited mister,” Amy raised her eyebrows and smirked at him. “Or I’ll hide your crutches on you!”
Adam pulled her closer to him feeling her soft skin against his bare chest. He held her there as he drunk in the smell of her hair. He kissed her hungrily while he rubbed her back.
The announcement loudly stated that visiting hours were now over.
“Well, I better get going before I get kicked out,” Amy said as he looked at her longingly.
He pulled her close to him again and kissed her once more. “I love you Amy.”
“I love you too.” Amy’s heart raced as she rose to leave and smoothed out her wrinkled shirt.
Adam viewed Amy as she looked in the mirror fixing her hair before she left. He felt so empty when she walked out that door. He never thought that he could love someone as much as he loved Amy. No one ever cared about him like she had or made his life seem so worthwhile.
Chapter 8
“I brought you these sweatpants,” Amy handed them to Adam. “I thought it be easier for you to get them on and off.”
“I bet you did.” He smirked as he took them from her then untied the hospital gown tossing it onto the chair. “Can you give me a hand? I’m so glad to be going home.”
Amy helped him pull the gray sweatpants up over his knee carefully, not wanting to hurt his injury. “There, all set.” She tossed him a Detroit Tiger’s jersey and a pair of socks.
Adam caught the shirt and placed it over his head pulling it snuggly over his body. He put the sock on his left foot and attempted the other one unsuccessfully.
“That looks good on you,” Amy admired how the navy brought out the gray hues in his eyes. She helped him put the other sock on then laced up his Nike tennis shoes. “I picked up your prescriptions on the way over here,” she explained.
Angie entered the room with a wheelchair. “Time to go,” she smiled.
“I’ll meet you outside with the car.” Amy searched for her keys in her purse, tossing them lightly in her hand as she left the room.
She paid for her parking then drove the car around to the front entrance, where Angie and Adam where waiting. Angie wheeled Adam out then helped Amy get him into the car. She placed his crutches in the backseat. Angie waved as they pulled away from the curb leaving the hospital behind them.
“I love you and I’m not lion,” Adam playfully danced the stuff animal across the dashboard.
Amy shook her head then rolled her eyes as he made the lion kiss her cheek. “What meds did they give you before you left?” She treasured it when he showed her his comical side.
“I’m just happy to be going home,” Adam smiled. “It seems like I been gone forever.”
As they drove towards home the sun announced the beauty of the day with sunbeams dancing through the clouds. Snow lay in patches over the fields while the warmth from the sun melted it slowly. The days were getting warmer and longer with the promise of spring in the air.
“I feel bad you have to waste your two weeks of vacation,” Adam said seriously.
Amy turned quickly to look at him. “I’m looking forward to it. Don’t feel bad.”
“You are the sweetest person I know,” he stuck the lion kiddingly in her face again. Then he changed his tone to a more solemn note. “Thanks for all you have done for me Amy. I don’t know what I did to deserve such a wonderful woman as you. But I sure thank God for you.”
“Boy, those meds have really kicked in, haven’t they?” She joked back but inside she was deeply touched by his honesty.
Amy parked the car behind Adam’s truck in the driveway. She noticed Bob’s Camaro parked on the street. “I’ll run in and get Bob to help me get you up the stairs safely.”
She ran up the steps and knocked on the front door, humming Island Girl by Elton John. Bob opened the door and instantly smiled when he saw Amy standing there.
“Could you give me a hand with Adam?” She smiled back at him innocently. “I’m not sure if he can handle the walk up the stairs.”
“Sure let me grab my shoes,” Bob took them out of the hall closet. He slipped them on his feet then walked down the stairs with Amy, towering over her.
“Hey Adam.” Bob greeted him cheerfully. “Glad to see you home.”
Adam slowly got out of the car using all his upper body strength. Amy handed him his crutches then he walked towards the steps. Bob and Amy steadied him on each side as he carefully took each step.
Once inside they walked him over to the couch and helped him sit down. “Maybe you better sleep down here for a few days until you get your strength up.” Amy ran upstairs to get his pillows and comforter.
As she entered his bedroom she caught a glimpse of the man she cherished. The walls were painted blue and hockey sticks sat in every corner of the room. On his dresser were trophies of all shapes and sizes. She picked one up and read the inscription Adam LaPointe-1975-Playoff MVP. She placed it back as she saw the picture frames that sat on his nightstand. She glanced at an older picture of him and his family standing with fishing poles by the lake. Another picture was of Adam in his hockey uniform posing with his stick. Two smaller school pictures of his sisters sat among the others.
Amy snatched his comforter and pillows as she hurried out of the room, running into Bob in the hallway. He placed his arms around her when she collided into him. Amy paused for a moment noticing how his body engulfed the small space of the hallway and the scent of his cologne. She realized she was still in his arms and quickly jumped away.
“Sorry, I guess I wasn’t looking where I was going.” Amy rushed away embarrassed.
“No problem,” Bob replied as he went into his bedroom.
Amy ran downstairs with the comforter and pillows as she shrugged off her clumsiness. She took Adam’s shoes off and tossed them under the coffee table. He flinched as she placed his leg on the couch.
“I didn’t mean to hur
t you,” Amy looked apologetic. “Do you need a pain pill?” She fluffed his pillows and covered him up with the comforter.
“Yeah, maybe that’s a good idea.” Adam relaxed. “I’m tired and a little bit sore from all the movement today.”
Amy went into the kitchen to get his medication. She searched through the cupboard for a glass then filled it with water. She also filled up an ice pack and took two pills out of the plastic prescription container.
“Here you go honey.” Amy handed him the water and pills then she placed the ice pack on his knee. She sat on the floor next to him as she gently patted his chest. “You get some rest and I’ll make us something for dinner.”
“Thanks babe.” Adam closed his eyes as he exhaled.
Amy searched the refrigerator to see what she could scrounge together for dinner. She took out a dozen eggs, some mushrooms, one green pepper and a chunk of cheddar cheese. In the freezer she found some hash browns and a loaf of bread.
Amy busied herself in the kitchen as she chopped up the mushrooms and green peppers. She fried the hash browns in a skillet and was whisking the eggs when Bob sauntered into the room.
“Something smells good in here,” he deeply inhaled the aroma. “Do you need some help?”
“If you make the toast, I’ll make you an omelet.”
“You got a deal.” Bob tossed the loaf of bread in the air as he took the toaster out of the cupboard. He stood next to Amy as he buttered the toast.
“Here you go,” said Amy as she turned around to find Bob right beside her. “Enjoy.” She handed the plate to him and went back to making another omelet.
Bob pulled up a chair and sat his large frame down by the table reaching for the jelly to spread on his toast. “This is awesome Amy.” Bob ate as if he was famished. “Thanks.”
“You’re quite welcome,” said Amy as she carried two plates of food into the living room. She sat them down on the coffee table and knelt down next to Adam. She brushed her finger lightly on his nose to wake him up.
Wings of Love Page 6