Life on the Edge
Page 31
Nurse Whittaker stuck a thermometer in his mouth. “You have some trauma to your legs, Mr. McCallum, but the doctor says you’re going to be fine.”
Matt spit the thermometer out. “Trauma to my legs?”
“Yes, sir, and I’d rather you talk to Dr. Williams about it.”
It’s bad. It has to be
. “Tell me,” he demanded.
“Mr. McCallum…”
Matt forced himself to sit up. His head spun and made his stomach turn over, but he managed to pull the sheet off his right leg. Wow, he must really be out of it. It looked like most of his leg was gone. He shook his head to clear away the cobwebs and looked again. His leg was gone!
He started to shake and grabbed the nurse by the arm. “Where’s my leg?” he cried.
The nurse took a look at one of the monitors in the room and called, “Jenny, would you bring me another dose of Mr. McCallum’s medication?”
A nurse arrived with a syringe which she injected into Matt’s IV. “There you are,” she soothed. “You’ll be comfortable in a few minutes.”
Dizziness washed over Matt. “What did…you…give…me?”
“Something to make you rest,” Nurse Whitaker answered. “You go to sleep and don’t worry about a thing. We’re taking very good care of you.”
****
Stacey shuddered and splashed some more water on her face. The nausea had passed now. She staggered back into her bedroom and threw herself across her bed. Matt’s legs looked horrible! She’d give anything not to have been at the hospital when the bandages came off. It had been bad enough when a sheet covered Matt, but to actually see his mutilated legs turned her stomach and made her feel faint.
She knew one thing, though. Until this afternoon she hadn’t really understood that Matt’s football career had ended. Oh, she realized he had lost a leg, but somehow it hadn’t been real to her until she saw it for herself.
Rolling over, she curled into a tight, little ball. She had had such fun going places with Matt. People always recognized him and wanted his autograph. He had plenty of money too, and he wasn’t stingy with it. The fame and money had thrilled her, but it was all over and done with now. No more autographs or big money.
Her stomach lurched again. She had more than just fame and money to worry about. Matt had wanted to kiss her this afternoon. In fact, when the doctor came in to take off Matt’s bandages he had caught her sitting on the edge of the bed kissing Matt. The doctor had kidded him about it, but she hadn’t minded being interrupted at all. She…didn’t like to touch him too much now.
Her thoughts drifted to the afternoon of their accident. Their parents wouldn’t approve, but she and Matt had gone to Greenville and checked into a luxury hotel that morning. They had spent his last day of freedom in bed together. She drew a deep, shaky breath. The day had been everything she’d dreamed it could be. Her body tightened with the faint echo of passion. Matt was a good lover.
Oh, why did they have to have such a terrible accident? What would happen to Matt now? Her engagement ring winked and twinkled as it caught the light. She stared at it for a moment and began to cry.
****
Matt stared at the empty physical therapy room and took a sip of the hospital brew the physical therapy assistant had given him. It could use a little work, but it did have a much needed jolt of caffeine in it. He sighed, blinking away sleep. Why’d they schedule him so early in the morning? He could have slept a little longer. It wasn’t like he had anything to do.
The door opened with a click, and a tall, well-built, young man with dark hair entered the physical therapy office.
The man poured himself a cup of coffee. “Who’s the new guy?”
The physical therapy assistant, Betty she’d said her name was, shoved a folder at him. “Matt McCallum.”
“Oh, yeah. Man, that’s a shame.”
Betty scowled at him. “It’s always a shame when people are hurt as bad as he was, Being a football player doesn’t make him any different from anyone else.”
“I know and I didn’t mean anything bad. It’s just that he played one year of pro ball, and it looked like he was going to be one of the greats. Now, he’s here to get fitted for a prosthesis.”
“Well, I think he needs some counseling. He has that dull, withdrawn, shell-shocked look on his face.”
“Most amputees feel that way in the beginning,” the man answered. “We can schedule him with Dr. Whitney if we need too.”
Matt’s fists clenched. Didn’t they know he could hear them? Didn’t they know how it made him feel for them to talk about him like he was an old, washed up nobody?
The man picked up a file and joined him in the waiting area. “Hi, Matt. I’m Sam Dickson.”
He held out his hand, and Matt took it briefly.
Sam indicated the file in his hand. “It says here you got the bandages off yesterday and that the stump is nicely healed. Is that right?”
Matt shrugged. “I guess.”
“Your other leg is banged up pretty bad too, so we have to work with that as well, but the sooner we get started, the better off you’ll be.”
“That’s what they say.”
Sam nodded. “Okay, today I’ll show you how to take care of yourself. After that we’ll fit you for a temporary prosthesis.”
Matt’s head spun; he swallowed hard and focused on a bar mounted on the wall to steady himself. “All right.”
Matt was a quick study. He paid close attention when Sam showed him how to clean and protect the stump. Then, Sam passed him the sock that went over it. “You put it on,” he said.
Matt repressed the shudder that shook him as he pulled the sock on and smoothed it. “Very good,” Sam approved. “I hope your motivation is this good once we get you up to walk.” He laughed. “As a former athlete, a physical task might be more appealing than what you just learned.”
Matt drew a deep, shaky breath. Of course he was motivated! It humiliated him when anybody saw his legs or had to help him get around. He was desperate to regain some control over his own body.
A tall, striking brunette passed through the room and waved to Sam who grinned and waved back at her. “Gorgeous isn’t she?” he asked Matt, the look on his face reminding Matt of a gamboling, goofy puppy. “Layla is her name. I’ve been trying to get her to go out with me.”
Matt barely glanced at her. “Yeah, she’s pretty.”
Sam eyed Matt with a quizzical expression on his face. “That was sure lukewarm, buddy. A woman that drop dead gorgeous ought to get your heart pumping. Are you worried about women now that you’ve lost your leg?”
Matt’s face colored, but he made no reply.
“Man, you need to think about how lucky you are. I know you’ve lost a lot, but you can still be with a woman and father children. Hurting your legs doesn’t mean the romantic side of life is over for you.”
Matt raised his eyes to Sam’s for the first time. “You left out one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Not too many women are interested in having sex with a cripple. Seeing a stump like mine is a good way to kill the romance.”
Sam squatted down so he and Matt were on eye level with each other. “Matt, the nurses said you’re engaged. Have you talked to your fiancée about all this?”
“That won’t be necessary. Stacey was with me yesterday when the bandages came off. She turned as white as a sheet and said she had to go home. A messenger brought her engagement ring to me this morning.”
Matt cringed when he saw the look of pity of Sam’s face. His stark, unemotional rendering of the facts hadn’t fooled the therapist.
Sam slapped his shoulder and said, “Not all women are like that, buddy. Some of them will stand by a man through thick and thin. Next time you’ll choose better, right?” He stood up and took hold of the handles on Matt’s wheelchair. “Let’s see about fitting that prosthesis so we can get you walking again.”
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