Christmas Therapy
Page 22
Her sister tilted her head towards her. “I don’t believe you.”
Heather rested against the pillows. She then ran her fingers down her heart-shaped face. “This can’t be happening to me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
“I shouldn’t have left you alone.”
Heather waved her comment. “It doesn’t matter. Life happens.”
“Why do you do that?”
She turned her head and faced her sister. “What?”
“You don’t have to be strong all the time,” Sonia said.
Heather’s lips parted as she felt a twinge of pain in her knee. It did nothing for the sorrow in her heart. It had remained there since that fateful day. She remembered telling her mother goodnight, only to return to the room she shared with Sonia.
“What’s wrong? Is it morning?” Sonia had asked rubbing her eyes in her twin-sized bed.
“No,” she had said, holding back the tears threatening to spill over. Climbing back into her bed, she said. “It's fine, Sonia. Go back to sleep.”
“What happened?”
Heather’s head shot up in her hospital bed only to be met with more pain in her leg. Her mother hurried to her daughter and kissed her forehead.
“Are you alright? What were you doing? Breakdancing?”
Sonia giggled.
“No, I slipped on the ice. I was leaving the Sawyer party.”
“How bad is it?” her mother asked.
“Doctor Boyer hasn’t come in yet. So far they’ve got her leg elevated with an ice pack.”
“You’re coming home with me to stay, so we can take care of you,” her mother said.
Sonia added. “It would be easier.”
Heather argued. “I’m going home. Yes, I’m in pain, but it’s not that bad. I’ll be fine and back on my feet in no time.”
Her mother raised a thin eyebrow. “Heather Bernice Shaw!”
“Mom, don’t worry. I’m okay.”
“Heather, what happened?” Dr. Boyer asked as he came through the door. He then picked up her chart at the foot of her bed.
“You tell me,” Heather said with a faint smile.
“Well, we can run some more tests if you’d like, but my diagnosis is a grade two knee sprain of your medial ligament. I estimate six to eight weeks for recovery.”
Her mouth dropped open. “What?”
“I do recommend you wearing a knee brace, and you’re only allowed to return to light duties once your leg is steady,” he explained.
“No… no… Dr. Boyer, I can’t be out of work. I have a boot camp class coming up. What about my job? We have the Christmas festival,” she said in between biting her lips.