Bad Seed

“Is it your head again?” I asked. “Or something else?”

“I feel good today,” she said. “No pain.”

She hadn’t answered my question, but I wasn’t able to push her. Dr. McGee stepped inside the office and pulled the door closed behind him. He smiled at us and moved to sit behind his desk.

“Have a seat,” he said, gesturing toward the chair I’d abandoned.

I sat down and wiped my hands on my jeans. I was nervous but mostly just excited. I knew I was kicking ass at my PT, so there wasn’t any reason for me to avoid work any longer.

“So,” Dr. McGee said. “I went over your x-rays, and after our physical exam yesterday, I’m confident that everything is healing properly.”

“That’s great,” I said eagerly. “So I can get back to work?”

“Well,” Dr. McGee said, “I don’t see why not.”

“Hell yes!” I cheered.

“But,” Dr. McGee said quickly and loudly, “I want you to continue with you PT for another month.”

My eyes flicked over to Tara. She was sitting up straight now, her eyes focused on me. She hadn’t mentioned anything about continuous physical therapy.

“Why?” I asked with a frown. “Is something wrong?”

“Not at all,” Dr. McGee said. “We just want to keep it that way.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. Something didn’t feel right. “But if I’m fine, then why is it necessary to continue?”

“Because it’ll allow me to monitor your recovery,” Tara said. Her voice was firm and authoritative, the way it always was when she slipped into PT mode. “Dr. McGee and I both want to ensure everything progresses properly. You can go back to work, but your chief will have to decide how active you are.”

“But I can work?” I asked, wanting to make sure.

“Yes,” Dr. McGee said. “You can work.”

I grinned and slapped my knee. I was beyond thrilled. I couldn’t wait to get back to the fire station. A piece of me had been missing for over a month. I was ready to get it back.

“Thank you, Dr. McGee,” I said. I stood up to shake his hand.

“It’s Tara you should thank,” Dr. McGee said. “Good physical therapists are hard to come by. We’re lucky she’s here.”

“Trust me, I know.”

I looked at Tara and smiled. She smiled back, but it didn’t reach her eyes. We both said our goodbyes to Dr. McGee before we left the office. Tara had to get back to work, but she promised to drive me to my mom’s house before her next session. We walked to her car and slid inside.

“Hey,” I said, reaching for her hand. She turned to face me. “I want to thank you.”

“For what?” she asked.

“Dr. McGee was right,” I said. “I couldn’t have done this without you. You are the reason my recovery went so well. Without you, I honestly don’t know what I would have done this past month.”

“You would have been fine,” she said with a laugh. “You’re stronger than you think. I barely did anything.”

“It’s not just about the PT,” I said. “It’s everything. Having you back in my life has been like a dream, Tara. I never realized how much I missed you until I saw you again.”

“I missed you too,” she said softly. I smiled and kissed her, slipping my tongue easily into her mouth.

We kissed for a long time, just sitting in the parking lot and ignoring the rest of the world. Her lips were the only drug I would ever need.

When we pulled apart, though, her eyes were dark. The expression she’d worn in the office before Dr. McGee arrived was back. I frowned and looked at her, trying to read her mind. She cranked the engine and pulled out of the parking spot.