F is for Finn (Men of ALPHAbet Mountain)

He laughed again. “You make it sound like I’ve held you hostage here for weeks.”

“It’s felt like weeks.”

“Well you’ll be glad to hear everything looks good, and as soon as I have your prescriptions and care instructions printed out, and the specialist has booked your follow-up appointments, I will fill out your discharge papers and send you on your way,” he said.

“That would be amazing. Thank you.”

“You’re going to want to call someone to give you a ride,” he said.

“No problem.”

I called Deana and told her happily she could come spring me from the hospital. By the time the doctor had all my papers printed and my scripts filled, I had painfully managed to get out of the awkward hospital gown and back in my clothes. I was perched on the edge of the bed, ready to go, when Deana got there.

“Thank goodness,” I said. “Let’s roll.”

Deana laughed and helped me get my crutch in place under my arm and me up to my feet. I was so glad both of my serious injuries were on the same side of my body. At least this way I could still use a crutch and get around.

“What did the doctor say?” she asked.

“That I’m going to need to lay low for a while, which is ridiculous. I have too much to do to just bum around at the house.”

“You know, a lot of people would be really glad for some downtime,” she said.

“I don’t think that applies to situations that involve crutches, a knee brace, a cast, and bruises on top of other bruises,” I said. “That’s not exactly a vacation. I just want to get home.”

“Home?” Olly asked.

I nodded. “Yes, baby. We’re going home.”

“Are you sure? I can keep him for as long as you need me to,” she offered.

I shook my head. “No. Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would have done without you. But I have missed him so much, and I’m ready for things to be as normal as possible.”

“Alright. But if you change your mind or need anything, you know you can call me. The offer will stand.”

“I know. Thank you,” I said.

We got back to my cabin, and I noticed it smelled fresh and clean. Deana shrugged.

“I thought it would be good for you to come home to a clean house all set up for you.” We walked into the living room, and she showed me where she had put plump pillows on the recliner and pulled a table close to it so it could hold a big bottle of water, a basket of snacks, and the TV controller within close reach. “I remember when my dad hurt his knee, and he couldn’t lay flat in bed because it hurt too much. He had to sleep in the chair for a couple of weeks.”

“You are the best friend ever,” I said, hugging her as close as I could with one arm while trying to balance myself on one leg and a crutch. “Thank you so much.”

She stayed for a little bit to help get Olly lunch and then headed home to log in for work. I spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how to navigate my world on crutches and with my wrist cast. I wanted to tell myself that I was going to be able to function normally, but that wasn’t turning out to be the case. This was going to get some getting used to.

Knowing I was going to have to sleep on the recliner for at least a few days, I appreciated Deana’s foresight to turn it into a campout with Olly. She had already covered the couch with a sheet and put his pillow at the end. Another sheet and his favorite blanket were folded across the top of the couch, waiting for him. He thought it sounded like great fun and was excited to brush his teeth and crawl onto the couch at his bedtime.

It was still early for me, but I sat in the recliner, tired and in pain, ready to go to sleep myself. The recliner was decidedly better for my knee than stretching out flat would have been, but I was struggling to fall asleep. I thought I might finally nod off when I heard a soft knock on my door.

I hauled myself out of the chair and tucked the crutch under my arm, so I could hobble over to the door. Peeking through the curtain, I saw Finn standing on the porch. He smiled at me and lifted his arms to show me the three bulging bags he was holding.

Releasing the curtains, I took half a second to freak out a little before pulling myself together. I wasn’t expecting him to be there, and I had been feeling terrible about missing our Monday plans, but there he was. I opened the door and shifted out of the way to let him inside.