Safe and Sound

Safe and Sound - Chapter 12

Chapter TWELVE

My phone buzzed when I was eating breakfast, too early, before my mom and I left for my X-ray, for the eight a.m. appointment.

    SORRY, LAST NIGHT WAS BUSY. IM SO GLAD YOU CAN COME TOMORROW. HOWS 430? SO YOUR MOM CAN MEET MY DAD AND TIFF?

   I shoved a spoon full of Cheerios into my mouth, quickly typing back.

  THAT'S PERFECT. SEE YOU THEN.

   GOOD LUCK AT YOUR XRAY.

   I smiled, without realizing it. I couldn't believe he remembered.

   THANKS.

   "Hurry up, Cass. We have to leave in five minutes," my mom yelled from the other room.

   "I'm ready," I called back, taking the last bite of my cereal.

   My stomach was in knots as we entered the office for the X-ray. My mom walked up to the desk, smiling at the receptionist.

   "We're here for my daughter's X-ray. Cassidy Wright."

   The woman looked at a clip board, then typed something in to her computer. "Right. 8 A.M. We actually had to switched to an MRI of the elbow. Her scans from the original date showed possible damage to the tendons-"

   "Wait, what?" I interrupted.

   "It's okay, it's the same approximate time for the scan," the woman said, unfazed. "We will call you in a few minutes."

   I sat down beside my mom in a plastic chair, my heart pounding.

   "What does that mean?" I asked her.

   "I'm not sure, honey. I guess the X-ray is for bones, but you had damage to the muscles and tendons, so the MRI -"

   "Mom..."

   "It's okay, honey," she said, patting my leg. "Don't worry."

   The MRI machine was loud and I had to lay in a weird plastic tunnel, perfectly still. It took awhile and it was scary, but once it was finished the nurse took me and my mom to a waiting room. That part took even longer. I just wanted this to be over with.

   When the doctor came in, he looked like he had bad news.

   "Hi, Cassidy. So, how's the elbow been feeling over the past two weeks, since the accident?" he began.

  "Uh... it's been... I mean, it hurts. I've tried mostly keeping it in the sling. But... I think it's been getting better," I answered slowly.

   "Well, I can imagine it would be painful, as you have some significant muscle and nerve damage around the elbow. I would assume from impact."

   "Significant?" My mom asked, looking shocked. "In Little Rock they said it was just sprained."

   "Yes, it can be hard to see the damage while there is swelling. Now that the initial trauma has subsided, the MRI is showing the damage-"

   "No," I said loudly. "It's getting better."

   "Yes, it may feel like it's better, but the chance of re-injury is high-"

   "So, what can we do?" my Mom asked, looking at me and then to the doctor.

   "I'd like to recommend a bent cast for three to four weeks. And likely physically therapy following that-"

   "Mom," I said, gasping. Tears pooled behind my eyelids.

   "Oh, honey." Her voice was steady.

   "Will I be able to go back to cheer? In the cast?" I blurted out.

   "Cheer?" the doctor asked, confused.

   "She's a flyer," my Mom said. "The one they toss in the air."

   "Oh, well, generally in a cast kids can go back to regular activity, being mindful not to be too hard on it..."

   "We'll make it work, Cass. It's just a few weeks." My mom forced a smile. "I have to get to work. When would the cast be put on?"

   The doctor smiled back. "I can make some time tomorrow, in the morning?"

   It wasn't as if I had a choice, so I nodded.

   I didn't talk on the drive to school. I had nothing to say. I was angry, but not at anyone in particular. I did not want to get a cast. I just wanted to go back to cheer.

   "See you tonight," my mom said cheerfully as she pulled into the parking lot.

   But I was over two hours late and now I was in a bad mood. "Yeah," I replied, then grabbed my bag and got out of her car.

   At lunch, Sonya found me at my locker. Her brown-red hair was down and she had a sparkly headband on.

   "How was your x-ray?" she asked right away.

   "Don't ask," I mumbled, closing my locker. "It's bad."

   "Oh, no. Really?" Sonya asked, surprised.

   I nodded. "Getting a cast tomorrow."

   "Oh God. I'm so sorry, Cass." She looked sad. I just shrugged. "Did you tell Kate about Rowan yet?" she went on.

   "No, I didn't have a chance."

   "You better tell her today," Sonya laughed.

   I agreed and then we headed to the cafeteria together to eat.

   After school, I just wanted to go home and cry. Instead, I sucked it up and followed Kate and Sonya to the gym for practise.

   Coach Winters bee-lined towards me. I just wanted to turn to and run away.

   "There she is," Coach called out. "What's the word?"

   Sonya gave me an apologetic look and kept walking.

   "I... I can't practice today," I answered, not looking right at her. "I have some nerve damage. I'm getting a cast tomorrow."

   Coach stepped back, suddenly her smile was gone. "That is not what I hoped to hear." Duh.

   "I know. I want to be back on the mat. But the cast will be on for three or four weeks..." I let my voice trail off.

   "A month? In a month we will be finishing routines... and you won't be in them." Coach shook her head, still shocked. But then it turned into pity, which was worse.

   "I... I'm sorry." Like it was my fault my arm was hurt. "I don't know what to say."

   Finally, she put her hand on my shoulder. "I might be able to add you... but no guarantees."

   "I understand," I told her quickly, as tears fell down my cheeks.

   "I'd love for you to come to practice, though. Stretch with us, learn the routines." She was saying this to me, but already looking over at the other girls who were ready to start practice.

   "Yeah... okay. I just... today I can't stay," I told her. I wanted to scream.

   Coach nodded, and then turned and walked back towards the mat, where her real team was warming up. The team that I didn't seem to be a part of any more.

   I spun around and ran out of the gym without saying anything to my friends. They got to stay, practice, work the routines. They weren't in a train accident. They weren't broken. And I was just so angry at the world.

   Tucked away in my bedroom an hour later, I pulled my blanket over my head and cried. This was not how my senior year of school or cheer was supposed to go. This was not how my winter break was supposed to go. None of this was okay.