Justin remained at the table, just letting Ryan go. He knew he’d hit a tender spot, and even though part of him felt badly, he also knew that sometimes turning up the heat was the only way to get someone to move. Unfortunately, it really was up to Ryan now. How badly did she really want to get better? Sometimes there were people who simply would rather stay where they were and hang on to what was lost. But if she did that...she’d never move forward.
“Hey...”
Justin looked up, startled. He didn’t know how long he’d been lost in thought. “Hey, Eli.”
Eli glanced around before sitting down across from him. “Where’s...Ryan? I was supposed to come pick her up.”
“I know.” Justin sighed. “She left a few minutes ago. She needed some time to think.”
Eli didn’t like the sound of that. “She was doing better... Is she worse again?”
“I wouldn’t say worse. She’s just... stuck.”
“Well what can we do?”
Justin shook his head. “Just be there. It’s up to her now.” “But...what if she doesn’t...want to be better?”
“Then that’s her choice, and there’s nothing either one of us can do about it.” Seeing Eli’s desperate expression, Justin tried to offer him some encouragement. “See if you can get her back to the races. That seems to have helped. She said she had a friend there who won. Maybe see if she’ll interact more. Distractions are good at this point.”
Rick pursed his lips, thinking. “Well... I know it’s easiest to keep Aaron in his cell since you can lock the door and walk away, but to be honest, I think he should stay in the infirmary for a couple days. I want to make sure no infection sets in, and that way, too, he won’t be up moving around. At the moment, he’s restrained. If you can convince him not to try anything, more power to ya. Hal never could, but it seems you’ve had a calming effect.” He nodded to the door. “Come on. He’s probably waking up, so you’ll want to be there for this.”
Going back into the infirmary, they did see that Aaron was waking up. “Aaron...how are you feeling?”
Aaron was still a bit groggy, but he shook his head. “Lousy. In pain.”
Rick nodded. “As expected.”
Aaron licked his dry lips and searched Rick and Sam’s faces. Something felt...off. “So what’s the bad news?”
Rick sighed. He wasn’t going to pull any punches. Not with this man. “Good news is the surgery went well. Misty and I were able to repair some of that secondary damage. Bad news is that you’ve reduced your already-slim chances of regaining back your strength and mobility in that knee.”
“Hey...”
Justin looked up, startled. He didn’t know how long he’d been lost in thought. “Hey, Eli.”
Eli glanced around before sitting down across from him. “Where’s...Ryan? I was supposed to come pick her up.”
“I know.” Justin sighed. “She left a few minutes ago. She needed some time to think.”
Eli didn’t like the sound of that. “She was doing better... Is she worse again?”
“I wouldn’t say worse. She’s just... stuck.”
“Well what can we do?”
Justin shook his head. “Just be there. It’s up to her now.” “But...what if she doesn’t...want to be better?”
“Then that’s her choice, and there’s nothing either one of us can do about it.” Seeing Eli’s desperate expression, Justin tried to offer him some encouragement. “See if you can get her back to the races. That seems to have helped. She said she had a friend there who won. Maybe see if she’ll interact more. Distractions are good at this point.”
Rick pursed his lips, thinking. “Well... I know it’s easiest to keep Aaron in his cell since you can lock the door and walk away, but to be honest, I think he should stay in the infirmary for a couple days. I want to make sure no infection sets in, and that way, too, he won’t be up moving around. At the moment, he’s restrained. If you can convince him not to try anything, more power to ya. Hal never could, but it seems you’ve had a calming effect.” He nodded to the door. “Come on. He’s probably waking up, so you’ll want to be there for this.”
Going back into the infirmary, they did see that Aaron was waking up. “Aaron...how are you feeling?”
Aaron was still a bit groggy, but he shook his head. “Lousy. In pain.”
Rick nodded. “As expected.”
Aaron licked his dry lips and searched Rick and Sam’s faces. Something felt...off. “So what’s the bad news?”
Rick sighed. He wasn’t going to pull any punches. Not with this man. “Good news is the surgery went well. Misty and I were able to repair some of that secondary damage. Bad news is that you’ve reduced your already-slim chances of regaining back your strength and mobility in that knee.”
“So...nothing has changed.”
“Only a little for the worse. But not by a huge margin. You’re gonna have to let this heal though. Which means...” Rick glanced at Sam. “It’s my recommendation that you stay off that leg completely for three weeks. Then after that we’ll see about minimal weight. But that means if you’re gonna get around, it will have to be crutches. And that means no handcuffs. And that means you’d need to be behaving. But that’s for you two to work out.”
Aaron’s eyes dropped, and he wriggled his wrists against the restraints on the bed. There was nothing to work out. He had no say in this, only Sam did.
Travis chuckled as he swallowed his bite. “That would be fun. I’d show you soon, except all my gaming stuff got left at my mom’s. Someone else around here might have some games though.”
A little more small talk followed, and Travis really didn’t want to go back to work yet, even though he knew he needed to. Besides, if they stayed out too long, someone would probably come looking for them. Finished eating, he rolled onto his back, his head near Ashlee as he looked up at the blue sky. “Mm...too bad dirty stalls are waiting,” he mused. A little grin emerged though, and he shifted his eyes to look up at her instead.
“This was fun. You...wouldn’t want to do this again sometime, would you? Except... could I take you out to lunch in town or something? My treat.”
“Only a little for the worse. But not by a huge margin. You’re gonna have to let this heal though. Which means...” Rick glanced at Sam. “It’s my recommendation that you stay off that leg completely for three weeks. Then after that we’ll see about minimal weight. But that means if you’re gonna get around, it will have to be crutches. And that means no handcuffs. And that means you’d need to be behaving. But that’s for you two to work out.”
Aaron’s eyes dropped, and he wriggled his wrists against the restraints on the bed. There was nothing to work out. He had no say in this, only Sam did.
Travis chuckled as he swallowed his bite. “That would be fun. I’d show you soon, except all my gaming stuff got left at my mom’s. Someone else around here might have some games though.”
A little more small talk followed, and Travis really didn’t want to go back to work yet, even though he knew he needed to. Besides, if they stayed out too long, someone would probably come looking for them. Finished eating, he rolled onto his back, his head near Ashlee as he looked up at the blue sky. “Mm...too bad dirty stalls are waiting,” he mused. A little grin emerged though, and he shifted his eyes to look up at her instead.
“This was fun. You...wouldn’t want to do this again sometime, would you? Except... could I take you out to lunch in town or something? My treat.”
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