Growing Pains

Chapter 11 - Abel, Present Day

As it turned out, working at the clinic with Evie was still a little complicated after all. Abel relished the time he got to spend with her, enjoyed teasing her whenever she got flustered under Doctor Triste's supervision. Most of all, he was happy to simply observe her, to watch the young woman that Evie had become.

He'd always been curious about what she'd be like, hopeful that her sunny disposition remained after the years had passed. Watching her interact with his patients in her light, empathetic way was oftentimes the highlight of his day. She brightened up the clinic with her fun-loving spirit, her colourful outfits and accessories a fan favourite amongst the children. Today was a pair of oversized overalls, which covered a sweater with a starburst of colours splattered all over. Dangling from her ears was a pair of earrings shaped as kittens. The one on her left ear was sleeping peacefully. 

That morning, one of their newer patients arrived. Only sixteen, he had been badly injured playing football.

"Hi, Beau. How are you feeling today?"

Beau lay on the bed, looking agitated. "When can I get back on the field?" He asked, with an expression that dared Abel to deny him. Abel sat down on the bed by his injured leg and looked at him seriously. "You aren't going to like what I have to say. But what I can tell you is that I will do everything I can to get you back on the field."

Beau glared. "I know it's bad. It's my achilles. I know what that means. How long?"

Abel knew how the boy was feeling, understood that fear and that desperate denial of being trapped. He looked into Beau's eyes and could see that he wanted the cold truth, not sugar-coated. It would be a disservice to him to underplay the severity of his injury. "10 months, maybe a year."

Beau closed his eyes for a moment. To anyone else, he would seem calm, but Abel was acutely aware of his fists clenching on the bedding.

"I don't have time for that. I've got trials coming up in a few months. That could get me into an academy. I have to play."

Abel put his hand on Beau's shoulder. "You're still young. There will be other trials. You can still come back." Beau was silent for a while, but Abel could see him struggling to hold back tears.

"I'm scared," Beau whispered.

"You can still be the same footballer you were before. But even if you don't, even if you didn't want that anymore, you can still be so many other things."

Beau shook his head. "I have to be a footballer. There's nothing else I can do, nothing else I'm good at."

Abel looked hard into Beau's eyes. Stared at his young face. Fresh-faced, still naive, but Abel knew that he completely understood the gravity of his injury. It would be a turning point for him like it was for Abel all those years ago. But it didn't have to be as hard as it was for him.

"Listen to me. You have support. If you want to get better, we'll get you there. I'll do everything I can. Whatever you decide that you want to do, we'll be there every step of the way."

There was a sniffing sound and Abel turned towards the doorway, expecting to see Beau's mother. But it was Evie, leaning against the door frame. She held Beau's crutches, his files tucked under her arm.

She hurriedly dashed a stray tear away, looking horrified that they had caught her. "Sorry," she plastered on a bright smile, "Beau, I've got the whole rehab plan here. We can get started as soon as you like."

Immediately, Beau brightened at the sight of his young and pretty psychologist. "Don't be crying over me, Miss Evie," Beau said with a charming grin. "I'll be on the field in no time, isn't that right, Abel?"

Evie laughed, "Of course, of course. How will I cope without my favourite footballer on the field."

She began talking to Beau cheerily about a funny video they had found on the internet. But she wouldn't look at Abel. In fact, it was fairly obvious to Abel that she was doing everything she could to avoid speaking to him. When she'd done her rounds, she said her goodbyes and left.