All I Want Is Everything

Unexpected news

I've traveled and unwound my own truth yeah
I've laid my head on the rock of youth yeah
i've trusted and then broken my own word
Just to keep me free in this mad, mad world.

Billy Idol, Catch My Fall

(Content Warning for unplanned pregnancy)

Ella couldn't have been happier with the start of her tour. The musicians were starting to gel as a unit, and it was fun to sit and play cards, hearing about everybody's families and talking music. Her crowds were selling out the venues, making her feel good about the choices she'd made. The album, single, and video were tearing up the charts leaving scorch marks, also gratifying; Loki called her every week with updates. The musicians were also helping with publicity in each city they visited, easing the stress on Ella and showing that she considered them important. On stage, she felt invincible, the audience responding to the music, every note and word her own. She sent Scott a postcard from the road, thanking him for helping shape her sound.

It was kind of a bummer when she picked up a bug that had her barfing at odd times. Sharon lined up a doctor's visit so that hopefully it could be cured and not spread to the rest of the band. Ella was glad that she had a woman doctor; on the road you took what you could get, but she liked women doctors better, feeling that they were more open to asking and answering questions and not being dismissive about her concerns. She went in under a pseudonym to protect her privacy and also keep people from asking if she was going to be too sick to perform. Her bassist had thoughtfully found a trash can with a liner at the last show and parked it just off stage in case, but everybody thought she'd just eaten something that disagreed with her. It was also an opportunity to have her knee checked out; it twinged unpleasantly now and then. the nurse took her vitals, drew blood and had her produce a urine sample, then she was left in the examination room in a crispy paper gown on a cold table for the doctor.

"Hello, Sarah," Dr Cabot said as she came in, closing the door behind her as she read the file. "So you're experiencing nausea and a knee problem?" Her gaze lifted from the paper, went to Ella and back before she started to smile.

"Sarah Connor was my mom's maiden name," she said, and the doctor grinned.

"I imagine that privacy is hard to come by," she said, then seated herself on the rolling stool and asked Ella questions.

"So you think the knee problem occurred on stage when you slipped in some liquid?"

"Yes, my guitarist had spilled water and I didn't know. Didn't think it was a big deal at the time, but the outside of my knee feels stiff and sore, a little tender and swollen, and it feels like it might give out." The doctor nodded and looked up as the nurse passed some paper through the door. She looked it over quickly.

"Ok, let's do an exam here." Ella tucked in the paper gown above her knee and the doctor gently palpated the tissues and tested the joint, taking notice when Ella indicated pain. "Well, I think you have a tear of the lateral collateral ligament in your knee. There are three main ligaments, the medial, the anterior, and the lateral, in your knee. Sometimes they require surgery to fix, but your condition doesn't seem that severe although it could change. If it feels worse, the next time you're in a major city, see if a specialist could squeeze you in, since I'm guessing you won't want to come off the road. But what we're going to try now is non-surgical treatment, which is pretty effective. Rest the knee as much as possible, elevate it, use RICE to control the swelling, take ibuprofen as an anti-inflammatory, and we'll get you a brace. It's going to be fairly stiff, and you might want to incorporate sitting for part of your show if you can. You'll know if you're overdoing, so don't push it unless you want it to get worse. You might need to get physical therapy down the road, so act promptly if it doesn't seem to be getting better and you've done what you need to." She picked up the paper and read. "Now, about this nausea."