Unfixable

The Morning Paper

Three days later, Gavin's fever had broken, and he was finally free to leave his room. The first thing he did was head to Elijah's office to get his new prosthetic fitted. It seemed Elijah was ready for him, and had even improved on the design since last time. Nothing really looked any different. It still had that slight bend in the toe section with a metal ankle joint and a wooden body. The difference came in the material within the lining. The leather had been covered with a slightly softer suede material, and the edges had been cushioned a little. On the thigh section, the corset strap remained the same, though he noticed the laces were slightly wider and easier to pull.

"I made it just a little wider above the bed this time due to the extra padding...Are you ready?" Elijah asked as he watched Gavin tie off the lacing. Gavin ran his hands over the familiar corset binding and tugged. It felt good and snug. He raised his leg a little and felt the familiar weight. The new leg didn't feel too heavy. He placed his foot on the floor and nodded. He was ready. Elijah stepped back a little, giving him space to push himself up but remaining ready in case he needed support. Gavin stood. There was a momentary wobble before he corrected himself. Thank phck I still remember how to do this. "How does it feel?" Elijah seemed hopeful as he watched him take a few steps, using his cleaned up cane for support.

Elijah had returned to the woods after the storm to look for it. He knew it wouldn't be far from where Gavin had fallen, so he'd searched the road carefully. It had been caked in wet mud, but otherwise unharmed. After bringing it back, he'd thoroughly cleaned it and buffed the handle with a proper bronze cleaner. He'd gone over each small swirl, making sure it was completely free of dirt. Gavin had been relieved and thankful for both the return of his cane and the prosthetic replacement. He never thought he'd miss the prosthetic, but getting around without it was a pain in the ass now that he was used to it.

"It actually feels a lot better..." The padded rim was hugging his stump rather than digging into it, and the softer rest beneath was a little easier on the still tender skin. Elijah beamed at the news, letting him take a few more rounds of the small room just to make sure. It really was a lot more comfortable. The pressure was still a little unpleasant, but in a few more months, as the skin and muscles hardened and got used to it, he was sure it would improve.

"Are you sure? Does anything need to be adjusted?" Gavin took a few more thoughtful steps. It felt pretty good. He didn't notice anything off in the prosthetic's height, and it was no heavier than the last one. The thigh strap was about as comfortable as expected, considering how tight it needed to be. His stump sat securely in the base, and it didn't rub too much as he walked. It was definitely an improvement on the last one, and he was pretty happy with it.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's good." Elijah nodded his satisfaction as he tidied his bench, humming happily as he did so. Gavin's eyes sharpened as he looked at him. Elijah didn't fucking hum. He didn't hum unless he was happy. Really happy. The sort of happy he'd been when he'd asked Chloe to marry him and she'd said yes. Either he'd just got some really good news about something, or he'd had a breakthrough with one of his inventions.

"You get some good news or some shit? What's with the humming?" Elijah clammed up at the accusing tone as he lowered his tools and leaned back on the bench. He looked like he'd been caught in a trap as he stammered and tried to look innocent. "Come the phck on, I know you. Don't even try to bullshit me." He huffed as Elijah gave him a resigned look. Despite the resignation, he also looked incredibly excited as he glanced at the closed door, as if checking that no one was about to interrupt them.

"Alright! It's supposed to be a secret, but Chloe says she's expecting!" He spoke quietly, as if afraid of being overheard, but he was still brimming with restless energy. Gavin smiled and gripped his shoulder, doing his best to seem surprised. Elijah, it seemed, was too preoccupied with his own buzzing excitement to notice. He was jittery. How the phck did he manage to hide that long enough to fit my leg? He looked like he was about to run a marathon he had so much energy.