Broken

Chapter 4

Graduation came around and my final grades were mostly B's. I guess Mason had motivated me to be more diligent in school work. I noticed that in the summer it's harder to take care of Mason, but I don't really mind the work. It keeps me busy.

One summer day I was caught off guard. "So, how long are you staying today?" Mason asked one hot summer afternoon. "When your parents get back." I know he knows that, but there's something mischievous about this whole conversation. "Then you need an extra set of clothes because they aren't coming back for a week." I give him a smug look as he smiles playfully. "I'm not spending the night." He chuckles and I change the subject. "When are you starting physical therapy?" "Next week... They wanted to wait until it was hot enough to swim." "Oh..." I say casually. "Are you going to go with me?" "Mm-hmmmm." Of course I would, but what he says next makes me want to stop even looking at him. "Good, because girlfriends do that stuff." "I'm not your girlfriend.", I say flatly. "Because you're afraid to lose Luke? Is that why?" "I don't want to talk about it.", I say clearly frustrated. "You've worked so hard to get him and now that this happens, you don't want to let your hard work go to waste." My voice rises this time, "Now that is not true!! I don't want to lose Luke because he has been a friend when you weren't!"

He looked down because he knew he hurt me. "I'm sorry. I didn't reali-" "Forget it. I'm tired of this conversation.", I say sternly. I walk away to leave him to his own thoughts. Then I almost regret what I said to him. All the thoughts and emotions in that hospital room eight months ago were forgotten until now.

****

The next week was therapy. For the rest of the week since the little argument we had, I asked Luke and Darci to take care of him from morning till noon. But this week is reserved for me, him, and the therapist. I drove him to the physical therapy clinic on a Tuesday. It wasn't very busy. We checked in and waited a half an hour before we were called in for Mason's first visit.

"Wow, this is a nice facility you have here." I say to the therapist. He chuckles a hardy chuckle and says, "Yes, yes! We pride ourselves in our different training programs and facility cleanliness. We are also the largest clinic in the area as well." I smile at his friendliness and he then addresses Mason. The therapist is an older gentleman. He looks about fifty years old or better with neatly trimmed white hair. He is actually kind of large to be a physical therapist, but he looks like he has decades of experience.

Caesar or Mr. C as I like to call him, soon starts out with standing. It seems like an easy task, but it looks so hard when someone paralyzed has to do it. I help at first, but Mason tells me to stop helping him because I'm a distraction. I just sit and watch for a while when my phone buzzes in my back pocket. It was a text from Darci: THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH KAT. YOU NEED TO COME TO THE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL ON GALE PRKWY. PLEASE HURRY!!! :'-(

As quickly as I could I gathered my things. "When is this session over?" I ask Mr. C in a worried tone. He looks up and sees the urgency in my face. "Until two. I can drive him to wherever you will be if necessary." I swallow hard at the thought of saying it out loud, "Community hospital on Gale parkway." My voice is shaky, but I keep my composure. He nods and I run out the door.

The drive to the hospital seemed like forever. I found any available parking space and ran in. This was the same hospital that I was in eight months ago with Mason. I shiver at the thought and the nurse at the front desk is startled by my rushed appearance. "I would like to see Katherine Mel." The nurse looks at me strangely and said, "Patient Katherine Mel is in surgery at this moment-" "She is not a patient, she's a person. And for your information, there's also a little place called a waiting room. Tell me where it is so I can wait for Katherine.", I emphasized the word Katherine at the end so she got the message. The nurse was shocked at my rudeness towards her and told me to go to the fifth floor. I didn't say thank you or anything. I just ran to the elevator.