I Promise (Wattys 2016)

Pride and Twisted Ankles

A Month Later

Victoria was doing much better now that she knew her husband was alive. She had even started getting up earlier than usual to work. This morning was no different. She woke up with Bailey at her side and got up to get ready. She put on a dress she could get messy and decided to just let her hair be down before getting Bailey and herself breakfast. 

The two of them started to walk out to the fields. Dwight wasn't at work yet. Victoria smirked with pride at the fact that she had gotten up earlier than him. Unfortunately, her peaceful walk was cut short when she stepped in a gopher hole and tripped, resulting in tremendous pain in her ankle. She let out a shriek and tears sprang in her eyes. 

"Bailey!" She called, not knowing who else to call for. "Bailey!"

Bailey came bounding over to her. He quickly sensed her distress and whined. Victoria tried to pull her foot out of the gopher hole where it was stuck, but it was stuck and the pain was too much. She had a feeling her ankle was starting to swell.

Dwight's coming. He can help you. She thought. 

Victoria kept trying to pull out her foot, but each time the pain seemed to get worse. By the fifteenth time she was trying to pull it out, she was in tears. After about an hour or so of this, she heard footsteps coming and turned around. It, thank God, was Dwight.

"Dwight!" She yelled. 

"Victoria?" He said, beginning to jog over. "What happened?"

"I fell." Victoria said. "Please, help! I think it's twisted or sprained."

"It's basically the same thing." Dwight said. He knelt down beside her. "Can you move it?"

"It's basically trapped right now, and very swollen." Victoria said. Dwight started to try and pull it out. "OW!"

"Sorry." Dwight muttered. "We might have to dig it out."

"Do whatever it takes." Victoria said. "Just get me out of here."

Dwight started to dig her ankle out of the ground. Victoria tried to help him, but from the position she was sitting in, she couldn't very well help herself. When Dwight finally got her ankle removed, it was very swollen. 

"Can you stand?" Dwight asked. Victoria stood up, but didn't put too much weight on her bad ankle. "Try walking." Victoria took one step on the ankle she had injured and fell to the ground. "Alright, I'll carry you back to the house."

Dwight picked up Victoria bridal style. She wished it was James instead, but she knew she was lucky that she had Dwight. If she hadn't had him, she might have never gotten out of that gopher hole. When they got in the house, Dwight got some ice and put it on her ankle. Victoria held it on when Dwight left the room. He returned with a pillow from her bedroom and gestured for Victoria to lift up her foot. She held it up and then set it back down on the pillow. She breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling comfortable. 

"Thank you so much, Dwight." She said. "How can I ever repay you?"

"I'll think of something." Dwight said. "Now, you'll need to hold the ice on for twenty minutes. But if your skin feels numb before that, take the ice off."

"Alright." Victoria nodded. "I feel so much better already."

"Well, that's good to hear." Dwight said.

"When I'm fully healed, I'll make you your favorite dinner." Victoria said, massaging her swollen ankle.

"Good, beet salad it is." Dwight said.

"Ew." Victoria said. 

"Oh, you'll like it." Dwight shrugged off her obvious distaste of the meal.