Just. Keep. Skating.

There's A Slight Problem..

My mother and I arrive at the doctor's office. She helps me into the building and sits me down in a chair before going to the front desk. We hadn't even tried to take off my left skate, my ankle was already to swollen.

My mother comes back to where I was sitting and hands me a clipboard with papers on it. I'm 19, so I can fill out my own paperwork. I check boxes, sign my name, give insurance info, then give the clipboard to my mother so she can take it back to the desk. We sit patiently for about 10 minutes before a nurse calls my name and we go back.

The nurse does the best she can to get my height and weight. Finally we get to a room and I sit on the patient's bed. The throbbing pain in my ankle has increased and so has my worry. As we wait for the doctor, I look over my mother finding the same worry that I'm feeling etched on her face. She notices me staring and tries to give me a comforting smile. I give her a small smile despite my pain and worry.

Dr. Naomi knocks before entering the room and greets my mother and I. She asks my mother how she's doing while looking over my chart. After talking to mother a little bit more, she turns to me.

"And how are you doing, Ellanora? I haven't seen you in here for awhile." She says lightly.

"Well, earlier today while I was practicing I stumbled out on the ice and I didn't think it was bad, but the pain in my ankle says other wise." I explain, looking at my still skated and throbbing ankle.

"Okay, lets take a look shall we," She says sitting on a rolling stool and scooting closer to my ankle. She gently undoes the laces on my skates and I try not to flinch when she pulls a little to hard.

"Did you only fall once?" She asks me, a hint of confusion in her features.

"No, I had fallen twice. The first time I fell I was coming out of a Loop." I say and wince when she slightly pulls on my skate.

"Okay. Now it makes sense. Well, kiddo, I hate to say this but I need to pull this skate off and it's not going to be fun. We'll do it on the count of three, okay?" She says and looks at my face with an apologetic stare. I just nod my head and grip the sides of the bed.

"Alright, here we go.." she grabs the toe and heel of my skate and I clamp my eyes shut. "One.. two.. th-" and suddenly she pulls the skate off and I cry out in pain. My mother hugs me and strokes my hair while soothingly shh-ing me.

Dr. Naomi puts my skate down and gasps at my ankle, "Oh my, kiddo that doesn't look good."