Chevrolet Dreams

Chapter 52 - Options

Pa woke up a few days ago. It was great to see him awake. He was out for a few days. The doctor said that it was normal. If he was more than a week then he would get to worrying. His vitals were fine. His pain he said was not too bad. Things were not looking too bad for any of that. The only problem was his spine. He had feeling in his toes that was great. The only problem is walking was not happening. When we tried getting him up yesterday he said he could feel his feet hitting the ground they just were not moving the way he wanted. 
I was in the hospital more than I was home this past week. Jess was helping out a lot at the shop and so was Luke. They were making sure everything was getting done. Major was keeping the schedule in line the way I would want it and making the place stay clean. This was so nice that everyone stepped up. I really needed it right now and so did my dad. He asked about the shop every day that he woke up after break fast. 
Denver was here almost as much as me but her other job was not going to let her miss so many days. She knows that I would keep her updated as much as possible. She stopped here after work every single day. Today she was off so she was here with me.
Luke had some business to take care of so he had to not be here for now. He is normally around though. I have no clue what he was up too. He did text on and off asking what is up. He has been great. Every day that I stayed here he would be here if I had to go home and shower. He brought food all the time and coffee. He even tried to make sure my dad had a few laughs the past few days. What better husband could I of asked for? I don't relly think there is an answer for that.

"Chevy." I heard my father call my name. It brought me out of my trance.
"Yeah?" I questioned.
"You've been lost. What are you thinking about?" He asked as he was munching down on lunch. Luke asked where he wanted food from and my dads request was right in front of me.
"How lucky I reallly am right now. How great Denvers doing. How much Jess and Major are helping. How I picked such a great husband first try. Also how you're still alive and I get to have my father in my life still. I am pretty lucky." I told him. His smile grew wider.
"I'm glad you feel that way baby girl. A week or two ago you were so gloomy. Now you're all smiles or at least your ora is bright." He told me grabbing more of that burger.
"Well the reason I've been that way is..." I said looking to see if Luke got back from grabbing his phone or not yet. Which he wasn't. "Luke and I have been trying hard for us to get pregnant." I told my dad. His eyes got wide and he swollowed his bite. "It's not working." I frowned.
"Oh honey." He said with a smile. "Maybe right now God's saying it ain't the best time. Maybe he knew. Or ya'lls need to do that thing with the moon and sun shit like your mama looked into after that medicine woman told her that is how we would have Denver." He told me. I busted out laughing.
"Ma went to a medicine woman to see how she can get preggo?" He started to laugh too and nodded.
"Oh yeah. We made you by accident as you know. Best accident yet." He winked pointing at his legs. I laughed. "So we wanted to try for another. Hell we wanted more than that but another one was going to be fine for the time being. We were going to be able to aford it. So we tried and tried. You were still little so sneaking to do something was fun but hard since your mom wanted to keep an eye or ear on you all the time. She got fed up. Went into town. Found some medicine woman. Got her palm read and all. Hell that woman was right. She saw her 'future'." My dad said putting quotes up on future. "She told her that she would live to be fourty and have only two kids. She'd stay with the love of her life. She'd find some wealth. Yatta yatta. well she was wrong to say fourty it was more like thirty. Everything was true but the wealth too. We never found any of that." He laughed. I laughed too. Luke then walked in.
"What's al this laughing for?" He asked sitting down and grabbing his food off the bed.
"Oh nothing. Chevy's mom believed an ol' medicine woman." He laughed harder and harder. I just looked at him. Maybe his meds are making him loopy.
"You alright there Pa?" I asked.
"Oh ya." He said slowing down and only slightly chuckling. "I want to her too. That's why I'm laughing. After what she said worked. I went there and asked her to read my stuff. Without your mama. She told me I was going to own my own business. I was going to be quite sucessful. My mid life crisis would happen in my fifty's because i'm going to live to be old as hell. Well by my words not hers. She told me I've fallin in love with a woman and stuff. She told me that I will have a little boy i'd be able to go fishing with when I'm older. As you can tell, I'm 2 for 2 for girls." He pointed at me. I laughed. Denver walked in. "Ya hear that girly? A medicine woman told me i'll die at 100 and have a boy i can fish with. Those woman are only half right. Buncha bullshit." He said eating some of his fries. She looked around.
"You got food in the bag. Chevy let me know what you liked." Luke told her handing the bag over. Her smile lit up.
"So Dads loosing it? Thank you." She told us we nodded while eating.
"I am sound minded. I may not ever walk again from what the doctor said." Pa said it. He never actually talked about never walking. He always said he was gonna get around fine. We just looked at him. He looked sad now.
"Oh Pa don't think about it." I said putting my hand on his foot. "You feel that right?" He nodded. "So there is some form of hope." I told him.
"Yeah, but if I can't I have to make amends with that too. I have hope Chevy but I don't know how much with this walking is going to be a thing in my future." he said frowning. I frowned too.
"No matter what happens we will all be here Pa. We will do everything in our power to be able to help you out." Luke said. My Pa smiled a little
"Thanks." Pa said.

We ate in silence for the rest of the time. I told them I wanted to go check on the shop. First I was going to try and talk to the doctor to be prepared for the options we have. I was pretty lucky that I didn't have to wait to talk to the doctor. He was able to bring me into one of the offices an talk to me more about my father. He has been very great with us and to my father. 
There were a few options that my father had. The doctor said that he has spinal damage but since my father can feel his feet to an extent that its good. That gives up that he could possibly walk again but it is going to be a long road. If he is able to go to therapy and/or do therapy at home then he possibly will be able to but he is not 100%. He will mostly be in a wheelchair though and have to learn to function with a wheel chair for now. Hopefully he will have crutches after that and maybe a walker but in the end the biggest hope is him to walk alone. 
The other options are grim. My father won't ever walk again but it is good he has feelings. He will be stuck in a wheel chair but he is going to be a lot more limited. He isn't going to be able to work or even get into his house without modifications to it. He is probably going to have to learn how to get in and out of the wheel chair so he can bath himself, use the bathroom, get in and out of bed, on the couch, or even in and out of a vehicle. 
I was going to have to go over this with my father more in depth with Luke and Denver. I know he was not going to want option two happen so he would want to do as much therapy as possible. We were going to have to wait for him to heal more before we do that. 
The doctor told me that my father is as healthy as an ox. That is also a great sign because normally if someone is not that healthy to begin with they are just going to stick to the second option and hardly try the first. The doctor said that he tries to motivate his patient as much as possible but the rest is up to them. 
I thanked the doctor after talking to him and was in much better mood. I had my purse with me and Luke's keys. He was going to stay at the hospital till Carter came to pick him up. They had a few things to do so I was hoping to be back before then.
I quickly made my way to the shop. It seemed fairly busy. All the guys are working. I pulled up in my spot on the side where the other employee's are to park. I got out and grabbed everything coming in. Jess was helping someone at the front desk and Tyler was picking up another sheet to go look at. He looked at me and smiled nodding. Jess looked up and smiled. She went quickly with the customer and told them to have a wonderful day. She then got up from behind the counter and came and hugged me.

"I am so glad to see you. Today is so busy. Ugh! We need you or Pa." She said pulling away frowning. 
"I can tell. It looks like you're all doing a beautiful job. I came in to see how everything was since I really have not even checked in. I was going to pick up some paperwork and get it done while I was with my Pa. I think he would enjoy doing some since he has nothing to do." I told her. Jess nodded
"I am coming by later. I miss his authoritative ass in here. Excuse my french everyone." Jess said. Since people looked at her. They just nodded and looked back at the TV. I smiled. I saw Major coming in putting a sheet on the desk.He came right over.
"Hey Chevy. Hows Richie?" He asked.
"Better than what the truck looks. I was going to talk and have a meeting after we know everything that is going to happen. Just keep it between us three here okay? Also let the guys know the BBQ is going to be pushed back but only for a month. We should be in commission to be able to do it then." I told him. He nodded.

Jess gave me her I understand look. It is hard for her not to talk about things going on but this is one thing that I asked her to keep her mouth shut on. She knows she can tell Carter as much as she wants but not other people. 

"Let me handle the customer you just finished with." Jess said going to the desk. She called the person's name and they stood up and came over. I had Major following me into the office and shutting the door. I sat at the desk and he sat in metal chair I had for the mechanics when they were greasy.
"So is he going to possibly walk?" Major asked. He stopped by last night and my add told him what ever the doctor had told him. My Pa took a liking to Major just like I have. Major was a great working and so helpful. If he were to back stab me it would hurt me so bad and break my heart. 
"There is two options basically. He works to try to walk again and we only hope therapy works or he just stays in a wheel chair and learns how to live his life that way." I said. He nodded.
"Well, I am here for y'alls. What ever way he chooses we can find a way for him to still work here or do something. He could still do oil changes. He can replace tires and stuff. Change filters. So much he can do." Major said and I put my hand up.
"I am not even thinking that far ahead yet. Like I have been saying. Untill he decides what he wants to do we are going to have to just sit back and see. If he chooses to try his hardest then we are going to be right there and help push him. Even when he is down and out we are there. I think he is probably going to need help making his house wheel chair compatible for now." I said. 
"I can help. My grandpa has been in a wheel chair and one of the roll around things. We can also get a vehicle that he can drive around in that he mostly uses his hands than his feet. Hell My grandpa is 80 still doing that. He lives man." Major said. That made me smile. 
"Remind me again. I have so much on my mind but thank you so much. You're such a great help." I told him. He nodded and smiled. 
"No problem Chevy. I also needed to talk to you about my check." He said. My face went from happy to oh no.
"Oh no. Did the check get misprinted?" I asked him. He nodded and handed me the pay stub.
"You gave me too much." He said. I raised my eye brow. He is coming to me for that? Normally workers would not do that. I looked at it. It said that he worked his normal 40 and then 20 hours over time. I looked at the numbers. Plugged them into a calculator. I nodded. 
"I don't see a problem. They're right." I handed it back then pointed at the pay he gets per hour. "This is with your new raise." I told him. He looked at me shocked. 
"Raise?" He questioned. 
"Yes. You got your yearly raise." I told him. He looked at it again.
"You gave me more than normal. You doubled it..." He said. I nodded.
"Yes. And?" I questioned.
"What about the business. Isn't this...." He went off and I shook my head.
"Actually last month we paid off the last installment of all the work. Now we only pay taxes. Land taxes too but that isn't much. So I gave everyone a raise and since it was year yearly I threw in more. You've been here since day one anyway. This is my appreciation to you guys. If any of the guys question just tell them it's because they're great and I appreciate them. You all are doing above and beyond. Okay? Also I was going to ask you instead of being just a mechanic how about you be the lead mechanic? You're already doing the job. Just you'll have the title. Especially since my father is basically my second in command / manager." I said. His eyes lit up.
"Seriously!?" He yelled happily.
"Go crazy man. Yeah!" I said happily.
"Thank you so much! Wow. This is amazing." He said.
"Also thank Pa. He said you deserve it. You're his prodigy now. I also have seen you deal with all of this especially when I am out. You keep the guys in line. And Jess sometimes. That is something you did all on your own. Thank yourself as well. If you want a vacation after Pa gets out of the hospital even if it's last minute let me know. It's already pre-approved." I told him.
"You are making my head spin. This is so amazing. I might take you up on that over Chevy. Thank you so much. I am going to thank Richie next time I think of him.  Today just keeps getting better." He told me i looked at him questioning what that meant. "I got approved to move into that house. It's cheaper than my rent in that apartment. I have my own garage now!" He was so excited. I smiled.
"I am so happy for you Major. If you want help moving Luke and I both got trucks so you don't have to rent a u-hall."

He thanked me a million more times. It made me smile. I grabbed all the paper work and put them in the right folders. I was heading out and said goodbye to everyone. I headed back to the hospital. Luke was just leaving so I was in time. Denver was watching TV with Pa and laughing at it. Once he seen I had work for the shop he was excited. You never would think that you would see someone that happy getting paperwork but he was. He missed the shop.
Denver stayed and talked and joked with us. The paperwork was done in no time and It was getting late. I told Pa bout having to tell Major now. He loved his reaction and commented how much he liked that kid. It was great to be able to laugh and smile with family. I had high hopes and I had a feeling things were going to be just fine. 

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Another chapter? What is going on!? 

I know! It is great. I think I am going to try to keep going and post at least once a week. If not it will be every other week. I am going to try to get ahead in chapters so that if I am not motivated that I will be able to keep updating for you guys. I might still do a Vote / comment requirement. I don't now. The first one of this year got over 20 votes. So I am hoping that if I put it at 15 for now it will work.  SO HERE GOES TO THE OLD TIMES.

15 Votes
2 Comments

What do you think about Richie's options? 
How amazing is Luke huh?
Would you trust a medicine woman?

Thank you all so much for reading. Any questions you don't want to comment, or you just want to say Hi don't be afraid to message me. Even when I was on a hiatus from writing I still answered messages. :)

- Pup