Ice Bound (#Wattys2018)

Chapter 13

 Chapter 13

Today was the day. This X-ray was going to make it or break it for Melissa. Was she nervous, more than usual. Despite her mother's explanation of the 30-second procedure, her whole body was starting to tremble. Melissa tried to keep herself occupied by humming to herself as she played the air piano. The humming continued as her mom parked the car and as they walked into the hospital's outpatient center.

The center wasn't busy at all. Well, at least the third floor wasn't. Melissa watched her mom check her in. The receptionist put a blue plastic wristband on her wrist that had her basic information on it. It was too late to run now. Thirty-second procedure or not, the sterile smell was making her go batty. She couldn't handle it.

"Relax. You panic over everything." Her mom sat down on a chair and pulled up her ebook on her phone. She looked at her sulking daughter, "How was school?"

Melissa shrugged, "Normal, I guess. I just hang around Ren and Indie."

"You don't have any other friends?"

"I prefer to blend in the background." Melissa paced in circles around a row of chairs. "It's better that way."

One of the nurses came out to fetch the both of them before Mrs. Sadent could reply. She checked Melissa's blue plastic wristband to make sure she had the right person. She walked them back to a large room with blue walls. A table was in the center with the large x-ray looming over it. The nurse then took Melissa's mom to another room as the radiologist helped Melissa get situated on the table.

Melissa stared at the ceiling. She tried to keep calm as she laid on the table. Being this isolated with a piece of machinery felt like a scene from a sci-fi movie. The radiologist came back in after a few photos to reposition her. He would scramble back and forth until they were finally finished.

"Finally," Melissa said after ten minutes. She looked at the scans on the computer with a sigh. Her growth plates were completely fused. Guess I'll never hit five feet.

The radiologist studied the scans. He placed his hands on his hip, "Everything here looks good. I'll send these over to her primary doctor. It should get there within the next few days."

"Thank you, sir." Melissa gave a curt nod as she cut her wristband off. She walked back to the car and leaned against it. That wasn't too bad I guess. She shrugged to her thoughts. Nothing looked broken either.

...

Melissa hummed to herself as she scribbled across her math homework. Mr. Eckhardt let the Rinkside Trio take over a table in the back. He would walk back occasionally to check on them. He also served as the "world's best timekeeper".

"So, you three are taking a break?" Mr. Eckhardt started to restock some books on a nearby shelf.

Ren nodded, "Monday syndrome."

"It's real." Indie sighed and fingered through her Spanish assignment. "Especially this week. Ugh."

The old man chuckled as he looked at them. "Well, you youngsters will miss this in the future."

"I don't know if I will." Melissa sipped on some water. "Work is work no matter how you look at it." She stuffed her paper into her binder and closed her textbook. She laid her head on the table with a sigh. Ren pats her back gently as if he were cheering her up. Melissa shivered and batted his hand away.

"Well enjoy it for now. Time goes by too fast." Mr. Eckhardt ran his fingers through his silvery hair. "Good luck with your work."

"Hey Mel, your phone is glowing." Indie passed the phone over.