The doctor came in with Jack's x-rays in his hand. Greg was waiting outside the room. He and his family were taking care of Jack while he was in the ER.
"Jack," The doctor said. "I have bad news. You broke your heel, but not as in a normal break."
"Sir, I don't even know what you're saying. Just tell me in terms that I would understand." Jack said, anxiously. He just wanted to know what was wrong so that he could fix it and get out of here. Jack hated hospitals. They had been his least favorite thing since he had been here for so many deaths of loved ones. Horrible memories always flooded his mind when he arrived.
"Jack, the bottom of your heel was severed, in a sense, from the rest of your heel. Here take a look." The doctor showed Jack his x-rays. It looked as if there was bone detached at the bottom of his heel. It was the part that had broken off.
"Well, what do I have to do for it to heal?" Jack asked, very frustrated. "Put it in a cast? Wear a boot for six months? JUST TELL ME!" Jack was really pissed off now. He was screaming, on the verge of tears. He knew what this meant. He couldn't play soccer for the rest of the year, maybe the next two years, or even never. Soccer was very dear to Jack. He had played it since he was four years old. There was a possibility that he could have gone places with soccer; maybe be a professional. But now that might never happen.
"I'm sorry Jack, but all we can do for you is put you in a cast for about 3-6 months, and then you should do physical therapy for a while and you can play sports and run again. It will hurt though, just a fair warning."
"Fine, when is the appointment?" Jack asked, a little more relaxed.
"Give me five minutes and I will find an appointment for you." The doctor said as he rushed out the door.
"Jack!" Greg said as he walked in at a fast pace. "What was all of that screaming about? It didn't sound good. Tell me." Greg came and sat on the bed where Jack was. "Please. I want to know if I can help."
Jack was shocked at how his anger vanished as Greg walked in. It was almost as if he had a spirit that just made everything better when he was present. "It's nothing big. It's just like a normal break. Well, it is going to take a while longer to heal, but they just need to put a cast on it and put me in physical therapy for a while. The break is weird though. The whole bottom of my heel shattered. It just doesn't make sense to me on how it happened just by kicking a wall."
"I'm sorry that happened man. But what was with the yelling?" Greg asked curiously. "Sorry, if I'm intruding, just wondering."
"It's fine, don't worry about it. I think that I was just still mad about choir, and the thought that I might not be able to play soccer again because of this. It was just so frustrating. But it's ok now." Because you're here with me. Jack thought to himself.
The doctor walked back in with a schedule in his hand. "Great news! We have an appointment time open this afternoon if you want to go to it. It's at 6 o'clock. So, it's about 2:15 right now, that gives you almost four hours to get there. It's only a 15 minute drive from here."
"Hey, Jack." Greg said. The doctor didn't even notice him as he walked in. "I know how I can help. My family will just pay for everything. You told me that your family can't afford to pay for it all, just let me take care of it."
"Greg you don't have to-" Jack started.
"I know that I don't have to, but I want to. Just let me do this. I'm doing this for you."
Jack didn't know how to respond. Greg would do that for him? A lame kid who is very antisocial and is almost in to nothing that Greg was into. A kid who failed his auditions for All-State choir which is the only thing that they both love. A kid...who loves him. A boy, not a girl. A boy loves him, and Greg may love him back. But it probably wouldn't work out. They were friends, best friends, and Greg probably didn't want to ruin that.
