Stained

Chapter 53

Fear sparks in my nerves. Worry for Damien entirely made me forget how we initially came here for me, not him. Luckily I remembered just in time, or else he would have never said anything.

"I'm afraid you've sprained your wrist. However, that isn't the main reason for our concern. We're afraid you've had a Chronic wrist sprain from a poorly treated ligament injury. Because it was ignored, we think it has weakened your bones and the ligaments in the wrist. That's why it's not gotten better but worse. If this isn't treated, it can lead to arthritis..."

My heart drops. I don't hear anything else he says. The word arthritis echoes in my head, blocking out everything. My auntie has arthritis, and she's constantly in agony, and medication hardly helps her.

"In this case, however, we think you tore your ligament in the same moment you sprained it. It's very rare. So for that, we're going to have to do some more tests. But first, we need to know in full detail how you hurt it."

My eyes bulge. I can't believe I've sprained my wrist. But what I can't believe more is that my life hates me so much it couldn't just make it that alone. A sprained wrist and an injured ligament. Oh, and worst of all, arthritis.

He must take my silence as a signal for him to continue talking. "We believe you might have hurt your ligament with the impact, but it could have happened after with all the moving, so that's why it poses a risk to you having arthritis. And you didn't come to the hospital immediately after."

He digs my despair deeper.

Damien leans forward in his seat. "How can you know for sure she's injured her ligament? You haven't done any tests to indicate such a possibility, and x-rays don't show soft tissue."

I look down at the doctor's black shoes. I want to dig my nails into my palm to dissipate the panic growing inside of me, but Damien's holding my good hand, and my other is... well sprained.

So I opt for a distraction, and that's tracing the number eight the doctor's laces tie up into with my eyes as Damien and the doctor bicker.

It helps for a moment, helps to shut everything out, until I feel a hand squeeze mine, bringing me back to the present.

My eyes fly up to Damien's worried ones. His lips part to say something, but the doctor interrupts him.

"Miss Klynn, are you okay?"

My eyes threaten to fall shut as I nod my head yes. Damien's thumb brushes my palm, and I roll my head on his shoulder to properly look up at him.

When did I put my head on his shoulder? I don't remember putting it on his shoulder. But in this moment of time, I couldn't care less. I just need him in any way, shape or form. I can beat myself up for this display of weakness later.

"Yes," I whisper.

"Miss Klynn, how did you injure yourself?"

"I was going to punch a punching bag, but my palm came out by accident and hit the bag instead," my voice is a fine line between robotic and melancholy.

"Can I have your hand please?" The doctor asks. I nod as if on autopilot and place my hand in his. "I'm going to try to move it now. Tell me how it feels?"

"You can't move it when it's sprained," Damien growls, gently prying my hand out of his.

Shock shatters the numb spell placed over me by the doctor's words. I snatch my head off Damien's shoulder. What just happened? More importantly, why did it happen? I can't recall what was going on before this sudden movement.

"I know, but I need to check to see whether or not she's hurt her ligament."

"You can do an MRI scan," Damien interjects.