“Sure.” Lisa nodded. “Just let me know by Friday if you want in. I need to get a final tally for hotel rooms and rental cars.”
They chatted for a few more minutes before Gemma slipped into her dressing room. Changing into her practice clothing, she debated whatshewanted to do for Thanksgiving. In the past, she’d always had Frankie by her side. But this year was different. She was alone.
It doesn’t make any sense to travel home to Scotland for three days. I’ll be seeing Mum and Dad at Christmas, and again in March assuming Frankie and Charlie compete at Worlds.
Gemma wondered if she should consider asking Suzy and Mr. T if they might be willing to host her. They’d always insisted she was a part of their extended family, but she knew it wasn’t right to assume anything. What if they planned to travel to spend time with some of Suzy’s children and their families?
She could ask Frankie and Charlie what their plans were, but she didn’t want to get in the way of their training for the International Prix Final. There was a lot at stake. It was the biggest skating competition outside Worlds, and they had a great chance of winning.
There was also Tim to consider. She could use the time to see him in person. They chatted with one another every night. On the rare days they missed each other, Gemma felt his absence. It was like she was missing a small piece of herself.
Everyone I care about is back in California. Maybe I should book a hotel room in Sequoia Valley. I could visit and use it as my home base. That way I wouldn’t have to ask anyone to commit to anything. They could drop in on me if and when they wished.
She secured the laces on her skates, tying them tight.
Yes, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll spend some time in Sequoia Valley. I hope the last-minute airline tickets and hotel room won’t cost a small fortune. I can’t wait to tell Tim!
As Gemma stood, there was an audible pop and her leg buckled slightly. She grabbed the wall for support. Testing the leg again, she tentatively placed her weight on the limb. It held without any problems.
She took a few steps. A sharp sensation like a rug burn shot up her hip. She inhaled and clenched her jaw. A few seconds later, the pain subsided just as quickly as it had come.
“Okay, this has happened before. I can do this. I only have two numbers tonight,” she told herself. Pulling open the door, she stepped out into the hallway. Another sharp pain shot through her body. Her hands returned to the wall.
“Gemma, I didn’t see you out on the ice for warm-up. I was just coming to check on you,” said the concerned voice of Mel, the DOI physical therapist. “Is it a flare-up?”
Short of breath, Gemma managed to tell her, “It just happened.”
“Can you make it to the exam room? It’s at the end of the hall on the left.”
She slowly raised her head. The hallway had never seemed so long. She chewed on her bottom lip. “I think I need help.”
Mel, who stood a few inches shorter than Gemma in skates, wordlessly slipped her arm under her shoulder and helped her limp along.
“You know the drill. Out of ten, the pain is a?.?.?.”
“Seven. This is the worst it’s been.”
“You’re not going to like what I’m about to tell you.”
“I know.” Gemma’s body deflated as they entered the PT room, Mel depositing her on the black padded table. “You’re going to tell me I need two full days of rest.”
“Actually, I think it’s time for us to consider a more extreme treatment. One or two days off here or there isn’t making a difference. It’s time you took two to three weeks off to see if that helps manage the pain.”
Her jaw fell open. “Two whole weeks?”
Mel crossed her arms. “We’ve been doing PT exercises for five weeks, but it’s not having the impact I’d like it to. If you want to give your body a fighting chance to recover, it needs rest. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard.”
Gemma deflated. Two weeks? She’d never taken so much time off from skating before.
“I think you should also go get a second opinion on your hip. I’m not convinced we’re dealing with tendonitis. Between you and me, the doctor that management sends you guys to doesn’t fully understand the nature of injuries to figure skaters.”
Gemma winced. “My contract ends in six weeks. Management hasn’t offered me a new one yet. I wasn’t sure if I was even going to accept it if they did, but now, if they hear about this injury?.?.?.”
“I can delay writing up a report on the condition while you rest.” Mel took a deep breath. “There isn’t any point in jumping to conclusions when we don’t know for sure if the medical diagnosis is correct and how your injury responds to you taking some time off.”
“Thank you, Mel. I owe you for this.” She swallowed hard. “I’ll do whatever you tell me to.”
“Good, because I’m completely shutting you down for the next two weeks. That means no skating, jumping, running, or anything that puts additional stress on the hip. You’ll be limited to low-impact workouts and the strengthening and range-of-motion exercises we’ve worked on together. After two weeks, we’ll reevaluate and go from there.”
