Both Nat and the doctor look at me.
I press a hand to my chest and feel my heart slamming against my fingertips. “I just need a moment.”
Nat strokes my shoulder. “Take deep breaths, Riles.”
I feel like an idiot. Nat is the one who’s about to lose his dream and yet he’s turning around and comfortingme.
I pull myself together with a few deep breaths.
“Are you okay now?” Nat stares into my eyes, searching for an answer in their depths.
I nod.
“Alright then.” The doctor points to a section of Nat’s leg. “Imaging suggests a hardware deformity…”
My heart gets torn from my chest.
Oh no.
Nat releases a long sigh. “I figured as much.”
“… at the screw-rod interface. I suggest a minimally invasive debridement of the metallic burr and surrounding fibrotic tissue.”
My heart is roaring in my ears, so it takes a minute for the doctor’s words to soak in.
Nat and I both jolt forward.
“Did you just say…”
“Minimallyinvasive?” I gasp.
Nat’s eyebrows pull together. “I-I don’t understand.”
“In plain terms, Mr. Campbell’s hardware is stable, but over time, probably from constant impact from training, a splinter formed on the metal. And the more he continued to function with the splinter, the more it grated against the soft tissue.”
Nat lets out a relieved laugh. “That’s why the pain was gradual at first and then got so bad, so quickly.”
“Are you saying that this is easy to fix?”
“It’s an outpatient procedure. We’re going to make a small incision, find the rough spot on the metal and smooth it down so it’s no longer scraping the tissue. After the procedure, the pain should dramatically decrease.”
I scoot to the edge of my seat. “So… Nat can continue playing hockey?”
“He’ll need to stay off his feet and avoid strenuous activity for ten to fourteen days, but after that…” The doctor nods.
I hide my face in my hands, shaking all over.
Nat pulls his lips into his mouth and tilts his head to the ceiling, blinking rapidly.
I collect myself first and wrap him in a hug. “Congratulations, Nat. I guess heaven is having a two-for-one miracle sale.”
Chapter Sixty-Four
NATHAN
I don’t need to stay for overnight observation. After my leg is wrapped and I opt for crutches instead of a wheelchair, I’m able to hobble into the hallway.
Riley is right beside me. Her warm hand is steady on my bicep and I appreciate the support.
