Thad and his two colleagues laughed, sharing little smirks. “We’re not into robot boxing. Football is a barbaric sport. I don’t build things to destroy them, like stuntmen trashing cars on a movie set. I simply believe everyone should have the rightto live a full life without disability.”
“What if I want to play football? Can you help me do that?”
The truth? Football was the farthest thing from my mind; I just wanted to walk out of the hospital on my own two feet. But I still wanted a sense of where Thad was going with his technological promises.
“Yes. If your doctors think there is even the slightest possibility you could get back on the field again, then I can take that percent chance, as small as it might be, and make it one hundred for you. Can I keep you safe on the field? No. Can I guarantee the next time you run into a defender that your head won’t snap right off your shoulders? No.”
“Knock, knock… am I interrupting?” Dr. Feltz smiled.
“No. Come in.”
Thad nodded. “By all means, do your thing. Don’t mind us; we’ll just be mice in the corner.” He stepped back and the three geeks literally huddled together, shoulder-to-shoulder in the corner.
“How do you feel sitting up?”
“My neck is sore.”
He nodded then proceeded to go through a series of tests. I think I did well. I had reflexes and feeling in my arms and legs. I needed to take a piss, but wanted to use the bathroom which meant I had bladder control. With four men in the room, it wasn’t the best time to check out my dick, but I was hopeful it, too, worked.
Every time Dr. Feltz mentioned possible scenarios for my recovery, including estimated timelines, the peanut gallery rolled their eyes and gave me a slight head shake. Thad held up his fingers less than an inch apart to signal “less than,” whichhe apparently thought he could make every phase of my recovery happen in “less than” the projection Dr. Feltz gave me.
“Any questions?”
“Can I go to the bathroom?”
Dr. Feltz smiled. “I hope so. You’ll completely make my day if you do. It’s not even nine yet and my waiting room is overflowing with your people.” He held up a finger. “Let me get help.”
“I have something in my hotel room that can have you jogging, running bleachers… whatever by the end of the day.” Thad smirked.
“I’ll keep that in mind. For now I just want to test out my God-given parts to go take a piss.”
“Good morning.” Two nurses chimed as they followed Dr. Feltz back into the room. “Look who we found hanging around outside your door.”
I narrowed my eyes, notseeinganyone. Then Lake stepped into the room like she was scared to see me.
“Hey.” She relinquished a shy smile. “Thad?”
Her eyes shifted to him. The look on her face was not a look that said she expected him to be there.
“Love.” He nodded with a tight grin.
I hated him calling her that. She wasn’t his fucking “love.” I made a mental note to kick his ass for saying that in front of everyone… when I could actually make a fist and hold it for longer than two seconds.
“What are you doing here?”
“I watched the game. Got a flight here the second I saw his body being carted off the field.”
“Oh…” she eyed me for a second before returning her gaze tohim. “Thanks… I guess.”
“If we can have the room for a minute we’ll remove your catheter and get you up.” The nurse looked around the room.
“We’ll be in the hallway.” Thad nodded to the door.
“Um…” Lake started her own retreat.
“It’s nothing you haven’t seen.”
Lake returned a wide-eyed look. “Um… k.” She moved toward the window, keeping her back to me.
