by Lee Kilraine
The FaceTime call closed out. Delaney handed the iPad back to Dr. Harris and sat back in her seat in a daze. “Wow. That was unexpected. . . and nice. Really, really nice.”
Dr. Harris grinned. “Okay, Captain Lyons, let’s get to work. I’ll step out so you can put a gown on, then we’ll run you through your new rehab team. Dr. Graves, the prosthetist, will join me for the exam and fitting, then we’ll hit up physical therapy to check your gait on your new device. If all goes well, you can try the running blade on the treadmill too. And then we’ll wrap up with a discussion on where you’re at for medication and therapy. You think you can handle all that?”
“I’m sure going to try.”
“Did I mention I hate hospitals?” Delaney sat slumped in the passenger seat of Greer’s car for their return trip to Climax.
“Actually you did. You snarled it a few times on the drive this morning.” Greer turned a quick glance on her before focusing on the road in front of her. “Many people do, except you’re a nurse.”
“I used to be. I was pretty good too.” She leaned over and changed the radio station from George Strait to AC/DC. “It feels like someone else’s life now.”
“I hear you, but I still remember standing next to your bed your first night stateside.” A visible shudder ran through her. “Does it help a little to think about how far you’ve come since then?”
“I guess.” Not at all. Patience had never been her superpower.
“How did today go?”
“Pretty good, actually.” Her lips tilted up at the corners. “There might be hope for me yet.”
“Nobody who knows you would ever give up on you. Did Dr. Harris talk to you about therapy or pain meds?” Greer reached over and punched the radio back to country.
“No to therapy.” She held her hand up to head her sister off when she opened her mouth. “I’m still not ready for that. Yes to a very mild pain medication and even a prescription for sleeping pills. I told her about the panic attack, but we decided to wait. We’ll revisit an anti-anxiety med if panic attacks become my new normal.”
“Let’s hope not. The big question is how did your new prosthesis fit after all my hard work?”
“Amazingly great.” Delaney stretched out her leg, liking the feel of her new prosthesis. “Thanks to your nagging about PT and working out, it fit almost perfectly, even though I was a couple of months late with the final fitting.”
Greer looked over with a smile. “Nice. We can get you up on the treadmill during PT tomorrow and put it through its paces.”
“Sure we can, Dr. Frankenstein.”
“I heard I’m supposed to drop you off to Mama C in front of the diner for a late lunch.”
“You talked with Mama C?” When Greer didn’t answer right away, Delaney puffed out her cheeks in frustration. “Oh, let me guess—the Grapevine?”
“I got it from Gage, who heard it from Mrs. Jones at the eleven o’clock Zumba class, who heard it from Renee at the diner, who got that tidbit from Mrs. McCarthy at the bank.”
“Wow, the Grapevine is scary efficient. And annoying.” She took her aggression out on the radio buttons, stabbing them viciously until she found a Stevie Wonder song to calm her down. “You want to join us? We’re having lunch and then running some errands.”
“I’ve got a new patient eval, but if it’s quick, I’ll come find y’all.”
“We never ran errands with our own mom.” She gazed out her passenger window. “Is it weird that I’m looking forward to it?”
“Nope. Nothing wrong with wanting normal after the way we grew up.”
Delaney watched the pine trees blur by for a few quiet moments. “Greer? Thanks for coming with me.”
Chapter Twenty-four
Mama Cates pulled her car to the curb in front of the Climax Public Library and shut off the engine before turning to Delaney. “That sounds like a successful trip. How do you like your new foot?”
“I’ll let you know after I’ve walked on it a little more, Mama C, but it sure looks better than my old one. Silicone. Who knew?” Delaney pulled up the leg on her jeans to peek at her new foot again. She smiled over at Mama Cates. “Sweet, huh? I still can’t believe Dr. Evans called. Between you and me, he had me blubbering like a baby.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” Mama Cates lowered car windows on both sides, letting in fresh fall air. “I’m guessing the running prosthesis you mentioned is on the QT also?” Mama Cates gathered up her purse.
“I’d appreciate it for now.” She still wasn’t ready to share her running with anyone except Mama C and Marcus. “Pretty optimistic of Dr. Evans and Dr. Lewis betting on how long it would take them to get me in a racing leg, huh?”
“I’d bet on you. Now, are you sure you don’t mind waiting a few minutes?” Mama Cates looked at her closely. “I’ve just got to pick up my book on reserve and talk with Lydia Johnson about reserving a room for our gardening meeting.”
“I’m good. Take your time, Mama C.” Delaney leaned her seat back and yawned. “I’ll relax and enjoy the breeze.”
Mama Cates’s heels clicked away from the car. Delaney leaned her head against the door and stuck her hand out the open window. Soft puffs of air tickled her skin. Tree branches overhead swayed softly, sending dappled shadows across the front seat of the car. Her life sure had changed over the last month. From deep despair to a breath of hope. How had that happened? Lord knew her life was still a mess.
But that feeling of wanting to just stop. The pain, the emptiness, the pointlessness. When had all those feelings gone away? Greer had dragged her back with Quinn’s muscle. But it was Quinn who had cracked open the door to her isolation. He just wouldn’t give up. Her walls had crashed and Quinn had come striding in.
She shook her head, picturing her and Quinn together. The two of them together were like in that Sesame Street song—“One of These Things (Is Not Like the Others).” Quinn was too stuck in his unresolved high school feelings to be thinking rationally about his future. So, if she cared for him, and damn him, she did, then it was up to her to be the rational one. Mama Cates had said she’d talk to him. Hopefully his self-preservation instinct would kick in and he’d wise up and find a woman who deserved him.
“Delaney Lyons. My girlfriends and I had a bet about when you’d finally have the nerve to show your face after your public meltdown.”
“Keep walking, Barbara. I’m not buying the crazy you’re selling today.” Delaney tipped her sunglasses down to look over at the library entrance. No Mama Cates. Sliding the sunglasses back into position, she turned her head back in time to watch Barbara charge forward.
“Excuse me? I’m crazy?” Barbara stood on the sidewalk next to Delaney’s car window.
“That’s what I said.” Delaney removed her sunglasses and looked directly at Barbara.
“Me? I’m the crazy one?” Barbara’s voice cracked.
“See? I knew we could agree on something. We didn’t even have to sing a round of ‘Kumbaya.’ ”
Barbara’s angry face slid into a sly smile. “Oh, we also agree on Quinn, only I’m holding out for more than a one-night stand because, unlike you, I’m worth more. Mmm-hmm. He is one fine specimen of a man.”
“Going to pin him for your collection, are you?”
Barbara’s smile stiffened. “That was some show you put on at the diner yesterday. You all but embarrassed yourself nearly attacking that poor innocent man. You’re like a female Rambo.”
A female Rambo? Delaney opened the car door so fast it almost took Barbara out. Would have if she hadn’t jumped back. Slamming the car door, she stood toe to toe with Barbara and grabbed her shirt. “You want to see real crazy? Because I’ve been holding back. I can bring it.”
“Delaney Lyons, you really have lost your mind if you think you can grab my best silk blouse like this.” Barbara tried to pry the once-smooth pink silk fabric out of Delaney’s clenched fists. “I am so sending you my dry-cleaning bill.”
“Hey, D
elaney. What’s up?” Greer’s voice sliced through the red haze in Delaney’s mind. “Did you and Barbara start dating and not tell me?”
“Ha, no. She’s not my type.” She relaxed her fists and stepped back from Barbara.
“I’ll tell you what’s up. Your sister’s crazy.”
Barbara was busy smoothing the pink silk back over her girls. She spent so much time displaying them at the gym, Delaney had nicknamed them Thelma and Louise since they were always hovering at the top of Barbara’s low-cut tops looking like they were about to go over the cliff.
Delaney released a heavy sigh. “I’ve lost more important things in the last year than my mind.”
“Speaking of crazy . . . I ran into your buddies from the VFW last night. They tried to sign you up for the last spot in the bachelorette auction next week.” Barbara’s face took on a sly fox look as she pulled a notebook out of her oversized, overpriced knockoff Louis Vuitton purse and flashed the list under Delaney’s nose. “I told them you were probably too afraid. I mean, who’s going to bid on damaged goods?”
Delaney grabbed the notebook out of Barbara’s grasp and held her hand out for a pen too. Conveniently, Barbara had one ready. “I will sign up for your damn auction, and I will damn well strut my ‘damaged goods’ up and down the stage, and I guarantee whatever bid you get, I will beat it by a dollar. You got that, Barbie?”
The Cheshire cat smile slid smoothly onto Barbara’s face. She calmly took the notebook and pen Delaney shoved back at her. Taking her time to re-cap the pen and close the notebook all the while giving Delaney a slow, long once-over. “Oh, I got that, Delaney. In fact, I got exactly what I wanted. I’ll see you there. Toodles.” Barbara strutted down the sidewalk with an extra sway in her hips.
Delaney walked over and leaned her back against the side of Mama Cates’s car. Eyes closed, face tilted up to the sun, she sighed. “I just got played, didn’t I?”
“Hey, don’t feel so bad. Barbara didn’t actually play you. Your anger did. She sure does know your hot button.” Greer walked over and leaned next to her on the car. “You know how she sees this going down, right?”
“Well, she’d like the prom scene in Stephen King’s Carrie, but she’d settle for Groundhog Day, where I get humiliated by falling flat on my face while she is crowned homecoming queen, prom queen and Miss Climax every day for the rest of her life.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured, too. Fun fact: Barracuda are known to be opportunistic and aggressive, often chasing after shiny objects. You are her shiny object.”
“Oh, thank goodness. Mama C, you’re back. You know those signs that say ‘No Loitering’? Now I know why. Loitering is dangerous.”
“What? I was in there for ten minutes. What could happen in ten minutes?”
Delaney shook her head sadly at Mama Cates while Greer grinned. “And this from a mother of five boys. In less than ten minutes, I ruined a silk blouse, got attacked by a barracuda and let my anger get the best of me, and signed up for the last spot in the Climax Bachelorette Auction. I know, right? When you and Greer are done laughing, I’ll be sitting in the car ready to go.”
“Marcus, remember the first time we met and you bitched at me about Luke Skywalker not giving up and getting his prosthetic arm instead? Check. This. Out.” Delaney sat on the bottom row of the bleachers next to Mama Cates to remove her sweatpants. As soon as she had tossed them to the side, she stuck out her leg to reveal her new prosthetic running foot. A blade actually. “What do you think? Sweet, right?”
“Dude. It’s intergalactic.” He stared at her running foot.
“Is that good?” Delaney couldn’t take her eyes off it either. “It’s a carbon-fiber blade. I worked with a physiotherapist on a treadmill today to try to get the hang of it and check my running gait. Let’s stretch so we can give this baby a test drive.”
Delaney walked gingerly over to the track. The spring from the blade was still unexpected. She eased into stretches with Marcus stretching across from her. She jerked her head toward her new foot. “That’s my deal. First step for me. How about you?”
“Took mine too. I went online and signed my family up for Weight Watchers. We have our first meeting tonight. My dad doesn’t want to go, but Mom said since I asked them to support me in this, it’s only fair.”
Delaney changed positions to hit a different muscle group. “Good for your mom. Good for you on a first step. The first one always seems the hardest.”
“Tell me about it. Last night, my mom and I went through the kitchen. We threw out all the junk food. Chips, chocolate puddings, cheese doodles. We even poured my favorite cola down the sink.” He shook his head. “Dude, it was painful.”
“But smart. It’s easier to eat healthy when healthy is your only choice in the beginning.” Delaney stretched her arms over her head and carefully twisted her waist in each direction. “Okay. Time to quit jawing. Let’s go.”
“Delaney, take it easy,” Mama Cates called. “Try to calm down. You’ve been jazzed since your run-in with you-know-who.”
“Who’s you-know-who?” Marcus asked.
“I have no idea. For the next hour, that person was never born. She who tricked me into being in the bachelorette auction does not exist in this time, dimension, or plane. Okay. Let’s do this.”
Marcus turned and looked at Mama Cates with a “she okay?” look. Mama Cates shrugged her shoulders, her brow deeply furrowed.
“Okay. Let’s run.” He shrugged and joined her.
Delaney ran two steps and fell flat on her face. Hard. “Ow.”
“Oh, God, Delaney. Are you okay?” Marcus knelt down next to her on the track. Mama Cates rushed over next to him.
Gingerly, Delaney rolled over onto her back to stare up at the sky. “My face is kind of numb. Does anything look broken?”
“Oh, boy,” Marcus said.
Mama Cates frowned. “Oh, dear.”
“Oh, okay, the numbness is wearing off now. Well, I smacked my nose.” She put a tentative hand to her nose, and then held her hand in the air in front of her eyes. “Okay. So, I have a bloody nose.” Delaney used her other hand, also raw and scraped from hitting the track, to probe her cheek and around her eye. “Ow. Does it look as bad as it feels?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, Delaney, dear, you know, once we get the small pieces of blacktop out of the scrapes and put some ice on it . . . it, um, it won’t look too bad. After the swelling and bruising are done.” Mama Cates sounded like she wanted to cry.
“Marcus, what’s going on over here?” a man’s deep voice joined them.
“Oh, hey, Coach Wraithe. We were just, you know, running.”
Delaney was gently wiping the blood from her nose with the back of her hand when a head appeared over her, blocking out the blue sky. “Well, hello,” Delaney said.
“Hello. Are you okay?” Coach Wraithe squatted down next to her and started to examine her face.
“Peachy.”
“You don’t look so peachy.”
“Well, there’s peachy and then there’s peachy. I’m the second one.”
“Look, Coach. Ms. Lyons and I thought it would be okay if we ran the track after school when no one’s using it.”
“You’re not in any trouble, Marcus. In fact, it’s nice to see you running. You, on the other hand”—Coach Wraithe looked down at Delaney’s battered face—“are painful to watch.”
“Trust me. It’s not too much better from my perspective. Speaking of perspective—anyone feel like giving me a hand up?”
“Sure.” Marcus and Coach Wraithe each took one of her hands and pulled her up. Mama Cates offered her tissues she used to dab delicately at her nose and cheek.
“Okay. Let’s try this again,” Delaney said.
“What? Delaney, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Mama Cates shook her head vigorously.
“Mama C, my legs are fine, and my face is going to hurt whether I’m running or sitting.”
Marcus shrugge
d. “Makes sense to me.”
“While I was lying there becoming one with the track, it dawned on me that when I ran on the treadmill this morning, apparently, I relied on the rails more than I thought.” Delaney looked hopefully between Marcus and Coach Wraithe. “So, in theory, I just need to hold on to someone in the beginning.”
“I’ll help.” Marcus moved to her side. “Coach?”
“Sure. Let’s give it a try.” Coach Wraithe took her other side.
For the next thirty minutes, the three of them ran around the track. Slowly at first, but picking up a little speed as Delaney got a feel for what to expect from the blade. It was the rebound that threw her off. The power and spring of it surprised her, but her athletic body made adjustments quickly.
“Uh, Delaney?” Marcus stood bent over with his hands on his knees, his breath dragging in and out. “That’s all I got in my tank.”
“Oh my gosh! Marcus, I’m sorry.” She rubbed his back. “I forgot you’re new to running. Crap, you’re going to be sore tomorrow, kid. Man, how selfish can I be?”
He shook his head. “No, no. It was great. I never even thought about how much we were running or how much it was hurting until I hit the wall.” He turned to stand in front of Delaney and looked at her face. Patting the top of her head, he said, “I know you’ve got to be hurting more. Maybe you should stick your whole head in the freezer, you know?”
Delaney poked him lightly in the stomach. “I just might.”
“Later for me.” Marcus grabbed his bag and moved off toward the parking lot.
Delaney sagged down onto the bottom bleacher. Coach Wraithe sat next to her.
“I’m Delaney Lyons,” she said, sticking her hand out. “Thanks for your help.”
“Ben Wraithe. I actually know you. Well, kind of. You were a cross-country captain when I was a freshman. You probably don’t remember me because I always ran behind you.”
“I ran a lot faster back then.”
“That was part of it.”
