Page 46 of Undeniable Love
I’m possibly out for the season.
How many times did he talk about making this season his last, but…not like this. He didn’t want to go out like this. Right now, the pain was barely tolerable, and all he wanted was to shower, change, and go home.
He just had no idea how to do all of that with his arm in its current condition.
“Jax, what do you need?” Travis asked from right beside him. “This is a damn circus in here.”
“I know. I just want to go home. Grab the doctor and let’s get this show on the road. Find out what I need so I can leave.”
“I’m on it!”
It took another fifteen minutes, but the room cleared out so it was just Coach Floyd, Travis, Declan, and just a handful of the medical team. “A sling,” the doctor said, holding one up. “This needs to stay on at all times. Even when you’re sleeping. The only time it comes off is when you shower or while you’re getting dressed. That’s it. It’s important to keep the shoulder completely immobilized. Ice, rest, and we’ll call in the morning with an appointment for you to come in for the MRI just to make sure there isn’t any other damage.”
“Great. Something to look forward to,” he mumbled.
“You can take over-the-counter painkillers to help and we’ll talk about pain management after we assess everything tomorrow.”
He nodded. “Can I go?”
“Wylder,” his coach chided. “There’s no need to be surly. Adjust that attitude by tomorrow. Understand?”
It was pointless to argue, so he simply nodded as he climbed down from the exam table. The ice pack came off and one of the medical assistants helped him into the sling. His buddies flanked him and together they went to the locker room.
“We should probably thank you,” Declan said.
“For what?”
“We were all spared having to sit through the post-game play-by-play,” Declan said with a laugh. “So…thanks.”
It hurt to laugh, but he still did. “No problem. It was all part of my plan.”
In the locker room, he contemplated showering, but opted to do it at home. That is until he thought about the logistics. “Okay, I hate to say this, but…I’m gonna need a little help getting out of this gear, showering, and getting the sling back on.”
His friends truly were the best because they joked around as they helped him and it made it all a little less humiliating. Getting dressed was a colossal pain in the ass, but luckily he had clean shorts and a t-shirt in his bag so he didn’t have to mess with pants and button-down shirts and dress shoes. It was a blessed relief when he got the sling back on.
“I’ll drive you home,” Travis said as they got ready to go. “We’ll leave your truck here and one of us will get you to the doctor tomorrow and get your truck to you.”
“What’s the point? I’m not gonna be driving for a while, probably.”
“It’s your left shoulder and you’re right-handed,” Declan reminded him. “Ask the doctor tomorrow if you’re allowed to drive. I wouldn’t recommend it tonight or tomorrow, but maybe in a week you will.”
“Maybe.”
They carried his duffel bag and they made their way out of the stadium and to the parking lot. He had just gotten settled in the passenger seat when his phone rang. Groaning, he pulled it out of his pocket with his good arm and groaned when he saw who it was.
Travis climbed in and looked at him oddly. “You gonna answer that?”
“It’s my father. I’m not really in the mood.”
“Want me to do it? I’ll tell him you can’t talk.”
It was tempting, but…he wasn’t a coward. “Thanks, but…I’ll deal with it.” And after letting out a long breath, he tapped the phone. “Hey, Dad.”
“Jax! Holy shit! I saw the game! No one’s saying what happened! Are you okay?”
“Yeah, messed up my shoulder pretty good, though. Won’t know anything definitive until tomorrow.”
“You’d think with all that fancy medical equipment that you’d know right now,” Greg said. “How are you feeling?”