Chapter 25
“You have been a very good patient, Daisy,” Dr. Alvarez said as they stared at her X-rays together in the examining room. “Look how much your bone has mended.”
The crack in the bone did look much better. Even her inexperienced eyes could see the difference between today’s picture and the one that had been taken on the day of her accident. “It looks much better.”
“How is it feeling? Have you been able to put much weight on it?”
“Some. Before you cut off the cast, I was able to get around pretty well with just one crutch now.”
“Yes, that’s good progress.” He continued to study the X-ray films on the screen.
As always, her impatience got the best of her. “What do you think? Do all your questions mean that I won’t have to wear a cast anymore?”
“I’m afraid it doesn’t.”
“Oh.”
“Now, there is some good news. We aren’t going to put back on a plaster cast. We’re going to switch to a removable brace instead.” Holding the contraption up, he smiled. “This one should give you a bit more mobility. Plus, there’s the added bonus of you being able to remove it when you shower.”
“That does seem better.” Not having a smelly cast on her leg would be a big improvement.
Turning to the nurse who was standing near the computer, the doctor called out some numbers and dates.
She nodded as she typed in his orders. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks.” Smiling at Daisy, he said, “I’ll see you in six weeks.”
Six? And he was leaving? Just like that? “Nee!” she called out. “I mean, wait, please.”
He turned back around to face her. “Yes?”
“Are you sure I have to have this new cast on for that long?”
“I’m afraid so.” His voice was crisp but sympathetic. “The bone is mending, but it’s not near strong enough for you to not take its healing very seriously.” He drew a breath. “Also, you live on a farm, yes?”
When she nodded, he added, “I grew up on a farm, Daisy. It’s a demanding life. I’m afraid if your tibia doesn’t have the support it needs, the fracture will worsen. You might even need to get a pin put in. We don’t want that, right?”
“Right. I don’t want that at all.”
“You take care now.” He smiled as he walked out.
Distressed, Daisy watched him go. It was obvious that his mind was already on his next patient.
“This is terrible,” she muttered.
Cheryl, the nurse, chuckled. “Sorry for laughing, but you have just blurted what almost every other patient has said.”
“I understand his concerns, but I need to get a new job,” she admitted. “My old boss fired me when she realized that I couldn’t work for a month.”
“That’s terrible. I’m sorry, too. But I’m afraid that Dr. Alvarez is right. Impatient patients don’t speed up their healing. Most of the time they make things worse.”
“Am I being impatient if all I’m doing is trying to get my life back on track?”
“If I was your girlfriend and sitting across from you at a cute coffee shop, I would say not at all. I’d say that you have every right to get this cast off and find a new job. Everyone has bills to pay.”
She took a deep breath. “Unfortunately, I’m your nurse and I must tell you the honest truth, which is that you have every right to refuse to wear the new cast. But if you do that, you’ll be in pain and there’s a very good chance that the bone will break again, this time worse.”
“I understand.”
“Are you ready to get this taken care of then?”
“Jah. Sure.”
Cheryl’s expression brightened. “Very good. Now, let’s get this on and make sure it fits well.”
“Okay.”
She winked. “Good choice,” she said as she strode toward the door. “I’ll be back with the tech and we’ll get your cast taken care of in no time.”
“Thanks.”
When Daisy entered the waiting room thirty minutes later, Ben was frowning at his cell phone’s screen.
“Here I am,” she said. “Sorry it took so long.”
His smile faltered as he took in her new brace. “This journey isn’t over yet, is it?”
“Nope.”
As they walked out the door, he said, “How long does this one need to stay on?”
“Six weeks.” As she crutched down the hall, she said, “I’m so tired of this, Ben.”
“I know.”
“I need to get a job.”
“No you don’t. Not really. You know Mamm and Daed and Lucas don’t care if you help out around the house.”
“But I care. I feel like I’m in limbo.”
“That’s not a surprise. You are in limbo.”
“Ben!”
He held the door to the front of the building for her. “Hey, settle down,” he said as they walked to the parking lot. “You need to look on the bright side. You won’t have a cast on forever, and having a few months to rest and evaluate your life ain’t that bad.”
“It is.”
“Something else is going on. What is it?”
“I don’t know.” Of course, that wasn’t true, but how could she tell him what was going on inside her head? Both he and Lukas always did the right thing without complaint.
After Ben helped her get inside his SUV and he paid for parking, he turned to her. “Come on, D. Don’t be shy. Tell me what you’ve been stewing about.”
“I’m starting to think I don’t fit in anywhere, Ben.”
“You will. Like I said, just give everything some time. Your leg will heal and you’ll get a new job. It’s all going to work out. It always does.” Lowering his voice, he added, “You need to be patient.”
“This isn’t about patience. What I’m trying to tell you is that I think I’m a misfit.”
“Come on. You are not a misfit, Daisy.”
“Don’t laugh. I’m being serious.”
“I am, too. You’re fine. I promise.”
“You don’t know what happened last weekend. I found out that Lila and Brandt hosted a gathering on Sunday night, but I wasn’t invited.”
Pulling out of the parking lot, Ben frowned. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. I was sitting with them, then Kyle, and then Winter showed up and I discovered that Kyle has been courting her.”
Ben wrinkled his nose. “Wow. Well, I hope Kyle had a good time with her. If he did, he’s a better man than me.”
“Ben, I’m really upset. I canna believe that you are joking.”
“I’m sorry, but let’s be real. Winter Walker is a spoiled girl who’s never been nice to a lot of people. She treated you terribly. If Kyle enjoyed her company, then he deserves all the pain she’ll eventually put him through.”
There was a part of Daisy that kind of hoped that Ben’s dark prediction would be true. She doubted it, though. “I think he likes her a lot.”
“That’s his choice.” Softening his voice, he added, “Daisy, listen. I know you kind of like this guy, and I kind of like him, too. He seems decent and kind. But he’s not the only available bachelor you’re going to meet. Plus, you have time. You’re still young.”
“All my other friends have already found their matches.”
“Well, neither of your brothers have. And, for the record, neither of us have been fretting about it too much. Sooner or later, the Lord will bring the right matches for us. I truly believe that.”
Oh, but she hated when Ben and Lukas tried to compare her situation to theirs. “That is completely different.”
“Because we’re men?”
“Obviously. You have a career, and Lukas has a future on our family’s farm. I don’t have either. I’m supposed to find a husband and have kinner.”
“You are also supposed to be happy. Marrying the wrong man will not make you happy. Having children with him isn’t going to make things a lot better either.”
Ben sounded bitter, which reminded her that he had seriously courted a girl when he was a teenager. When she’d moved away, it broke his heart. Though he’d never admitted it, Daisy thought that breakup was one of the reasons he’d decided to become English.
“You are right,” she said at last. “I’ll do my best to be patient.”
“That’s good. Keep your chin up, sister. I think you are in good company. It could be that we Lapps are late bloomers in love and marriage.” He pulled into a fast-food restaurant parking lot. “Now, let’s eat. I’m starving.”
“Okay, but you’re buying,” she teased.
“Fine, but when you can walk again and start working …”
She smiled. “I’ll buy. I’ll buy you a wonderful-gut lunch wherever you want.”
Resting his hand on the steering wheel, Ben chuckled. “I don’t doubt that for a minute, little sister.”