6. Katy
Katy
“ A boxer’s fracture?” I asked incredulously. “Are you telling me that I broke my hand hitting that guy?”
I guess that explained why my hand hurt so much.
The doctor nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid so.”
I looked over at Andrew who’d followed me into the exam room. Not that I argued about it. I couldn’t explain why but having him around was comforting. I was really shaken by the whole going to jail thing. I’d never even had a traffic ticket before.
“Should have led with the first two knuckles,” he mumbled. “It’s a better way to punch.”
“Gee, I’m sorry I didn’t stop to figure out the proper punching form before I hit the guy who was grinding his gross erection against my ass while groping my boob!”
The doctor cleared his throat, getting my attention.
“I think it’ll heal on its own so I’m going to give you what’s called an ulnar gutter splint,” the doctor said. “It will immobilize your ring and pinkie fingers. You’ll keep it on at all times unless you’re bathing for three to six weeks. We’ll do a recheck x-ray in three weeks but if you have any worsening of symptoms, you need to see someone right away.”
“Three to six weeks?” I repeated. “It’s going to be hard working with that thing.”
My job was weird. Some weeks it was all computer work, other weeks I spent most of my time doing tabletop exercises or on-site trainings. Unless there was an actual emergency like an earthquake or wildfire. Then I was out in the field, helping manage response.
“You’ll need to be on modified duty,” the doctor said. “I want you to not use your right hand at all if you can avoid it. It’ll heal faster if you rest it completely. It’s a clean break, but if it doesn’t heal properly you’ll need surgery.”
I sighed deeply. “Damn it.”
My boss had been bugging me to take some time off for years. I was maxed out on vacation time, and she kept giving me speeches about ‘work life balance’ and not being a workaholic. I already knew Alice would use this as an excuse to make me take some time off. I hated taking time off.
“There’s one more thing,” the doctor said, his expression turning soft. “Given what happened and your age, you should follow up with your primary doctor for osteoporosis testing.”
“What?” My voice rose to a higher pitch.
“Osteoporosis, it’s a thinning of the bones…”
“I know what it is,” I interrupted. “I’m confused why you are suggesting tests for it.”
“It’s common for women in middle age to start losing bone density, and I see from your intake forms that your periods are erratic, so you’re likely in perimenopause, when it usually starts.”
“I’m only forty-five!” I said in outrage.
The doctor just looked at me like I was being difficult. I felt a flush rise on my face, which was weird because I hadn’t blushed since freshman year of high school. My eyes darted back to Andrew, and I suppressed a sigh. This was awesome. The hot guy I was obsessed with now knew that I was on my way to being a dried up old crone with brittle bones.
“I’ll talk to my regular doctor. Thank you,” I said in a firm voice that made it clear the subject was closed.
The doctor took the hint and headed for the door. “I’ll send someone in with your splint and discharge instructions. And no more punching people, please.”
I glared at the door after he left, too embarrassed to say anything to Andrew. Fortunately the physician’s assistant popped in less than two minutes later to set me up with the splint and after care instructions.
“What now?” Andrew asked as we got back into the car.
“Hold that thought,” I said as my phone rang. “It’s my boss.”
I’d left a message for her this morning, reporting the arrest and my hand injury. Andrew was certain he’d get the charges dropped, especially because so many people saw what happened, but I didn’t need my boss to hear about my arrest through the county grapevine.
“Hi Alice.”
“Are you okay?” she asked, her tone concerned. She was a good boss. I’d worked for her for years and we had a good relationship.
“Yeah, I’m fine. This guy was totally assaulting me, so I popped him in the face. I didn’t mean to break his nose, although I’m not sorry about it either. It figures the asshole is an off-duty cop, throwing his weight around, so he had me arrested.”
“This would only happen to you,” Alice said dryly.
“Yeah yeah. But there’s another complication. I fractured something in my hand when I hit him. I’m not supposed to use my right hand for at least three weeks, and of course that’s my dominant hand.”
I left out the part about osteoporosis. I’d been embarrassed enough for one day.
“In that case this is a great time to take some of your PTO,” Alice said brightly.
I groaned.
“I don’t want to take PTO. I want to work. I can type with one hand, or dictate.”
Alice launched into her familiar speech about work/life balance and how unions had fought to get people vacation time and sick time, and it was an insult to our labor predecessors to not take my time off. I held the phone away from my ear as she got louder, moving to the part of the speech about how if presidents and CEOs could take vacations, the county emergency manager could too.
Suddenly the phone was snatched out of my hand.
“Hello, Alice is it? This is Andrew Lawson, I’m a friend of Katy’s as well as her attorney… Yes, Christopher is my brother… If it’s all right with you, I’m just going to bring Katy with me back to Lawson for a few weeks. My family and I will make sure she disconnects and gets some rest while she’s recovering.”
“Hey!” I said loudly enough for them both to hear me.
Andrew chuckled. “Oh yes, I know, don’t worry, I’ll take care of her. Let me give you my phone number just in case you need to reach me though.”
He rattled off his phone number, then said goodbye, ending the call.
“Who do you think you are?” I hissed.
“Look Katy, you’re obviously burnt out at work. You can’t use your right hand. And I know Steph and Christopher are about to go on vacation. You need help.”
“I have other friends in town you know,” I said.
“You need a break, and my mother needs someone to fuss over. Plus you can help her make any updates to that emergency plan for Lawson while you’re in town. It’s a win/win.”
“I guess I could stay at Christopher’s house,” I said reluctantly. Maybe a little break up in the quiet of the mountains would be nice.
“You’re staying at my house,” he said firmly. “Unless you want to stay with my mother and Patrick.”
Patrick was the youngest Lawson brother and although he was a hottie, he reportedly had a habit of sleepwalking in his boxers. And while she was nice, Marianne Lawson was a bit much to deal with in large doses.
Of course I could push the issue, insist that I stay at Christopher’s house, or even here in Denver, but honestly I was just too tired to argue about it.
“Fine,” I said sullenly, sliding down in my seat like an angsty teenager. “I’ll stay at your house for a few days.”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw him open his mouth to argue, then think better of it.
I woke up my phone and opened the group message chat I had with Steph and Carmen, typing out a brief explanation of what happened using my left hand.
Carmen: You broke his nose? Go girl!
Steph: This is why you shouldn’t hang out in bars alone.
Katy: Way to blame the victim!
Steph: I’m sorry, I just worry about you. You haven’t been yourself since… well for a while now.
Katy: Andrew is insisting I come stay with him in Lawson while I recover.
Steph: Andrew’s back in the picture?
Carmen: Hot kiss guy? The one who got you all spun around when you went to Lawson with Steph? How did that happen?
Katy: I needed a lawyer, and he was the first one I thought of when I was in jail.
Steph: Interesting.
Katy: Shut up.
Steph: I knew you two had unfinished business. You had sparks when we were in Lawson. And that kiss outside the coffee shop sounded hot as hell.
Katy: He rejected me, remember? Twice. Now he and my boss Alice have cooked up this plan for me to recover in Lawson. Like I can’t be trusted on my own.
Steph: I think that’s a great idea. Christopher and I are on our way to the airport as I type. Carmen is busy with the restaurant. Let Andrew and his family take care of you. It’ll be a nice change for you to be pampered.
Katy: I don’t want to be pampered. I’ve been on my own since I was a kid. I can take care of myself. Besides, he’s being super bossy with me.
Steph: Being able to take care of yourself doesn’t mean you can’t let someone help you. Sometimes bossy can be sexy.
Carmen: Go to Lawson. Maybe you’ll have more luck seducing him this time.
Katy: Maybe we’ll kill each other first.