4. Aubrey
CHAPTER 4
Aubrey
W hen Wes met me for dinner last night, all he could talk about was Jaxon.
“Brey, I don’t know what to do. Jaxon is so grumpy now.”
“How would you be if you were in his place, not being able to do what you love due to an injury?”
“I’d probably be the same, but still it’s tough watching him close himself off to everyone. He won’t even talk to anyone on the team.”
“He talks to you,” I tell him.
“Barely. He only says a few words. He’s no longer the happy, fun guy he used to be,” he whines to me.
“Give him time. He’s got a lot of work to do to get back to where he was before he was injured. Things will change once he’s able to get back on the ice,” I tell him confidently.
“This is why I suggested you help him with his recovery,” he tells me.
“Hmmm,” is the only response I can give him.
“You know you're the best when it comes to getting people better and back to their old selves,” he says.
“They are never back to their prior selves before they were injured, they just learn to adapt to the new way things are and try not to reinjure themselves,” I tell him, pointing my finger for emphasis.
“I've seen the other athletes that you have worked with and unless you knew the extent of their injuries you would never know,” he tells me.
“That is true, but they have to continuously work on their rehabilitation. It doesn’t just stop once they are able to go back to playing. They have to do it continuously, so as not to reinjure themselves worse than before.”
“All I know is you are a miracle worker and Jaxon needs that right now.”
“I will do the best I can, but he is the one who has to put in the work. I can only tell him what to do. It’s up to him to do it,” I say and watch as he nods his head. “Now, let’s talk about something else, besides work.”
Walking into the cabin today, I could understand a little bit of what Wes was talking about. I wasn’t wrong in what I told Wes. The injured person must be willing to put in the work, otherwise no matter what I tell them to do, they will never get better and I sure hope that isn’t how Jaxon is feeling.
Jax barely says anything to me today, but he is committed to doing the exercises just as I showed him, so that makes me feel better in the sense that he’s not giving up yet.
When I have to touch his knee, I swear I can feel tingles from our contact. My body shudders involuntarily for a second, but I keep my voice neutral and professional.
I can’t help but watch as his muscles tighten up with each exercise, causing my insides to clench with need. I don’t know how much longer I am going to be able to stay here and watch him before giving away my feelings.
Luckily, he calls it a day before I lose my mind. His body is well conditioned, but he’s not used to doing these types of exercises. I can tell he's tired and in pain, so I grab him some ibuprofen and a bag of frozen vegetables to use as an ice pack. I really should remember to bring him an ice pack from the office.
I leave, telling him I’ll be back tomorrow and go back to the office to type up my notes for his file. I also have one of the other therapists help me get the stationary bike into my vehicle so I can take it to Jaxon’s tomorrow.
I head home with images of Jaxon’s body imprinted in my mind.
When I get into my apartment, I can't help but go straight to the refrigerator, pull out my favorite bottle of wine, open it and pour myself a big glass before taking a much needed long sip.
I take my glass to the living room and sink into the couch as I continue to sip and think about Jaxon’s body.
I need to stop drooling over my brother's best friend. He's a patient now and I can't afford any distractions from doing my job.
I grab my glass of wine and decide a hot bath is just what I need.
I set my glass on the side of the tub as I begin to fill it with water and bubbles. Once the tub is filled, I sink in allowing the heat of the water to soak into my bones and calm my mind.
This is exactly what I need as I take a sip of my wine, but it doesn’t get rid of my thoughts or fantasies of Jaxon.
Once the water begins to cool and my wine glass is empty, I get out, dry off, and put on some comfy pajamas. It’s not long before exhaustion takes over me and I climb into bed.
The next morning I get up and begin to get ready for the day. I make my cup of coffee as I need the caffeine. I didn’t sleep much last night as visions of Jaxon kept me tossing and turning with a burning need. Today I will have him ride the bike and see how he does with that.
I think with a few more sessions, he could do these all on his own without someone physically there. I don’t know how much longer I can be around him before I lose all senses. I know I need to get these feelings under control.
I carry the bike into his cabin, not bothering to knock since this thing is heavy and there is no one around who can help me carry it.
“What are you doing?” I hear Jaxon ask.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m carrying a piece of equipment into your place for your therapy,” I huff out as I carry it to the living room and place it in the spot I already set up for it yesterday.
“Why didn’t you ask me for help?”
“Because you can’t help me,” I state simply as I try to catch my breath.
“There is nothing wrong with my arms,” he states.
“True, but one slip, wrong turn, or banging it on something, could turn your recovery into something serious. I will not be the reason for that and it’s fine, I got it in here,” I tell him as I point to it.
“Coffee?” he gruffs out and I nod.
We walk into the kitchen and he pulls a cup down for me and passes it to me. “There is creamer in the fridge and sugar on the counter if you need it,” he tells me.
I make my cup just the way I like it. I can’t help the moan that escapes me when I take the first sip. After carrying the bike from the vehicle into the cabin, my arms feel like jello and this coffee is exactly what I need to rejuvenate me.
I notice the grimace that comes across Jaxon’s face, but chose to say nothing as I continue drinking my cup.
“Okay, we are going to do the same exercises as yesterday, but today we will also be incorporating the bike,” I tell him, taking the final sip before placing the cup down on the counter and saying, “Let’s go.”
We walk into the living room and I have him start with the chair for squats, then the step-ups. When it’s time for the bike, I have him sit on the bike so I can see if the seat height needs to be adjusted. His knee needs to be slightly bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
He climbs on and I take in where the seat currently is and how much more I need to raise it, then I help him off, so I can make the adjustment.
When he climbs back on, everything is where it needs to be and I allow him to begin with no resistance. I set the timer on my stop watch for ten minutes. Once he is completed with that, I have him do the knee extensions with the resistance band.
With the first set of exercises completed, I make him take a five minute break as I check his knee to make sure everything is still good.
When his break is over, I have him do another set of everything. I can see he is working hard and taking the exercises very seriously. I don’t think Wes has anything to worry about when it comes to Jaxon’s commitment to getting back on the ice.
I make a mental note to discuss with Wes my observations later.
After the second set of exercises are complete, I look at Jaxon and ask, “How are you feeling?”
“Like I've been hiking up a steep mountain,” he breathes out heavily.
“Do you think you can make another round, or would you prefer to stop for the day?”
“I would like to try to do a third round,” he says.
I nod my head. “Don’t over push yourself to the extent of extreme pain,” I tell him and gesture for him to get into place.
He pushes through every exercise and by the time he has completed the last exercise, he looks exhausted.
I help him sit down, before going to get another bottle of water, the ibuprofen, and a bag of frozen vegetables, realizing I again forget the ice pack. I take everything back to the living room and pass him the water and pills, as I place the bag of frozen vegetables on his knee.
“How do you feel?” I ask, taking in the light sheen of sweat that is covering his chest and face. I itch to touch him.
“I’m okay,” he whispers out. “Thank you for helping me.”
I nod, walk over to my bag, pull out my clipboard and jot down my notes for the day, knowing I need to do something with my hands before I do something else I could regret.
“Are you still doing the exercises I showed you when we first started?”
“I am,” he says.
“Good. Those exercises, plus these, will continue to help you regain your strength and recovery. Alright, we are done for the day and I will be back tomorrow,” I tell him packing up my bag.
I start to head toward the front door, when he calls out, “Thanks, Aubrey, for helping me.”
“You’re welcome Jaxon,” I say with a bright smile on my face and leave before I do something stupid.