Chapter 9

Ava

"Well?" Ashley peered through my bedroom door. I'd just finished my first real bath in weeks. By real, I mean I sat there and enjoyed the soak. I almost fell asleep.

"Well, what?" I yawned as I rubbed my thigh. I was feeling a little better since today's PT visit, but still fatigued and sore.

"How did it go?" She laughed as she shifted her weight and moved closer.

"Ok." I repositioned my ice bag before leaning back against the pillows. "We did a lot of flexibility stuff. It hurt, but he seems to know what he's doing." I closed my eyes for a moment to try and will the ache away.

"Looks like he really worked you over." She nodded at my leg.

"Not really. I'm weak, and getting my muscle tone back is going to take effort and time, time I don't really have."

"Well, I'm glad you're on your way back." She grinned before turning around and leaving me there.

"On my way back", I muttered to myself. "Back to what exactly?" The truth was, I wasn't sure what would be there when I was whole again. Would the pros even want me, and if they did, would I be as good as I was before this? So much doubt and uncertainty swirled through my head daily, and then today's session made me doubt my comeback even more. How was I supposed to be running in a few weeks if I could barely walk now?

I knew she meant well, and I loved her for it, but I didn't need a pep talk at the moment. What I needed was someone to agree with me so I could bitch about it. Everyone was so positive all the time. It was great in the beginning, but now it just drove me nuts. I needed to be able to get mad and not feel like a jerk for doing it. I didn't really want to sleep right now, but I felt like I didn't have the energy for anything else.

The night seemed long, and I tossed and turned for most of it. I hadn't slept well since I got hurt, and last night was no different. My dreams were filled with images of Carter working my leg over. He'd grin at me as if hurting me gave him pleasure. When I woke up, I was angry. My dreams had blurred my reality, and as I made my way to PT that day, I was ready for a fight.

Carter

I was setting up my room for the day when I saw her. She was limping as she strode toward the door, a scowl plastered on her face. I was confused. She wasn't supposed to be back for two more days. I scrolled through my appointments on my phone just to make sure I hadn't missed anything.

As I was stepping out of my room, I heard her snapping at Andy. He was trying to explain to her that she didn't have an appointment, but she didn't seem to care.

"I'm not leaving." She crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against the desk.

"Just a minute." He sighed before heading my way. He was shaking his head and mumbling something before he stepped into my room and closed the door behind him. "She's adamant that she see you today. I can get rid of her if you want me to." He rubbed his eyes. I knew he was tired. We both were. We'd gone to the basketball game last night and it ran late.

"You can send her in. I'll talk to her." I smiled sympathetically. Andy was a nice guy. Too nice at times, and Ava was the type to run over him.

"You sure?" He warily looked in her direction.

"I'm sure. I know her type. They want instant results." I shrugged. "It's not going to happen like that, and Little Miss Soccer Star needs to face reality."

"Dude." He chuckled. "You're my hero."

I stayed as he left to go back to the front desk. I heard their muffled voices before I heard the tell-tale sign of a cane coming my way. I braced myself for the wrath I was sure to get from her. She wasn't the first star athlete I'd worked with, and she certainly wouldn't be the last.

My door slowly opened as she hobbled in. "Good morning." I smiled at her. This seemed to upset her more as her lips turned down and she stared at me.

"There is nothing good about this morning." She huffed as she scooted herself up on my table. "I hurt. I can't walk, and you…" She pointed at me. "You seem to like that fact."

I was taken aback by her accusations. "I don't enjoy seeing people in pain." I pointed to my chest. "I do this to help."

"You made it worse," she barked. "I can barely move today. How am I supposed to run in a month?" Her narrowed eyes seemed to challenge me to respond.

"You probably won't." I was trying to be honest. "This is a long recovery process. It takes time." I did everything to stay calm here. Where did she get off thinking I was a miracle worker? "Everyone heals differently. Your body will make these decisions for you. Not me. Not you. Not the doctor." I was getting upset as she glared at me, and I didn't really understand why. Why did she get under my skin? No one else ever did.

"That's not good enough!" The venom dripped from her lips. "You're supposed to be the best, but you just seem full of excuses. How am I going to do this if I only come twice a week?" Her hands balled into fists. "I need to be here every day."

I stared in disbelief. She was something else. Did she not understand how this worked?

"Coming every day won't make this process faster. In fact, it'll more than likely make it slower. You'll overdo it. You need to rest in between sessions, just like you do during the season. You have off days to rest." I tried to put it in terms she'd understand.

"I don't take days off." She lifted her chin.

I pressed my lips together and released a deep breath through my nose. "Well, you have to here." I started pacing. I wasn't sure how to get her to understand that she couldn't be here pushing herself every day. "Give me your phone." I held my hand out. She stared a minute or two before giving in and placing it in my hand. I tapped it a few times, and then handed it back. "I put a PT app on there. We usually don't have clients use this until after the first few weeks, but you seem determined. If you log on, it will give you daily exercises specifically for your injury. You can do those in between your sessions here."

She stared blankly up at me. "Where do I do this?"

"Wherever you want." I shrugged. "You need to listen to your leg, though. If you try to do this, and it's hurting bad, then you need to stop. I know you're trying to make a comeback, and you're on a timer, but you could do real damage to yourself if you work it too much. Promise me that you won't make me regret showing you this." I gave her a knowing look.

"Great." She rolled her eyes.

"Great what?" I was confused.

"You just looked at me the same way my dad does when he tells me to be careful."

"Do you listen to him?" I had a feeling I already knew the answer to this.

"Eh, when he makes sense." She grinned. "Thanks for this." She hopped down and began limping out of the room. I stood there and watched. I couldn't help it. There was something about her. She was so full of strength and determination, and I wondered where it came from. Most athletes pushed themselves to be the best, and worked on another level beyond the average client we dealt with here, but then there was Ava. She had the determination of the whole team.

Ava

I skipped class the day I went to see Carter. The longer I was with him, the less angry I seemed to be, but getting upset got my point across. He gave in and gave me a way to work my leg every day. I don't know if it was the best idea on my part, but I needed something to keep me busy over the winter months. I needed a way to feel like I was doing everything I could to get better.

For the next month, I took my yoga mat out to the beach every day. I used the app he showed me to work on muscle tone. It was slow going at first, but I could finally walk without a limp. Sitting on the sand as I worked my leg gave me a sense of peace and purpose. It reminded me of all the days I'd spent here with Dad. The ocean always seemed to make the bad days better, and I could see how at peace Dad was when we were here.

"I'm going to do this. I'm going to be better than ever." I glanced up at the cloud-filled sky. "You'll see." My anger had been slowly subsiding every day, and as I walked back to the apartment, I had an extra bounce in my step. I no longer used the cane, and I couldn't wait to share this news with Carter.