Chapter Eleven
They arrived at the doctor’s office with only a few minutes to spare before her appointment. Beth walked up to the window to let them know they had arrived and Nick helped her into a seat. Beth sat on one side and Nick on the other as if they were using her as a buffer between them. Both Nick and Beth stood when the nurse called her name. Beth gave him her best eye roll and said, “I think I can take it from here. Why don’t you go sit in your mini-van until we are finished?” Suzy snickered, even though Beth wasn’t usually so rude. The nurse tried to hide her smile, plainly amused by a man who looked like Nick driving a mini-van.
Nick looked down at Beth and tweaked her nose saying, “Chill princess, there’s no reason to get your panties in a wad. I’ll wait out here.”
By this time, the nurse could barely contain her amusement as she ushered them down the hallway and to an examination room. Suzy studied her sister after they were left alone, asking, “What’s the deal with you and Nick? You two can’t be in a room together for more than a minute without biting each other’s heads off.” Good grief, she was sure that Beth actually just huffed at her question.
“It’s nothing Suzy; he just irritates me, that’s all. Haven’t you noticed the way he calls me princess all the time? I know he’s just doing it to be insulting.”
Confused, Suzy asked, “Why would you think that?”
“Oh come on, by calling me princess, he’s just trying to point out the fact that I’m anything but that. Kind of like if he called me beautiful or something. It’s his way of making fun of the way I look.”
Suzy was shocked, and even though she didn’t know Nick that well, she felt certain he hadn’t meant his comment in the way that she took it. “Beth, you’re beautiful and if Nick called you that, he’d only be telling you the truth. I’ll tell him that the nick-name he’s given you is bothering you.”
Beth grabbed her hand, saying urgently, “No, please don’t say anything to him. I’m sure you’re right, he’s just kidding, and it’s no big deal.”
Suzy wanted to argue, but at that moment, the doctor came in and she was forced to postpone their conversation. He explained the process of having the hard cast put on as he un-wrapped the soft cast. He also gave her instructions for caring for the cast and advised her to call his office if she had problems or concerns. Soon the doctor and his nurse were layering thin strips of wet plaster over her ankle and calf. She was surprised at how fast the wet mixture appeared to harden. Suzy thought longingly of her stiletto heels and wondered when she’d ever be comfortably wearing them again. Why do I care what type of shoes I’m wearing? I’m sitting here in sweat pants yet again. All I need are a pair of orthopedic shoes to complete the picture. I can tell everyone years from now; I used to be sexy until I broke my ankle. It was all downhill from there.
When the cast was complete and dry, the doctor helped her to stand and she almost pitched forward when she tried to walk with her crutches. It was like trying to move a cement block with her toe. The doctor said if it didn’t cause pain, she could use a special boot they made to go over casts for walking. The nurse put one on her cast and Suzy had to admit that using the crutches as well as putting weight on the cast was a much easier combination.
As soon as they got to the waiting room, a harassed looking Nick held out a cell phone to her. “Please talk to my love-sick brother before he either freaks out completely or drives me crazy. He’s been calling every five minutes for the last hour.”
Suzy smiled as she put the phone to her ear. “What have you been doing to your brother? If you don’t leave him alone, he’s going to hop into his mini-van and leave Beth and I stranded here.”
The sound of Gray’s voice in her ear sent a tingle through her. “God baby, I’ve been so worried. What took so long? Is something wrong? Did they hurt you?”
Suzy’s head was spinning at the barrage of questions Gray was belting out. Nick was right; he did seem to be freaking out. “Um…calm down Gray, I’m fine. It takes them a little while to actually put a cast on, you know. Everything is ok, really. I have my cast now and the walking boot so I’m in much better shape than I was this morning when you left.”