BOLD- KATIE
ITALIC- KENDALL
*Story is drawing to a close. Honestly this chapter is just filler. I got half way through before I realized I wasnt adding much to my story. the plot of this story is the ups and downs of the first year of marriage; i believe I read somewhere that it can be a tough year for newly weds so I thought why not see what I come up with. I dont think this was the original intention but I'm content with how its turned out thus far. I let my mind wander in this chapter and I was going really well until I was interrupted and when I returned I was lacking fous and direction so the 2nd half or last third gets a bit choppy at times. I'm moving right along and hopefully another chapter or 2 should do it before moving on to my next story; a possible song fic! Something short and sweet lol enjoy this for now! (:
At the hospital Katie was almost immediately put into a private room. She was well known around CT as if it was California; so for her privacy and comfort of other guests, she was usually housed first. She was in quite a bit of pain although now that she was just sitting around, it had lessened. She already had x-rays done and were now waiting for the results. Katie didn't say much, and neither did Kendall; he just sat at her side to comfort her through the waves of pain. It was over an hour before the x-rays came back.
"Hey there, Katie. My name is Dr. Frank Garth. I took a look at your x-rays and it appears you did a number on your leg, namely the knee. How did this happen?"
"I don't know, I woke up this morning sore all over, I was fairly active yesterday, more than normal. I got out of bed and felt the burning and tight muscles but kept going before I became weak in the legs and dropped to the floor. I couldn't hold myself up."
"I see. I've also noted some old scaring and injuries in your x-ray; have you inured this leg before?"
"I did, about 10 years ago from a car accident."
"Ok. Well, I cant be certain how this happened but it appears from your previous injury, you lack a full proper socket in your knee joint. Perhaps the fall from this morning or all of the activity you described had it work loose on you. I've got good news and bad news for you; bad news is, this injury cracked what little was left of the joint and the pain you are feeling is from the lack of stability in your knee. Good news; it is definitely fixable but I would still suggest wearing a brace when doing any strenuous or prolonged activities such as running, hiking or sex." he said calmly.
Needless to say Katie was embarrassed at his final sentence but the doctor remained professional the entire time so it put her at ease for the most part. She was now more nervous about surgery instead as it kept ringing through her mind. She had so many thoughts, so many concerns; what if she had to put off surgery for a few days or even weeks while waiting for an opening? Could she deal with the pain? She dint want to have to take all kinds of pills nor did she wasn't to have to put up with the pain or sitting in bed for that long. She had a lot of work to do at the academy before her and Kendall left at the end of the month to head back to work in LA. Another question on her mind was if she was healthy enough for surgery. Her weight wasn't that big of a factor anymore since she lost 50 pounds. She could still stand to loose a bit more but it wasn't her main focus right now.
What if the tests she had to go through came back unstable? It wouldn't be the first time. She only had surgery once before, for her wisdom teeth but still she had to put it off for a few weeks while her endocrine system worked with a therapy boost from her doctor. Katie had been facing the possibility of surgery for something else for a while now and she had been worried that perhaps, it was more serious than it seemed and she'd loose an option she kept near and dear to her. No one else knew about this problem except for her and her doctor and for now she was going to keep it that way; it was too embarrassing and heartbreaking to tell anyone else.
The tests were done and Katie spent the night in the hospital to be watched for any reactions to her medications. Dr. Garth, who would be Katie's surgeon, worked closely with Katie's personal doctor, Dr. Rebecca Harp, to be sure everything was done by the book and her medical history was in check. The tests would be back by morning and Katie was already falling asleep as visiting hours had come to a close. Kendall wasn't allowed to stay the night and was sent on his way, hopping in his car and driving back home, thinking about what to say and how to explain this to her parents. He couldn't help feel a bit guilty that perhaps maybe he was a bit too rough in bed yesterday and that's why she was so banged up. He was already reassured by both doctor and Katie that it could have been something else but he just couldn't shake it.
When he arrived home, the house was dark and empty. He called out to his in-laws but there was no response. Shadow had greeted him curiously and cautiously, wanting to know where his master was. Shadow was very smart and very attached to Katie, he didn't like it when she left with someone and didn't come back with that person. Shadow was abandoned himself so it made a bit of sense. Kendall wandered to the kitchen, stomach growling and found a note on the counter.
"Katie and Kendall,
Your father and I left for a weekend getaway. We could use a break from work and also it would give you two some time to yourselves before you head back to California. Don't worry about chores or anything, just sit back and relax (or work on my grandbabies!) and we'll be back on Wednesday. If you need us, you have our cell numbers!
Love, Mom."
Kendall sighed with relief, this gave him some time to sort things through. He figured he'd sleep on it and tomorrow before visiting his wife, he'd call her parents and update them on what's going on. He didn't want them to spoil their vacation so maybe he could wait a bit? But perhaps it was better to let them know as soon as possibleā¦he really didn't know what to do. It wasn't that late but he didn't know if they were on the road or not so he decided to wait until morning or if they called the house; whichever came first.
He watched some tv after dinner, hoping to hear from Katie's parents but no such luck. He ended up falling asleep on the couch for the night and was woken up the next morning by Shadow pacing around the living room. Shadow had free run of the house, as did the other dogs and cats; the house was built to her specifications with dog friendly and dog safe attributes such as dog doors. Shadow has a large fenced yard to play in and was able to come and go as he pleased, living in a safe neighborhood where there was no threat of break-ins using the dog door. Shadow continued his pacing, throwing in some whining on occasion even after Kendall got up to tend to him. Shadow refused everything Kendall offered him and instead just clung to his side before nudging him to the front door and eyeing his leash and harness.
Shadow looked to Kendall with his ears down and his brown eyes wide and sad. He wanted to go, he sensed Katie in pain before and was now worried because she hadn't returned. Kendall felt for the poor animal but there wasn't really anything that he could do, Shadow couldn't just walk into the hospital. He decided to bring Shadow anyway, granted he wouldn't be able to bring him inside but maybe it'd be enough. He clipped a leash on to the eager pooch and Shadow pulled him out the front door, barely giving Kendall time to lock the door behind him.
Shadow continued to pull to Katie's truck, Kendall just trying to keep a grip on him. Shadow never pulled with Katie but this was just another one of his quirks. Kendall loaded Shadow into his Jeep, Shadow totally fighting against it. Shadow rarely rode in a car without Katie and never had he been in Kendall's car. Kendall didn't want to drive Katie's truck, no one drove her truck actually. He forced Shadow into the back of his car and shut the door quickly before loading himself into the drivers seat.
The drive to the hospital was short but it seemed to take forever with Shadow's constant whining and moving around, he was clearly uncomfortable. Kendall sort of regretted brining him but he had a soft spot for animals, just like Katie did, which was another reason why they got along so well. He found a spot right upfront to park and as soon as he shut off the engine he immediately remembered that he was supposed to call Katie's parents. He face palmed himself and got out of the car, full of thought. Shadow wasted no time and bolted from the car. Kendall snapped to reality and tried to stop Shadow. He grabbed the dog's collar and instead of stopping, he pulled away from Kendall's grip and turned around and bit him on the arm. Kendall let go and yelled in pain. Shadow pinned his ears and looked regret full for a moment before he took off.
Kendall was left in pain and bleeding quite a bit but the pain wasn't the only thing on his mind. He looked after Shadow who had since disappeared and tried calling him but to no avail. He looked down at his arm to inspect the damage; he could clearly see three puncture wounds and some scrapes. Whether he would need stitches or not was up in the air but it wasn't what he was worried about. He knew Shadow meant a lot to Katie and would never dream about putting him down for something like this. This was just an accident; he was scared and lost at the whole ordeal and he was clearly upset at what he did. Kendall knew he had to find Shadow before he got hurt or into some sort of trouble. He wiped off some of the blood and ignored the dull ache in his arm as he ran around the parking lot to find Shadow.
It wasn't long before he heard some screaming and saw a commotion near the main entrance of the hospital. People were running in and out of the building and Kendall figured he should start their. Sure enough, as he got closer he heard the choice words he needed to know that Shadow had entered the building and was probably terrifying patients, staff and visitors in there trying to find Katie. He ran in and just followed the commotion until he saw Shadow running around aimlessly in the center atrium, nose to the ground.
"Shadow!" he called out. Shadow looked up and wagged his tail in acknowledgement before barking. "Come here, Shadow!" he continued.
Shadow backed up instead, and pinned his ears in protest. Kendall took a step forward and Shadow watched him carefully. He ran in a circle and tried to lead Kendall through the crowd that was gathering. Kendall was still bleeding and although he was wearing a sweatshirt, blood was dripping down his hand. By-standers had seen it and called the dog out for being vicious and animal control was called. Kendall ran towards Shadow, who took off up the stairs, looking back now and then to be sure he was following. Kendall continued to call Shadow but he didn't adhere to commands, he was on a mission and wasn't going to stop until he found it or Katie told him to quit.
Through the halls and corridors, the dup ran with no end in sight. Despite Shadow's old age, he was still fit as ever with the energy of a puppy almost. Staff tried to corner Shadow and lock him in rooms he entered but he was a feisty animal and managed to escape or scare off anyone who stood in his way. Kendall couldn't continue at this pace and slowed down to catch his breath. Shadow stopped and kept sniffing the ground before turning to Kendall and waiting patiently, panting to cool himself down. Shadow finally lay down at Kendall's feet, waiting for him continue. Kendall took it to his advantage and grabbed the leash.
Shadow got up and spun around before pulling against Kendall's grip. Shadow was a strong dog for his size; he leaped, tugged and did everything in his power to pull back. Kendall gave the leash a bit of slack in hopes he would calm down a bit but Shadow kept pulling. Shadow sat down and stopped pulling after a minute and Kendall could finally relax. He went to get a new grip on the leash and Shadow ran in a circle around Kendall, entangling the leash around his ankles and pulling Kendall down. Shadow snorted at Kendall and trotted off down the hall a little bit before turning down another hall towards the recovery center. Kendall groaned in pain and embarrassment for a little bit before he tried to get up. His ankle hurt and he tried to continue but he couldn't bear much weight on it. Staff who had been following the commotion, helped Kendall to a chair before examining him and asking him questions. Kendall explained the situation and how the dog had just gone crazy.
"He never acts like that, he's a well trained dog and this really surprises me but I guess he's just really misplaced and worried about his owner, my wife. She's here in the hospital being prepped for surgery in the next couple days and I bet that's probably what he's after. The pair or nearly inseparable." he explained through gasps of pain. Kendall was placed in a wheel chair so he could be transported to a treatment room for both his ankle and his dog bite. Kendall made it clear that the bite was just an accident and the dog was perfectly harmless. Security was called in to keep an eye on the dog until animal control could arrive and help catch him.
Shadow was eventually caught, but not before he found Katie's room and scratched at the door for a long time. Katie got to see her pooch for a few minutes before he was taken away to be held at animal control until someone could pick him up later. He was not only calm but listening now after seeing his master and she told him everything was alright. To think that he had tore apart the hospital made her a bit embarrassed to say the least but yet proud that Shadow loved her that much. She completely forgot about Kendall for a while until he was wheeled into her room, with a broken ankle and bandaged arm. He explained the situation to her and she wasn't mad, just worried for her pup but he'd be fine and there were no other injuries reported; this was just a weird and random accident.
Katie's tests all came back normal and she was scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning. She was given breakfast, then a small lunch and would go to bed without dinner in preparation for surgery. This time Kendall was allowed to stay the night and he slept through to well into the next morning and Katie was already gone. She had only just left but surgery had begun so he would have to wait the 2 hours until she returned. It took a little more than 2 hours and she had no complications. She was sent to recovery and she'd be back in her room in anywhere from a half hour to an hour.
She was groggy and still wacky from the anesthesia and morphine so she had no idea what was going on. She couldn't feel any pain and didn't even recognize Kendall. He couldn't help but laugh and smile at her random thoughts before she fell back asleep. He followed suit, a bit tired from his own pain meds and antibiotics. Kendall awoke to Katie in pain and a nurse was administering a new dose to keep her calm and pain free. She'd be spending the next few days in the hospital and attend some therapy before she'd be able to go home. She'd have to follow some strict bed rest and a therapy regime much to her dislike but what she most looked forward to was having no more pain. The doctor told her that this would be a permanent fix and fairly reliable so it wouldn't inhibit any of her normal day to day activities too much; in fact she'd be almost like new as long as she wore a support brace.
After 3 days she was released to go home; she was advised to hire at least a part time nurse aid since neither her nor Kendall were allowed to do much walking, if any on their injured legs. Katie had her friend, Liam pick up Shadow from animal control and keep him at the Academy for a few days so the couple could rest. Since they had the house to themselves, Katie spent time in her down stairs office, that she used with clients. It was large enough to set up a bed so she could sleep there. Kendall had more freedom to go up and down the stairs but instead he just slept on the couch, he found it easier to lay comfortably and he wanted to be closer to Katie in case she needed anything.
As the days went by, both were feeling much better but with their injuries, it'd be a few weeks before they were back to themselves. Both could do more for themselves so the full time nurse they hired was now part time each day. Katie's parents decided to extend their vacation, using up some accumulated time from all their years of work. For the time being, since both of them were technically ok, they decided to keep their injuries to themselves for the time being and would explain when they returned; hopefully by then they could come up with a believable story.
Katie's parents were gone for just over 2 weeks and both Katie and Kendall were feeling pretty good. They were still on crutches but could move around much better and with less pain. They were taking a nap in their respective 'rooms' when her parents came home. They had come through the door fairly loudly, not knowing the couple was sleeping. They didn't notice the crutches and casts at first but when they did they started asking 20 questions as soon as Kendall and Katie started to stir with all the commotion. Katie's parents were jumping to conclusions thinking their injuries had come from some sort of twisted sex act and of course, her father was quite upset. Katie and Kendall set the record straight and assured them that it wasn't what they thought at all. Katie explained that her injury came from a fall at the Academy and Kendall was there that day, helping out and in his attempt to help her, he got run over and entangled by dogs and equipment, snapping his ankle.
"I promise you, it was just a freak accident!" Katie assured.
Her parents were a bit calmer now but still concerned for their well being. Their nurse would be there later in the day to prepare dinner for them so that would help as proof of being well cared for. They were just a bit hurt that neither Kendall or Katie, told them the whole fiasco.
"We didn't see the need. You were on a much needed and well deserved vacation and we were both just fine. Her surgery was scheduled quickly anyway, so you wouldn't have made it back in time and there weren't any complications." Kendall smiled.
After some discussion, things were finally settled. No one was seriously injured so it was fine. Mrs. P took over the care of her children while Mr. P took care of the bags and lay down in bed until dinner time. When the nurse arrived, she went over the care schedule and therapy regime with both parents so they could help take over some of the care. Mrs. P couldn't help but get emotional over her daughter's state; the amount of therapy she needed was greater than Kendall's. The nurse assured them that Katie would make a full recovery as long as the therapy was followed to the letter; too much or too little would do more harm than good.
In 2 weeks Katie was just about back to her self; she was walking more and going through therapy very well. She had gone back to work, leaving Kendall to his own therapy. It was funny to watch Kendall hobble around the house trying to walk but at the same time not put too much weight on it. It didn't hurt so much as it felt weird to him so he was tentative to walk too much on it. He still had another week or 2 in the cast before being put into a brace and walking with a cane. He was lucky that he didn't need surgery on his ankle; it was a break but it stayed closed and needed very little readjustment. Naturally with their injuries, their flights back to LA were pushed back another few weeks to a month, just so they could relax and recover in peace.
Even though Katie had already returned to work, she was now cleared to fly and do heavier or more active roles at the academy such as teaching arena classes. She'd be doing some stunts in a new show so she needed to be able to function and move quickly. On the other hand, Kendall didn't need to move that fast since his show was more of a documentary anyway. They packed their bags and a flight was scheduled in one week. Once they landed, they would be hitting the ground running, so to speak, jumping right into their respective show's production.
