I DO NOT OWN ANYONE OR ANYTHING IN THIS STORY BESIDES THE OC'S.
Julie's Point of View-
I walked down the hall with my therapist and slid into his designated room turning to watch him shut the door.
"Who was that?" Mr. Saxton asked as the door clicked shut completely as I slowly slid in the seat I always sit in during out sessions and knew it probably had my butt imprint in it by now.
"John Cena."
"As in that wrestler you talk about?" He asked.
"Yes." I said nodding as he walked around his desk grabbing his notebook and pen.
"What happened to not watching wrestling?" He asked as he walked back around his desk to sit in the chair across from the couch I was sitting in.
"I tried but my six year old son along with my job had other plans." I said.
"Your six year old could get over it but you are in the Army, how did that go about?" He asked, honestly I had no idea what this mad man was thinking about how wrestling is associated with my PTSD problem as I answered the questions and I began telling him about how I opened up to John, how I felt and still feel embarrassed, afraid to sleep and how it felt to finally to admit it to someone other than my family. It got to closing of our session when we both got up and he walked with me to the lobby. "Is the medicine working?" He asked as we stopped in the hallway near the lobby.
"Sort of, I'm not that anxious to go to sleep but the dreams are still existing." I said.
"Then it's doing its job…just keep taking it as directed and write down anything you can remember from the dreams that you haven't remembered from before or if you have a new one." He said as I nodded contemplating if I should or not with this fear still in me having John witness it again. "I'll see you Thursday?"
"Yes sir." I said as he turned around to head back to his office as I went around the corner to see John sitting there with his head propped up against the wall and he looked as if he had been sleeping, he seemed to be a cute sleeper so I walked over gently tugging an ear bud out to wake him up.
"What?" He asked jumping up from where his head was propped against.
"I'm ready to go." I said handing the bud back to him as he wiped at his face standing up walking with me back to my car climbing in. "You can nap on the way home." I said as I pulled to the exit drive way.
"I'll be fine…it definitely could get boring in there." He said as he was rubbing at his neck.
"You have a knot in your neck now?"
"Yeah, it's going to be fine…just got to work it out…" John said.
"My mom does massage therapy if you want her to get the kink out." I said glancing to him.
"Is that what her career is?"
"Yeah, she only works 3 days a week for about eight or nine hours at least and sometimes sporadically throughout the week."
"As nice as a massage would be, but it'll be awkward, I wouldn't want one from her per say and I can live with it…I've felt worse pains."
"I bet your muscles have been worse with what you do, what hurts the worse?" I asked curiously.
"The chops for sure and your back from all the falls."
"Don't you ever get used to it?" I asked pulling onto the freeway.
"Yeah, your body accustoms to it but every once and a while you'll feel it if you land wrong or if you do a specialty match. I think the elbows take a lot of the tolls, look at how disgusting they have gotten?" John said trying to show me his elbows.
"Just put some lotion on that." I said.
"It won't work, the damage is already done."
"I doubt that, I got some lotion that may work."
"You going to make me use it?" He asked as the one side of his lips curled up in a side smirk.
"Yes." I said smirking.
"How'd the appointment go?"
"Eh."
"Eh?" John asked.
"It went, sometimes I feel we aren't getting anywhere."
"Then why do you go?"
"I've gotten better since I first started but I've hit a plateau…my boss and doctor pushes me to continue."
"Have you tried a different therapist?"
"No, if I do then it won't be covered by my insurance." I said truthfully.
"What kind of health care do you have? Obviously you'll need to change it if what you have doesn't work."
"It's not that it doesn't work, it's just…nothing." I said knowing he was right about it but I didn't want to spend money on a new healthcare if I got free health care through the Army that would cover 85% of everything that we need. "What kind of health care do you wrestlers have considering the injury risks?" I asked curiously and logically thinking most insurances may not want wrestlers.
"We don't have any per say but WWE usually covers any procedures we need within reason."
"What exactly is within reason?" I asked more curiously.
"Like if it's an injury sustained on the job, like surgery for a tear in a muscle or ligament, they will cover the surgery but if it's something like appendicitis, they'll cover less of the bill because it is out of everyone's hands."
"Got it."
"How does your coverage work?" John asked.
"Sort of like yours but it does its job."
"Does it fully cover your expenses for Joseph?" John asked as I glanced over to him.
"Not really…could you pull my ID out of my bag?" I asked as I hoped that would end the conversation until he found the ID handing it over as I put it in a safe spot as I pulled off the next exit to the base.
"What do you mean not really?" John asked as he repositioned himself in his seat.
"The insurance will and always has covered portions of the surgeries, it covers the doctor's appointments Joseph has once a month or every other week and they cover about 90% of his PT but rest has to come out of my paycheck."
"How much do you have to pay out of your pocket?"
"It doesn't matter the price, it gets paid for when I can and after debt collectors calls start coming in is when I begin to wonder when it'll all end."
"Would the surgery he may have coming up be covered?"
"Possibly…" I said running a hand through my hair as I grasped the wheel again going through the barricades to the gate handing them my ID for them to scan it to allow me onto the installation. It got quiet amongst the car as I noticed John looking out the window taking in the not so much scenery, at least to me there wasn't much because I'm used to seeing it.
"Do you get a lot of planes out here?" John asked as I glanced over noticing the plane taking flight.
"Occasionally, we do have a few Air Force employees stationed here to do work since we are secluded enough to do things more privately." I explained.
"How does one tell the difference between the branches?"
"How they are dressed, each branch has different uniforms and up dresses so it's simple to tell."
"Right…" John said slightly making eye contact with him and I giggled at his facial expression that he had made. "I think I would enjoy living at a place like this." John said as I turned left when it was clear.
"You've been here a day, wait until your last day and see what you'll say."
"I doubt that." John said as it was pretty silent until we got to my house leaving the car in the driveway rather than pulling it into the garage we were to leave sooner than later. I led John up the path to the front door letting us into my house seeing Joseph sitting on the couch next to my mom eating apple slices.
"Mom! Guess what?!" My son asked excitedly running over to where John and I stood blocking the only way to walk.
"What?" I asked.
"I got student of the month!" Joseph exclaimed.
"That's awesome, you know what that means?" I asked as my son shook his head no, "You'll surely get that ice cream tonight."
"I think he has earned double scoop." John spoke up.
"May I?" Joseph asked.
"I'll see." I said as I kind of glared to John for suggesting it, "Did you do your homework?" I asked.
"I didn't have any." Joseph said.
"Alright…" I said as I nodded, "What do you want for dinner?" I asked knowing after dinner we had to go to his doctor's appointment.
"Mac and cheese?" Joseph asked.
"And hot dogs?" I asked as my son nodded as I headed towards the kitchen gathering what was needed for dinner prepping and making the meal. "Joseph, why don't you come cut your hot dog?"
"No, I want a hot dog like John." Joseph said as he looked over his shoulder at me from his spot on the ground.
"You've never had it on a bun." I said worriedly.
"I know, I want it like John's." Joseph said as I glanced to John who sat on the couch smiling and he didn't seem to mind that the television hasn't changed from the Disney Channel.
"Okay." I said not knowing how this will go as I pulled out another bun putting a hot dog in it like Joseph said he wanted before I squirted ketchup on it knowing that is all he would eat his hot dog with.
"John, what toppings do you like on your hot dog?" I asked.
"I can do it." He said as he got up joining me in the kitchen, "Do you have pepper?"
"For what?" I asked confused grabbing the shaker from its spot on the counter handing it to him.
"My macaroni and cheese, you want to try it?" He asked smirking as I was kind of unsure.
"I am definitely contemplating it." I said as he scooped up some of the macaroni that had the pepper on it holding his hand under the fork until he slid the macaroni into my mouth taking the bite chewing. "Not bad."
"You want some?" He asked holding up the pepper as if he was doing an advertisement with it.
"Please." I said as I pointed at my plate.
"I want to try." Joseph said running the best he could to the kitchen watching John do the same thing he did to me to my son. "Pepper mine."
"I thought you would want ketchup."
"That too." Joseph said as John peppered that pile of macaroni and cheese before I squirted ketchup over it before I handed my son his plate. Joseph carried his plate out to the table as I poured him a glass of milk taking it out to my son crossing by John.
"What do you want to drink John?" I asked.
"Whatever my bud has." John asked nodding towards Joseph as I poured him some milk and figured get myself some as well.
"Mom?" I asked going to the couch leaning forward against the back of it.
"I'll get it myself, thanks honey." My mom said as I nodded joining the two men at the table seeing half of Joseph's macaroni and cheese was already gone.
"Take your time Joseph." I said.
"I want to play before we go to the doctors." Joseph said.
"You are going to get sick." I said.
"Your mom is right." John said taking a bite of his macaroni and cheese smirking.
"Okay." Joseph said as he started slowing down as we awkwardly sat there.
"When is the student of the month assembly?" I asked.
"It's in my folder for you." Joseph said as he took the last bite of his macaroni and cheese and stared at his hot dog.
"What's wrong Joseph?" I asked.
"I don't know if I'll like this." Joseph said uncertain about the bun. I let out a sigh having a feeling that this was to happen but I was about to fix it when John stuck his hand up to symbolize he got it.
"If I take a bite, will you take a bite?" John asked.
"I don't know." Joseph said still timid about it.
"Here, try this…see, it's bread." John said ripping a piece of the bun off handing it to my son as my son stared at the bread type food in his small fingers before he slowly put the tiny piece in his mouth to eat it. "Do you like it?" John asked.
"Yeah, it's just like bread." Joseph said.
"Told you." John said smirking as my son picked up his hot dog, I was trying not to laugh at him trying to eat the hot dog with his small mouth.
"Thanks." I said knowing Joseph probably wouldn't have ate it any other way and I don't think I would have thought of doing that.
"I have a nephew that went through the same phase."
"How old is your nephew now?" I asked.
"He is about 10, 11 now…they grow up fast." John said.
"Yes they do." I said glancing to my son who was proudly eating the hot dog the way it was without having it cut, it was something small but it was a small step to growing up more.
