Chapter 36

(A.N: So the time has come for my lovely dear readers to make a decision. I am leaving for Italy on April 8th which means I will not have Chapters out for 10 days while I am exploring Venice, Mestre, Florence, Padova, Lucca, and Rome. I WILL NOT be bringing my computer. That is not an option. Don't even think of suggesting that. My computer is too important for me to risk losing. Sorry, but if I lost it that would mean you would never have another update from me. The options are 1. I finish the story quickly before I leave or 2. Do a chapter a day as per usual and then you wait for chapters, which would mean more chapters and more story. You decide and let me know. Thank you also sorry for the shortness.)

Dave sat on the examination table as the doctor turned his ankle gently. Dave cringed but didn't make a sound. Football had prepared him well for medical examinations. He waited silently as the doctor pushed his finger into the flesh of his ankle.

"Do you really need to do that?" Mr. Hummel asked looking at Dave's pained expression.

"Do you need to fiddle around with a car before you figure out what's wrong with it?"Asked the doctor patiently, looking at Mr. Hummel over top round glasses.

"Yeah, so?"

"Well I need to check out the body before I can make a complete diagnosis. Well, your ankle is fractured. You should have had a cast of this right away. I'll put the cast on now, and you should probably use crutches for a while." Dave opened his mouth to ask the doctor a question, but the doctor stopped him before he could talk. "Don't worry David; you will be okay to play football again in a couple of weeks, as long as we put it in a cast right away." The doctor wrote something on a chart then continued to look at his body. He went up his leg, taking note about all the scars and bruises. "Can you lift your arm up for me" Dave obeyed painfully. He hissed slightly. It hurt to lift his arm at all. "Just hold it there, I won't be too long".

The doctor pushed his fingers firmly into his chest. Dave gritted his teeth tightly, the doctor made a lot of inquisitive noises. Then put a stethoscope up his chest, making more inquisitive noises. "You've broken a few ribs as well, but I see you've taken care of it quite well. I guess your use to injury being a football player huh?"

"Yeah, I guess" Dave wanted to add that it helped being beaten at home as well.

"I'll give you some medicine to rub on your chest to numb the pain while they heal" the doctor said, lifting his shirt and taking note of the scars and bruises on his chest and stomach. "Now let's look at that face. You can put your arm down." The doctor looked closely at the bruises and cuts on his face; he lifted up the gauze on his head slowly. Re-opening the wound, Dave felt the warm trickle down his head. "This needs stitches, does it hurt?" Dave thought that the question was supposed to be a joke, but when the doctor stared at him he realised it was legitimate.

"Yeah, not as much as my ankle and my ribs, but yeah." The doctor nodded thoughtfully and walked over to his counter and opened up a drawer. He pulled a sewing needle and thread, a needle for a shot, a pair of scissors, and lastly some new gauze. He put the needle into the wound and then sewed up his head. Dave didn't pay attention to the pain. He put himself somewhere else until the doctor was finished. He imagined himself on the football field, in perfect condition, scoring big time, his usual day dream. Only something was different this time, this time his father wasn't there. In his place was a tiny, brown haired boy in a blue jacket and brown scarf. The boy held up a big yellow sign with green sparkly letters and various pictures of him. Dream Dave looked up at the boy and smiled a gigantic smile. Dream Kurt screamed his name loudly, but for some reason the dream didn't make him as happy as it usually did.

"I'd also like to do an MRI on you David, just to make sure no severe cranial damage was done. I'll squeeze you in for today, so we can send these papers over to the station ASAP" Dave hated it when people said ASAP.

"So what do you say doc? Will he be okay?" Mr. Hummel asked, putting his hand on Dave's shoulder.

"Well as I said, we are going to check for any cranial damage, but otherwise he seems to have taken good care of the wounds. I'm surprised; you would be shocked at the amount of people who don't bother wrapping up injuries. I'm going to prescribe some medication for the pain. You also look very pale, I'd like you to get a good night's rest, and eat a good meal tonight. You told me he took a good fall yesterday didn't you?" The doctor turned to Mr. Hummel.

"Yeah, said he didn't eat for two days." Mr. Hummel shook his head like it was the worst tragedy ever.

"That's not good for a football player, you know that David." Dave nodded.

"We'll make sure he's taken care of Doc" Mr. Hummel said strongly. Dave smiled for a moment, turning his face away from the doctor and Mr. Hummel.

"Alright let me go see if I can schedule this MRI" and with that the doctor left the room.

"We'll have to figure out a sleeping arrangement that doesn't involve you trekking up and down the stairs every day" Mr. Hummel mumbled, leaning against the wall.

"What do you mean?" Dave asked.

"Well, you want to walk up the stairs a couple times a day with a cast on?"

"No, but..."Dave didn't know how to ask, he had never had to worry about where he was going to sleep and eat. It was frightening.

"I said we'd take care of you. I'm not going to leave you at the side of the road am I?" Dave laughed nervously.

The doctor walked back into the room with a form, a cast, and crutches. He put the cast on Dave's ankle and helped him adjust the crutches to his height. "You can just head over to imaging; they'll take you right away".

"Thanks Doc" Mr. Hummel said. Silently the two walked to the imaging department. Through the whole process all Dave could think about was what Mr. Hummel had told him. He was so consumed in though that he forgot to be embaressed when he took off his clothes for the MRI and put on the weird gown thing. He didn't stop thinking when they put the needle in his hand. Not until he was on the car ride back to the Hummel-Hudson house did he snap back to reality.

For some reason, rather than being ecstatic, Dave was sad. He felt as though everything was going so fast, but he was walking slowly. It felt as though at any moment he would be whipped back and thrown across the room. He knew he was lucky to have been picked up, and given shelter, but more than one thing was missing, and something deep inside of him wanted to talk to his dad. Despite all his faults and the fact that he didn't care about him, he couldn't shake the pain inside that wanted more than anything to get a hug and an I love you from the man who helped create him.