Chapter 12
Other than Matt spending the next two days in bed, nothing much changed until the day of Matt's appointment at Jim's office the following Tuesday.
Oh, and Claire was back in town. She picked up an eight-hour shift on Tuesday, where she would encounter Liz for the first time since the entire ordeal had begun. They'd been missing one another all day, but just before Liz was stealing off to sit in on Matt's check-up, they ran into one another. They hugged quickly and Claire pulled out her phone with photos of her new niece, who had kept her busy in Virginia for the past 2 weeks. Liz fidgeted. She hated to run out, but Matt would be in the room around 2:15. She wanted to hear what Jim had to say.
Claire noticed and started to say something about Liz appearing so antsy before it hit her. Oh my God." She closed her eyes for a few seconds as the realization of the situation became clear. "You fell in love with him."
"You could have warned me." Liz moved the two of them toward the stairs.
"Did someone try to kill you, too?"
"What?" Liz stopped. "No. Did that happen to you?"
Claire pulled her into the stairwell. "It doesn't matter, but you have to understand who he is, Liz," she whispered as the door closed behind them.
"I do. At least I think I do." Liz was pretty sure she had an idea; she'd met the man when he was lying half-dead on his living room floor.
"How's his leg?"
"He has an appointment with Jim right now. He's been non weight-bearing for two weeks."
"Oh, Lord. Who's been sitting on top of him to make that happen?"
"Claire!"
"I assume you are sitting on top of him. Have you seen him?"
"Sometimes and yes, respectively."
Claire placed her hand on Liz's arm. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know, but I have to run up there. He's hoping at least for a walking cast." She hated sounding like a girl who only thought about the boy in her life, but Matt's life had consumed hers recently.
"Good luck!" Claire called, shaking her head as Liz bounded up the steps, two at a time.
Matt allowed Foggy to help him get to the appointment, but he went in alone. He wanted a minute with Jim. A little before 2:30, the surgeon entered the room.
"Matt. Good to see you. How are things?"
Matt extended his hand to shake Jim's. "I've been better. But I've also been worse."
Jim chuckled. "I guess that's true. I took a look at your films from today, and I have to say that I'm definitely please with what I'm seeing. The bone growth is excellent. I would feel comfortable with having you start putting some weight on it, up to 50%, in a walking boot. You're obviously an athletic guy; we want to get you back into your life." Matt could hardly contain his excitement. Jim saw this and added words of caution. "I'm going to have you start with a physical therapist, though, for some initial supervision. This is exceptional work that I've done, and I'm not having you screw it up."
"Sure, that's fine." Matt agreed with a relieved laugh. "But can it be some big hairy guy?"
Jim scowled for a second before he realized what Matt meant. His reciprocal laugh sounded pretty genuine. "Sure. We'll make sure he's neither female nor attractive."
Matt blushed, realizing it was completely out of line for him to have said this, but he wanted some more info on the doctor currently sharing his bed. Jim's vitals hadn't changed. He seemed less anxious than Matt expected. "That was out of line, and after you've gone out of your way to help me."
"Nah, it's fine. I get it; I fell for her, too." Jim realized what he'd said. "Shoot. Now the foot's in my mouth. Maybe we shouldn't talk about this."
"Can I ask one more question?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"Why Steve Rogers?"
"Have you seen the guy?" A brief awkward pause followed. Jim blushed; Matt felt the warmth and could hear the slight increase in his heart rate. "Oh, right. No. Well, I'm pretty good looking; I'm not gonna lie, but Rogers is a freaking god. But I think it was more than that.
"She's cute, not a supermodel by any stretch, but you know that doesn't really matter – the way she attracts you is different from any girl I've ever met. But I never got the feeling that the thing with Rogers as much about her wanting to be with him as it was her not wanting to be with me."
"Jim. I'm sorry. I didn't know who else to talk to, except Claire, but that's basically the other side of this coin." Matt did his own blushing now. He assumed Jim knew that part of the story, too.
"Yeah." Jim helped Matt move onto the table before he turned to retrieve the cast saw. "I don't think there's any malice involved, but she changes her mind on a whim, and then that's it. Her decisions are swift and final, and it doesn't really matter who's affected around her."
"Yeah?"
"That's what I've observed, what I've experienced. I loved her, and I thought she loved me, but then she didn't anymore. And then there was no negotiation. She just moved on."
"Is that a warning?"
"Take it as whatever you need it to be. I'm guessing you've broken some hearts in your day. It's something else to be on the other side of it."
Jim didn't give Matt a chance to respond before he fired up the saw. Within a matter of minutes, Matt's ankle was free. He gingerly tested out the joints in his foot, hearing the strain of the metal gripping into and reinforcing the bones. His ankle screeched with the slightest twitch of movement. He'd have to figure out some way to ignore that, now, too. Jim's nurse came in to clean the rest of the surgical betadine as Jim inspected the healed incision.
"This looks great, Matt. You're a fast healer."
"Meditation helps," Matt admitted. He'd been much more diligent in the past week with his practice, especially since the strep throat.
"Yeah?"
"Seriously. I have to do something to keep centered."
"And that helps?"
"It does. I've been doing some form of martial arts since I was a little kid. It's good to be able to control something, you know? Even if it's just myself."
"I can understand the appeal." Jim sat across from Matt. "These past couple of weeks must have been unbearable."
"I'm not gonna lie. They haven't been good."
"Well, Matt, you're well on your way to recovery. It's going to take some time to get back to 100%, but you'll get there." He secured the boot and helped Matt off the table. Matt reached out for his crutches, and the enormity of Matt's reality hit Jim. "Oh shit. I didn't even think. How are you doing this? How are you getting around?"
"It has to be hard to watch," Matt acknowledged.
"Not that, but how are you not breaking your neck?"
"I use the chair going any sort of distances or when I'm out of my house or the office or anywhere that I don't know the layout. That's pretty much how I've kept my teeth unchipped and in my head." Matt smiled, showing the perfect white rows. "But things are definitely looking up."
"We'll get you back in fighting shape."
"That's exactly what I need, Jim," Matt admitted, knowing Jim had no idea how close to the truth he was hitting right now.
"Okay. Your partner in crime is right outside the door. I'll see you back in about two weeks; just check out with Linda up front. She'll also get you set up with PT."
Matt held out his hand again. "Thanks, Jim. This could have been really weird."
Jim shook. "It's still a little weird, but you seem like an okay guy."
"Well, you seem like a really great one, so thanks."
"It's what I do. See you in a couple of weeks."
Foggy entered the room with the wheelchair just as Liz arrived. "Did I miss it?"
"Just finished up. Everything looks good, apparently. I have to make a follow up for 2 weeks and get set up for physical therapy."
"Wow." She steadied him as he tested putting a little weight on his foot as he moved into the wheelchair. "Was that okay?"
"It wasn't awesome," he grunted through gritted teeth.
"It'll get better. You're already so much better."
Matt nodded. He couldn't argue; he was clearly getting better. But he needed recovery to go faster. "Let's get out of here."
Foggy, who'd faded into the wall in an attempt to pretending he wasn't intruding now moved to Matt's side and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You ready, Matt?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
After scheduling Matt's appointments to fit in either Foggy or Karen or Liz's schedule, they turned to the patient for the next move. Matt didn't want to admit it, but he was exhausted. He'd been at the office for over a week now, but he still napped most afternoons before Foggy sent him home between 3 and 4.
"Where now, Matty?" Foggy inquired, hoping the other man would concede defeat for the day.
"Home, I guess," he acquiesced.
"I have to go back downstairs," Liz stated as they headed for the elevator. "But I'll be done at 7."
"That's good," Matt decided. "It will give me time to get a nap in."
"Yeah?"
Matt heard the relief in her voice and the subtle slowing of her pulse. He smiled as he reached for her hand. "Absolutely. I'll be good as new when you get off. We could try dinner out again?"
Liz reached down and kissed him again. "Not tonight. I'll bring something."
He shook his head firmly. "No! I'll cook. Or figure something out."
"Yeah?"
"Yes. I'll have plenty of time to nap for a bit and still get dinner together. You guys have been on double speed taking care of me. Let me do this."
Liz shot a look at Foggy, who nodded just slightly. "Okay." She kissed him a third time. "See you a little before 8, then." She smiled at Foggy and then she was gone.
Matt settled back into the chair. "Yeah," he whispered to her disappearing form. He twisted in the seat a little until he was almost facing his friend. "Foggy?"
"Yeah?"
"Let's go home."
TBC