"You fell off the couch and whacked your arm?" Clu giggled into the phone in his dorm.
"Yes, Clu, do you have to keep on repeating it?" Carey was both frustrated and humored by his brother. Their phone conversations were usually spent catching up on things but this week's was all about Carey's little accident.
"Bro, I have done some stupid things in my life but you have so beaten me in the klutz department."
"Thanks for the loving reassuring comments."
Clu silenced himself realizing that he should be more compassionate to his brother. He wouldn't be able to play for months and he sounded like his world was falling apart. "I'm sorry man, I know this sucks for you."
"Seriously. Now I don't even know if I can handle staying on the tour. The whole reason I quit school was to become a musician, now I'm just the head roadies sitting duck son." Carey sighed in exasperation. He was sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall. He held the phone with his good arm
"How long until the cast is off?" Clu inquired.
"At least 2 months. Then I get to physical therapy for a few months." It all sounded so horrible when Carey replayed it in his mind.
"Can you do the therapy on the road?"
"I can but it will be hard. The other option is to head home for a while." Carey shut his eyes, hoping the harder he shut them, the further this would all go away. "I can't even dress myself completely Clu! I had to have Mom help me put my pants on. I feel so useless."
"I'm so sorry Carey. I know it's hard. Remember when I fell off the wagon and broke my leg?"
"Yah." Carey laughed at the memory of his brother's huge leg cast when he was 10.
"Mom had to help me do everything for weeks. I know it's harder since you're like twice as I was then but it's still a step downward in your life."
"Thanks Clu, as crazy as you are, that kind of helped."
"Well, if you ever need to talk or anything bro, I'm always here."
"Thanks Clu, I think we're going to go get some dinner and check out the venue so should get going."
"Are you going to go to be okay doing all this?" Clu was honestly concerned with his brother.
"I think so. I can't hide on the bus forever."
"Okay bro, good luck. Later. Tell Mom and Dad I said Goodnight."
"Okay. Bye Clu."
Carey clicked the button on his mom's cell phone and stood up. In the two days since his injury he had managed to teach himself how to balance the extreme weight enough to be able to sit up and down like he used to. He opened the door he had shut for privacy and walked down the hall. Everyone was waiting for him.
"Hey Carey, Jack and I found a pizza place down the street." Fi exclaimed at him from the couch where she and Jack were playing cards.
"Yah and it's either pizza with us or the Russian-Indian place with those freaks over there." Jack said as gestured towards the adults at the table.
"Russian-Indian?" Carey was very confused.
"It's a very interesting combination." Molly chimed in as she handed the pamphlet to Carey.
Carey took the pamphlet and handed the cell phone to his Mom. He sat on the couch next to Jack and skimmed the menu. "I think I'm going to stick with pizza, this is just a little too weird for me."
"You're loss Carey, I know I can't wait to try this splendid cuisine." Ned joked.
"You know you're excited about this place Dear." Irene told him as she smacked him playfully.
"Bring it on Sweetie." Ned laughed.
"Well I think that's our cue to go get some pepperoni and sausage pizza." Jack stood up and walked towards the door.
"You mean some double cheese with sausage pizza, right Jack?" Fi joked as she followed him.
"No, actually he means plain old classic pepperoni pizza." Carey joked as he followed them.
The adults smiled as they watched the kids leave the bus. "Nice to see him happy for once." Irene commented.
"He's been so down the past few days." Molly commented.
"Well the kid broke his arm, can't play his guitar for at least 4 or 5 months, and he can't even shower without having someone help him tie a bag to his cast. How would you feel?" Ned added into their discussion.
"I just wish we could help him out someway. I know he feels so degraded and low." Irene sighed.
"We'll find a way." Ned said as he reached out to hold Irene's hand.
"Yes, Clu, do you have to keep on repeating it?" Carey was both frustrated and humored by his brother. Their phone conversations were usually spent catching up on things but this week's was all about Carey's little accident.
"Bro, I have done some stupid things in my life but you have so beaten me in the klutz department."
"Thanks for the loving reassuring comments."
Clu silenced himself realizing that he should be more compassionate to his brother. He wouldn't be able to play for months and he sounded like his world was falling apart. "I'm sorry man, I know this sucks for you."
"Seriously. Now I don't even know if I can handle staying on the tour. The whole reason I quit school was to become a musician, now I'm just the head roadies sitting duck son." Carey sighed in exasperation. He was sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall. He held the phone with his good arm
"How long until the cast is off?" Clu inquired.
"At least 2 months. Then I get to physical therapy for a few months." It all sounded so horrible when Carey replayed it in his mind.
"Can you do the therapy on the road?"
"I can but it will be hard. The other option is to head home for a while." Carey shut his eyes, hoping the harder he shut them, the further this would all go away. "I can't even dress myself completely Clu! I had to have Mom help me put my pants on. I feel so useless."
"I'm so sorry Carey. I know it's hard. Remember when I fell off the wagon and broke my leg?"
"Yah." Carey laughed at the memory of his brother's huge leg cast when he was 10.
"Mom had to help me do everything for weeks. I know it's harder since you're like twice as I was then but it's still a step downward in your life."
"Thanks Clu, as crazy as you are, that kind of helped."
"Well, if you ever need to talk or anything bro, I'm always here."
"Thanks Clu, I think we're going to go get some dinner and check out the venue so should get going."
"Are you going to go to be okay doing all this?" Clu was honestly concerned with his brother.
"I think so. I can't hide on the bus forever."
"Okay bro, good luck. Later. Tell Mom and Dad I said Goodnight."
"Okay. Bye Clu."
Carey clicked the button on his mom's cell phone and stood up. In the two days since his injury he had managed to teach himself how to balance the extreme weight enough to be able to sit up and down like he used to. He opened the door he had shut for privacy and walked down the hall. Everyone was waiting for him.
"Hey Carey, Jack and I found a pizza place down the street." Fi exclaimed at him from the couch where she and Jack were playing cards.
"Yah and it's either pizza with us or the Russian-Indian place with those freaks over there." Jack said as gestured towards the adults at the table.
"Russian-Indian?" Carey was very confused.
"It's a very interesting combination." Molly chimed in as she handed the pamphlet to Carey.
Carey took the pamphlet and handed the cell phone to his Mom. He sat on the couch next to Jack and skimmed the menu. "I think I'm going to stick with pizza, this is just a little too weird for me."
"You're loss Carey, I know I can't wait to try this splendid cuisine." Ned joked.
"You know you're excited about this place Dear." Irene told him as she smacked him playfully.
"Bring it on Sweetie." Ned laughed.
"Well I think that's our cue to go get some pepperoni and sausage pizza." Jack stood up and walked towards the door.
"You mean some double cheese with sausage pizza, right Jack?" Fi joked as she followed him.
"No, actually he means plain old classic pepperoni pizza." Carey joked as he followed them.
The adults smiled as they watched the kids leave the bus. "Nice to see him happy for once." Irene commented.
"He's been so down the past few days." Molly commented.
"Well the kid broke his arm, can't play his guitar for at least 4 or 5 months, and he can't even shower without having someone help him tie a bag to his cast. How would you feel?" Ned added into their discussion.
"I just wish we could help him out someway. I know he feels so degraded and low." Irene sighed.
"We'll find a way." Ned said as he reached out to hold Irene's hand.