"Mr. And Mrs. Teslow?" Dr. Alexander called out. Mandy and her husband Stan stood up, and Phil looked up. Via looked up from the book she was reading (a new release called Can't Fight The Moonlight), and Owen jerked awake. "I'm Doctor Sasha Alexander. I have some news regarding your daughter's condition…"

"Good or bad?" Phil whispered to himself.

"I'm afraid it doesn't look good," Dr. Alexander said, confirming Phil's fears. "We've discovered that she has Deep Vein Thrombosis--"

"What's that?" Owen piped up, saying what they were all thinking.

"It's a blood clot in the leg. That's the good news, though. The clot stayed in your daughter's leg, and didn't move to the heart or brain. We'll need to remove the clot, but due to the prolonged period of time that the clot was in her leg, she will have experienced some muscle death." Mandy made a quavering noise, but Dr. Alexander continued. "We'll have to remove the dead muscle, which will limit your daughter's mobility. Though, the chances are infinitesimal that she will regain full mobility, she should be able to move about easily with time. However, she will experience pain."

"For how long?"

"It's hard to say," Dr. Alexander said. "It may leave as soon as a few months, or it could be life-long…" Mandy looked ready to faint. "Now, I'm going to need you to come with me…" she said, and the three retreated down the hall.

"Think she'll be okay?" Via asked, looking over her book at the other two.

Phil sighed. Dead muscle, blood clots, deep vein thrombosis… this was definitely unexpected… "I'm sure she'll be just fine," Phil muttered, again, doubting his own words.

But, the next day, when Keely was due to be released, the three of them came back to the hospital. Keely came out and stepped into the room. Phil was reading a magazine, Owen had fallen asleep, and Via was buried in her book. Keely hobbled over to Via, and placed the cane she'd been given squarely on Via's foot.

"OWWW!" Via screamed out, but when she saw Keely smiling at her, she squealed and jumped up, giving Keely a bear hug.

"It's, uh, nice to see you too," Keely mustered, leaning on her cane for support.

"So did the surgery go well? Did they fix you?"

"Please… don't say 'fix'. It makes me sound like a piece of machinery."

"But you're all better?" Phil asked, looking at her. She nodded. "That's great…" he looked down, and saw the long piece of dead tree she was leaning on. "You have a cane."

"I also have these," Keely said, pulling out a bottle filled with pills.

"Vicodin," Via said, looking at the label. Keely nodded again.

"Finally, an excuse to get high," she joked, rolling her eyes and pocketing it. "I tried to go without it, but it was hell. I sure hope this pain doesn't last my whole life."

"I'm sure it won't," Phil said.

"Do you know something I don't?" Keely asked, and Phil picked up the meaning.

"No. I don't know anything you don't."

"Anyway, I guess they caught it early enough so I'll regain about all of the movement I once had… but I don't think I'll be able to run or anything, which is a good excuse to get out of P.E."

Via smirked. "Well, that's good…"

"The thing is… I don't know if I'll ever rid myself of this thing," she said, raising the cane up. Unfortunately, Owen had chosen that moment to walk up behind Keely, and he was smacked in the head with the mahogany.

"OW!" he shouted.

"Oh… sorry Owen," Keely said, looking back at him.

"'Salrite," he replied, rubbing his head. "I guess you're okay?"

"Yep," Keely replied. "Good as used."

The four hopped into Phil's car, Via riding shotgun, and Keely and Owen in the back. "Oh," Owen said, breaking the silence, "I heard a good one the other day! What did one cripple say to the other?"

"I'm gonna stick this cane where the sun don't shine if you don't shut up, Owen," Keely warned.

"Oh… you heard it too?"

"Guys, help," Keely said.

"Don't make me pull this car over," Phil warned.

"Honestly, kids," Via added, "if you fight any more on this car ride, you're grounded."

Owen sighed, as Keely stuck her tongue out at him.

"We're here," Phil stated the obvious as they pulled into Keely's driveway.

"Why are we going to Keely's house?" whined Owen.

"Hey," Phil said, turning around. "She's been gone for two days… she probably wants to get back…"

"I know, Owen," Keely added, getting out of the car. "Stop being so Narcissistic."

Via knocked on the door, and Ashley opened it up. "Keely!" she squealed, and Keely squealed, "Ashley!" and the two hugged; Via dove out of the way just before she was sandwiched.

"Is Mom or Dad home?" Keely asked, stepping in.

"No," Ashley responded. "They're at work…"

"Ah…"

"Who are you talking to?" Bonnie demanded from the other room. She poked her head in and squealed with joy. "Keely!"

By some astonishing trick of gravity, Keely didn't fall to the ground when her sister enveloped her. "Omygosh, Keely! You're back… and you have a cane…" Bonnie noticed.

"Yep," Keely said. "Not too many people get to experience muscle death."

Bonnie winced. "That doesn't sound too pleasant…"

"Ah… you've been through worse…"

"Well… yeah, but…"

Keely sauntered into the living room, and the rest followed her. Phil sat on the edge of a couch, Owen sat on the other edge, and Ashley reluctantly sat next to him. Keely took a seat on a chair, and Bonnie sat on the armrest. Via squeezed between Phil and Ashley.

"So… muscle death?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah… I had deep vein thrombosis, I think…" Keely looked at Phil, and he nodded, placing his arm on the back of the couch. Bonnie kept looking at Phil, a knowing smirk on her face.

"What?" Phil asked, as Keely popped a pill into her mouth and swallowed it.

"Nothing," Bonnie muttered. Boy, Phil, she thought. Could you be any more obvious? I'm surprised she isn't letting on yet…

Oh... it's 1:21 AM right now... so I will publish this and then I shall get some much needed rest...