Bend It Like Becker

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Chapter 25 – ANKLE ANGUISH

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Jess's mobile rang for the umpteenth time, and for the umpteen-first time, Becker frowned and gestured to the "No mobile phones" sign hanging on the wall of the private exam room. Jess, however, once again ignored him and picked up.

"Hello, Lester. … No, we don't know anything yet. … Yes, they took x-rays, just as you insisted. … No, they haven't told us the results. … Yes, he-oh, wait, I think I see someone coming. I'll ring you back as soon as we know."

As Jess rung off, Becker tried to peer around her to see who was approaching, but no one was there – obviously she'd lied to get Lester off the phone.

She turned back to Becker, a look of concern on her face. "So how are you feeling?"

"Bloody ridiculous," Becker grumbled. He couldn't believe they were all making such a fuss. Sure, it hurt, but it wasn't the life-or-death situation they were making it out to be.

Jess, however, frowned at his response. "I meant, are you in much pain? Do you want me to track down a nurse to get you some aspirin or paracetamol or something?"

"As I've said before, Jess, I'm fine." And he was, except for the pain radiating up from his ankle. He'd known the moment his foot twisted beneath him that he'd done something serious, but he still didn't want to admit it to anyone, most of all to himself. If it had hurt a bit less, he would've gritted his teeth and pretended he was fine, but the pain was more than he could stand and he hadn't been able to fake being okay. However, that didn't mean that he still didn't want to try.

Jess, unfortunately, wasn't buying it. Her forehead was creased with worry, and she hadn't left his side since they'd arrived at the hospital, though he was certain that Lester's instructions to make sure he received the best treatment possible had something to do with her attentions as well.

"Perhaps I'll go see if I can get you some—oh wait, here he comes," Jess announced excitedly.

Indeed, a moment later the handsome young intern (surely he couldn't be a real doctor) came into the room. Becker might've been jealous of the man, but Jess hadn't seemed to show any interest in him all evening, other than inquiring about Becker.

"So?" Jess asked the bloke worriedly. "Is it broken?"

"No, nothing's broken."

Jess breathed a huge sigh of relief, and Becker, too, gave a silent thanks.

"It appears to be just a mild sprain," the bloke continued, picking up Becker's ankle and slowly manipulating it, causing pain to shoot up his leg. "You say you got this playing football?"

Jess answered for him, which was good, since Becker wasn't sure how his voice would come out considering the pain he was now in. "Yes, we were playing footy in the park. His ankle just seemed to twist under him and suddenly he was on the ground, unable to walk."

"He's lucky, then," the young doctor continued on to Jess, as if Becker wasn't even in the room. "Most footy sprains tend to be high ankle sprains, which are way more serious and can take months to heal. With this one, he should be back on his feet in a day or two, provided he takes it easy and treats it with RICE."

"Rice?" Jess repeated back, surprised.

"RICE – Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation," he explained. "He should stay completely off his foot – no weight on it at all for at least 24 to 48 hours. He also needs to wrap up his ankle tightly – I can show you how that's done – and needs to keep it elevated with ice on it for the next day or so."

"RICE, got it. And what about the pain?" Jess asked. "Can you give him a prescription for something?"

Becker rolled his eyes – he didn't want the young doctor to think he was a wimp who needed such things.

Regardless, the bloke took a pad out of his chest pocket and started to scribble something down which Becker would no doubt be thankful for later. "Here, I'll write you a script."

"Thanks!" Jess gushed. "You've been brilliant!"

Becker gave a sigh of frustration – wasn't she overdoing it a bit? He just wanted this whole experience to be over so he could go home and get some much overdue sleep.

But somehow he got the sneaking suspicion that that wasn't going to happen.

…

As Jess put her key into the door of Becker's flat, she got an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Of course, part of that might've been due to the fact that it was nearly eleven and she still hadn't eaten any dinner, but mostly she just felt uncomfortable being here by herself, especially considering she was about to rifle through his drawers!

When it came down to it, this was all Lester's fault. Back at the hospital, as Dr. Boyd demonstrated to Jess how to wrap Becker's ankle, Lester called for another status update. When Jess explained the doctor's orders, Lester gave some of his own – Becker was not to be left alone for the next 48 hours because he simply wasn't to be trusted to take care of himself properly. Jess assured Lester that she would take care of everything, even though she knew Becker would protest, since that's all he'd done the entire evening.

As Dr. Boyd wheeled Becker out to the waiting room, Jess quickly filled in Matt and Emily on the situation.

"Lester's right," Matt said. "We need Becker for Saturday. Do you mind watching him, Jess?"

"I don't need watching," Becker grumbled from his wheelchair. "I'm not a child, and it's simply a sprain."

Jess rolled her eyes, ignoring him. "I'm happy to watch over him, but in that case, he should come to my flat. I've hooked up my computer so I can monitor the hub from home, so that way tomorrow I can watch him as I telecommute."

"What's telecommute?" Emily asked, clearly unfamiliar with the term.

"I don't need to stay at Jess's flat," Becker protested. "Just take me home."

Luckily Matt was ignoring him as well. "Sounds like a plan. But if he's staying over, he'll need overnight stuff, won't he? Clothes to change into and the like?"

"Jess can go pick up anything he needs," Emily said matter-of-factly.

"But I don't have my keys," Becker pointed out.

"Oh yes, I completely forgot to tell you," Jess said, having been suddenly reminded. "Abby collected your kit, including your keys, from the park and brought it all home with her, so you needn't worry, that's all taken care of."

"But won't you need his keys to get into his flat?" Matt asked.

"No," Emily stated, as if it were common knowledge. "Jess has her own key."

Jess silently gasped, hoping that Becker hadn't been paying attention. Not that he'd told Jess to keep the key a secret, but she didn't want him to think that she'd been off blabbing to everyone about it.

Matt, unfortunately, had been paying attention. "Why do you have a key to-?"

"So let's get him in your car, yeah?" Jess interrupted, hoping to change the subject. "I'll call Abby and Connor and let them know you're on your way, and I'll simply meet you there after I swing by Becker's flat."

"Just take me home," Becker insisted as they wheeled him out towards the carpark. "Really. I promise I'll stay off my ankle and keep it wrapped and elevated."

"And iced every few hours," Jess added, making it clear that he couldn't be trusted to be left alone.

Becker rolled his eyes. "Yes, and iced, too. Whatever. I can do all that myself."

"Sorry, mate," Matt said, addressing Becker for the first time. "Lester's orders."

So now here Jess was, letting herself into Becker's flat, feeling as if she were about to invade his privacy. He'd been so grumpy about the whole thing, she hadn't bothered to ask him what he wanted from home. She figured she'd just get a couple changes of clothes to last him till he was better, but that meant going through his drawers. The circumstances were completely different than what Connor and Abby had accused her of only last week, but it still made her feel uncomfortable.

Of course, walking into his living room and seeing his couch made her feel uncomfortable as well. She was glad that she'd insisted on him staying at her place because she could only imagine how awkward it might've been if the two of them had been trapped together here with that couch for several days.

Of course, it wasn't like he'd need his ankle for that kind of activity….

Jess shook her head, trying to get rid of that image, and instead focussed on getting his things. She'd brought in a few bags from her car, and the first thing she did was go into the loo and grab every hair-styling product she could find. Not that he'd need to style his hair, since all he'd merely be resting, but considering how he'd reacted the other day, she thought he might feel more comfortable having the styling products on hand. Besides, it was a way to procrastinate the more uncomfortable task at hand.

After packing up all his hair necessities, not to mention his toothbrush, she went into his bedroom. She'd slept in this very room less than a week ago, yet coming in here now, by herself, felt very different. She glanced at his chest of drawers and wondered where to start, not knowing what he kept where.

She decided to be systematic about it and opened the top left-hand drawer tentatively, almost as if she were afraid of what she might find inside. All she found, of course, were his socks, neatly matched and folded together. She reached in and grabbed out two pairs, stuffing them into one of the bags. She then remembered Connor's comment about guys keeping other items in their sock drawers. A part of her wanted to look deeper, to see if Becker might have a photo of her stashed somewhere underneath, but instead she slammed the drawer shut before she could give in to the urge. After all, she was not on some stalking mission; Becker was hurt, laid up at her flat, and she was merely collecting his things for him like a good friend should.

She opened the next drawer, where she found his shorts neatly folded as well. She stared at them a moment, somehow reluctant to touch them, as if that would somehow be crossing a line.

Don't be silly, she silently scolded herself. You're not twelve. They're just underwear. You handle Connor's shorts in the laundry all the time - what's the difference? Now grab two pairs and move on!

She did so quickly, though she could still feel her face heating up as she slammed the drawer shut.

The worst of it now over, she proceeded to pack up a pair of jeans, two t-shirts, a button-up wool shirt (in case he got cold), and a pair of gym bottoms to sleep in. She then gave the room a once over, trying to see if there was anything else he might need, before grabbing the bags and leaving.

As she locked up his flat behind her, she realised that this wasn't exactly what she'd envisioned using the key for when he'd given it to her.

And she was certain it wasn't what'd he'd envisioned either.

…

to be continued