Chapter 9

The surgery took 3 hours and 46 minutes to complete. I made sure to ensure that every cut was precise and the screws were placed for the fractured tibia and torn ACL. 

I told the whole staff, "Great job! It was a pleasure working with you all."

Max is being rolled into recovery, and I clean up and head to the waiting room to speak to the family.

The whole family is sitting patiently in the waiting room. When I walk into the room, all eyes turn towards me, and everyone stands up.

I say, "The surgery took longer than excepted due to me making sure every cut and screw placed was correct," and I take a deep breath and say, "He is in recovery now, and everything went as planned."

Jeremy asks, "Will he be able to play again?" I say, "I can't say for sure, but with the correct physical therapy, there is a 75% chance that he will be able to play again."

I told them that the next few weeks are crucial. Max must follow the therapist's and doctor's directions and not try to accelerate his recovery. 

Although I said he would not be back this season, there is a chance he will be ready for next season. 

Charlotte hugs me tight and says, "Thank you for helping my baby. I'm so happy we have you in our family."

I say, "I'm glad I could help." I told everyone he would be in recovery for another few hours and then he should be back in his room no later than 3 pm. I told everyone he would need rest and to keep the visits short. 

I told everyone I would go back and sit beside him in recovery and let them know if anything changed. I told them they should go home and that I would text Jeremy when he returned to his room.

The family felt better leaving, knowing I would stay with him. Once everyone had left, I went to the recovery and sat beside him.

When I approached, the nurse was taking his vitals. I asked, "How are his stats looking?"

She said that all looked good, except his heartbeat was a little high, but that is common after surgery. On the way to the recovery, I stopped by the lockers and got my bag. So I take my book out and water to sit by his bedside. 

I was so engrossed in the book that I didn't notice he had woken up. I looked at him and asked, "Are you in pain?" He said, "No, but I'm thirsty."

I say, "Let me get some ice chips for you, and I'll be right back."

Once I get the ice, I tell Max he can take a few at a time but to take it slowly. I feed Max ice clips for a few minutes, and he finally says, enough.

He looked at me and asked, "How did everything go?"

I told him, "The surgery went very well, and if you follow the physical therapist's plan, you have a high chance of playing next season."

Max said, "Thank you," I replied, "You are so welcome."

I told him we would return him to his room soon; we monitored his vitals. 

I told him I sent his family home and would text him once he had returned to his room. I also told him that I told the family that today's visits needed to be short so he could rest. 

Max asked me, "When can I get out of here?" 

I said, "If everything looks good and there is no infection or fever, you should be able to leave in two days."

He asked, "When are you leaving?" I said, "In the next day or two."

We sat silently for a few minutes, and then I asked, "Do you have someone set up for PT after you get out of the hospital?"

Max replied, "The team has a therapist, but I think I may get my physical therapist."

I looked at him and said, "If you need help finding someone in LA, let me know."

He looked at me and asked if he could see me before the baby was due. I told him that I was getting too far along to fly and this would be my last flight before I gave birth. 

The atmosphere is quiet, and he looks at me and says, "How many bedrooms are in your guest house?"

I replied, "There are two bedrooms, but I'm only using one because I will have the baby in my room first."

Max looks at me and asks, "Could I fly with you and stay with you until the baby is born?"

His question throws me in a loop, and I'm unsure what to say. I ask him, "Don't you think you are better here in your own home doing therapy on your injuries?"

He says, "I don't want to miss the remaining time during the pregnancy, and I want to be present when she is born."

I look at him and say, "Let me think about it tonight and speak with my family, and I will tell you tomorrow."

Max smiles and says, "I can live with that; at least it was not right away."

He kept talking and told me he would pay for everything, including rent, if necessary. He also wanted to help pay for anything I needed for the pregnancy and to be present.

I told him I would have an answer tomorrow. We sat silently for a couple of minutes, and then I told him I had finished the book and asked if he wanted to read it.

He said, "Yes, that would be great."

The nurse checks his vitals, says everything looks good, and she will return him to his room.

I texted Jeremy to let him know that Max was returning to his room. He told me they would all be here in about 45 minutes.

We get Max back to his room, and you can tell the pain meds are kicking in; his eyes are closing. By the time the team leaves the room, Max is asleep.

I put the book on the table beside his bed and sat in the chair. I texted my brothers to let them know what was going on, and I told them about his wanting to come here for therapy and be present for the birth. 

Both brothers texted that they thought it was a great idea and that he was welcome. I told them I loved them and would say to them when I was home tomorrow.

I sat quietly in the chair, watching Max sleep. I told him he was welcome to come with me. 

After about 30 minutes, the nurse checks on him, and he wakes up. Once she has checked his vitals, she leaves.

He turns to me, smiles, and says, "I love waking up and seeing your beautiful face."

I laugh and say, "I think the pain meds are starting to kick in. "

Max looks straight and says anytime you are near me, and it's not the medicine talking."

Trying to change the subject, I told him I texted my family, and they were happy with him coming to stay. I look at him and say, "You can come, but you have to listen to me and the physical therapist about your recovery."

He smiles and says, "I will do whatever you say, Doctor. I'm so excited about being there for you and our daughter."

I look at him and ask, "Have you told your family about this?"

Max says, "I mentioned it yesterday, and they understand my reasons."

I told him we would figure everything out, and I would contact some colleagues to find the best physical therapy specialist in Oklahoma City. 

He tells me he knows I will help ensure his recovery for our daughter. He tries to joke and asks if he needs some cowboy boots. 

I laugh and say, "I don't think you will need any boots soon."

I take a deep breath and sit down on his bed. I take his hand and hold it for a minute, telling him I'm not sure what will happen while we live together, but I appreciate that he wants to help me in the final months of my pregnancy. 

Then I asked him if he wanted to feel our daughter kick, and he nodded. He placed his hand on my tummy and started talking to it.

He says, "Hi, sweet girl. It's Daddy. I can't wait to meet you in a few months." He then talks to my belly about how much she is already loved and how he hopes she will always feel loved.

His sweet words made me feel so happy. I don't know what came over me, but I bend and cover his lips. 

The kiss must have surprised him, but it didn't stop him. He placed his hand on my head, and the kiss was passionate. I heard myself release a moan, and he did the same. 

It felt like our tongues were on fire, and we needed to be saved. I could barely catch my breath; my whole body was on fire. 

I pull apart and look at him. He breaks the silence and says, "That was one hell of a kiss, Doc."

I smiled and told him I was sorry. I was just in the moment, listening to him talk to my stomach. He was getting ready to speak again, and the doors opened.

When his family walks in, we look like two teenagers caught making out by their parents. Everyone looks at us, and they have huge smiles on their faces.

I told everyone Max was feeling the baby kick. The gang smiled, and I asked, "Do any of you want to feel her kick?"

We receive four yes responses at the same time.

I turn and place Charlotte's hand on my tummy first. She stands there with tears; next is Ashley, then Frank. The last one was Jeremy; he put his hand on my tummy. He just stood there with tears in his life.

He bent down and said to my tummy, "Hello. I'm Uncle Jeremy, and I can't wait to meet you. Remember, I will be your favorite uncle."

His statement made everyone smile. He looked at Max and me and said, "I'm sorry I was dumb and caused you both pain, but just know you have my full support from now on."

Max says, "I love you, brother, and we are happy you support us."

I don't have any words, so I hug him. We stand there hugging and both crying. 

I hear Frank say, "Okay, enough sappy shit, we are all about good things from here on out."

I tell everyone to take a seat, and I go into the surgery and plan for recovery. Max chimes that he will return with me to recover and be there for our daughter's birth.

I told them all they were welcome to come and visit anytime.

They seem good about our decisions. We can all tell he is getting tired again, so we tell everyone we must say our goodbyes and let him sleep. His family says goodbye and tells me they will be outside and drive me to the hotel.

Once they were gone, I told him to rest and that I would return the next day. I kiss him lightly and say, "Goodnight, handsome."

By this time, he was asleep, and I had left the room.

Jeremy drives me to the hotel, and I tell everyone I will see them tomorrow morning.

I get to my room, order dinner, and prepare for bed. 

While in the shower, Max texted me, "Good night, beautiful, and I still love you."

I kept reading the text over and over until I fell asleep.

When I woke the following day, I looked at the clock on my phone and saw it was 9 a.m. I couldn't believe I had slept that long, but it felt good.

I got my phone and texted Max to let him know I woke up and would be at the hospital in an hour or so.

Less than a minute after I sent the text, I received a call, and the caller ID said Max.

I answered, "Hello," and he said, "It turns me on when I hear your sleepy voice first thing in the morning."

I laugh and say, "You are crazy. What do I owe this call for?"

Max answers, "I just wanted to let you know everything is fine and not to hurry here, so I should take my time."

I admit I panicked with that statement, and my mind went to think he was hiding something from me and didn't want me at the hospital.

He could read my mind and say, "I'm not hiding anything; I just wanted you not to hurry and get as much rest as you need; you are pregnant."

I say, "I'm sorry. I have many insecurities about what we're doing, and it will take some time and patience for me to overcome them."

He says, "I understand, and I will give you all the time and patience you need to ensure we can be a family one day."

I told him I would take his suggestion and get ready, eat some breakfast, and I wanted to make some calls to find a therapist for his recovery.

I let him know I would text when I was on my way to the hospital. 

Before I hang up, I say, "You need to rest, and I'll be there soon. I love you too."

I don't even wait to hear his response before I hang up the phone.