Chapter Nintey-three:

Megan croaked "forever?  I am never getting it out?"

Brad looked at her a bit confused.  He asked "but kitten, I thought you liked your appliance?"

Megan said "I do.  But...  I thought one day I would get it out.  I just...  It just seems..."

Brad said "honey, you know orthodontic care is forever.  Your Miller will serve as your retainer.  It will guarantee you have no relapse."  He could see Megan still did not look sold on the idea.  He asked "do you trust me?  Do you think I would do anything that would cause you harm?"

Megan replied "of course I trust you.  And I know you would never do anything to cause me harm.  But forever?"

Brad said "yes kitten, forever.  Treatment is forever."  He looked at her.  Part of him liked the discomfort that was evident on Megan's face.  Part of him hated it.  He said "kitten, we will worry about the future in the future.  For now, you need a Miller appliance.  Maybe, just maybe, if kitten is a good girl, she will earn some breaks from her treatment.  But I bet my kitten would find she misses her beautiful mouth jewelry if it were to be removed.  But, maybe, again just maybe, we can find out sometime.  In  the future.  Which we aren't going to worry about now."

Brad noticed a sense of peace come over Megan's face before she replied "thank you sir.  I know you will do what is right for your kitten."  Breaking character, she said "we need to get going don't we?"

Brad smiled and said "we do.  After you put your new toy in."

Stopping at the reception desk, Brad said "I won't be too long this morning honey."  He left Megan, who had already pulled some older files out to transfer them to their computer system.  He smiled, proud of his wife and how quickly she had caught on to everything.  He watched her a moment before turning and heading towards the treatment room.  As he entered the treatment room, Brad saw Dr. Andi and Katie had their backs to him.  He asked "so, how did yesterday go?"

As they turned, Brad noticed something different about Katie.  She was wearing a blue petit facemask in place of her customary pink one.  He said "hey Katie, we match."

She said "I wanted a change.  Pink is so cliche.  Does the color look good on me?"

Brad said "it looks great."  He turned his attention towards Andi and asked "so, do you have some new patients coming on board?"

Andi beamed before responding "we sure do.  All of Tim's staff will be joining him in treatment.  I told him I would sell them.  Sharon is coming in this morning.  And the rest of the ladies all have spacers in.  I am soooo excited!"

Brad laughed before responding "well, I hope they have the same enthusiasm you do.  Do you have treatment plans worked up for them yet?"

Andi said "absolutely.  I burned the midnight oil.  And yes, all of their cases are suitable for a Miller appliance and headgear.  I am prescribing fulltime headgear wear for Sharon and Kelsey, the rest the standard 14-16 hours.  It will be so much free advertising for us.  I know that you have partnered with Orspco.  But we really should put our name and logo on our headgear."

Brad placed his hand on the chincup of his facemask and said "you know, if this whole orthodontic thing doesn't pan out for you Andi, I think you may have a future in marketing.  That is a great idea.  I will talk to Tom about it."

Andi laughed.  She said "well, based on how many new cases I am starting I will be busy with this whole orthodontic thing for at least a few more years.  Ok, enough talking, we have to get to work."

A little less than two hours later, Brad flipped the lights off in his office and closed the door.  As he entered the treatment area, he saw Andi fitting Sharon with Miller headgear.  He stopped and observed a moment.  Once she had finished attaching the fourth elastic, Andi leaned back.  As she was examining the fit, Brad said "that Miller headgear looks stunning on you.  I can see your airway expanding as I speak."  Sharon cut her eyes up towards Brad.  He noticed the look in her eyes, she had the look of a cornered animal.  Brad smiled at her warmly and said "there is a learning curve.  But after a while it will seem completely normal.  And I am sure that Andi has a break in schedule for you."

Andi said "I do."  She took Sharon's hand and said "you did great Sharon.  Two weeks, work your way up to full time wear over the next two weeks like we talked about.  Also as we discussed, if you need to take it off for an hour or two here and there, that is completely acceptable.  It's not just acceptable, it is expected.  Just be sure to get in 150 hours a week.  That is a little less than 22 hours a day on average.  And remember, the more you wear it, the faster you will be able to quit wearing it.  It is possible if you are super compliant you may not need it for the full duration of treatment.  And if you find yourself having trouble getting the needed time in, we have a couple of methods we can use to help you."  She gave Sharon a smile.  She continued "ok, so, we are almost done.  Let's go over care and hygiene, show you how to turn your expanders, and have you practice with your headgear."

Brad said "you really do look great with headgear.  You will find it is not as big a deal as it seems right now.  Thank you for trusting us here.  You will be glad you did.  And with that, I will leave you in the very capable hands of Dr. Andi.  I know because she is my orthodontist too!"  He gave Sharon a smile before heading towards the reception desk.

Before he entered the reception area, Brad had an idea.  He knew Andi and Katie were occupied back in the treatment room.  He pulled out his phone, opened the new app, and pressed the button on the screen.  He waited a few seconds before entering.  When he did enter, he found Megan with her eyes closed and mouth open.  She was saying "huh, huh, huh, huh" softly over and over.  She was completely unaware of his presence.  He simply watched her for several seconds.  As he did he saw her reach down and place her hand over her belt and the electronic invader that was responsible for the vibrations coursing through her.  The belt held her new toy in place.  Whether she wanted to or not she had no hope of removing it.  This made Brad smile.  He silently stepped over and draped his arms over her.  As she opened her eyes he whispered "something seems to have gotten into my kitten.  It looks like I need to get her home and see what I can do about it."

After helping Megan bath and get dressed, Brad looked at her.  He said "I love you so much.  How about we go pick the boys up and go see a movie?  But first, lunch."

As they ate, Brad said "I spoke with Tom while we were at the office.  I explained our idea.  He was all in favor of it.  Thalia will be flying out here Thursday evening.  She has a follow up appointment with the Morales on Friday morning.  I want you to go with her. He did say something that made me think though.  He said he wasn't that worried about how Thalia was coping with her orthodontics.  He said she has somewhat come to terms with that part of her treatment.  He said after all that orthodontics is what funds their lifestyle.  And he said there were already a whole list of people at Orspco who were undergoing the same treatment she is.  That seemed to make it easier for her to deal with it.  He said what was really bothering Thalia was her cast.  And the idea of wearing a Milwaukee brace for the next several years.  He said he wished Thalia had a friend who was going through that as well."

Megan looked at him and replied "and???"

Brad said "I know how much you hate your halo.  And I know you aren't a fan of your protraction rods.  But they have done what we need kitten.  What would have taken months, maybe another year with elastics, we have achieved in less than a month.  I know it wasn't comfortable, but it worked.  I say all that to get to this.  I spoke with Dr. Morales today.  She is going to take your halo off this upcoming Friday.  No more halo, no more uncomfortable protraction rods.  I will fit you with a Miller headgear so we can be sure to not lose any of your hard-earned gains, just think of it as a retainer your your maxilla.  But you will be able to remove it as long as you wear it as prescribed."

Megan's eyes lit up.  She said "oh thank you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Brad continued "and then she is going to fit you with a Milwaukee brace like Thalia will be getting.  She said she already has the scans she needs of you, and of course Raphael will bump you to the front of the line.  Your brace will be ready by Friday.  So Friday, Thalia will have her follow up, they will change out her cast.  And afterwards, you will be fitted with your new Milwaukee brace.  But unlike your halo, you will be able to remove it.  Or more accurately, I will be able to remove it as Raphael will include the compliance straps on your brace.  Baby, this is so exciting.  You will do done with your halo.  You will be able to shower again."

Megan looked at him in shock.  While she was elated to hear she would be free from the halo brace, she was shocked by the news of a Milwaukee brace.  She asked "I will only need to wear the brace when I am with Thalia right?"

Brad said "no honey, I don't think that would be fair.  Thalia will have to wear her brace full time, 22 hours a day, for at least the next two years.  I know how much you care about her.  I think it would only be right for you to do the same.  You will be in your brace as long as Thalia is.  Think about how much motivation that will give you to help Thalia wear hers like she should.  You two ladies are going to just be the cutest in your matching Milwaukee braces and Miller headgears."

Chapter Ninety-four:

Aubrey was snuggled up against Tim that night on his couch, her arms wrapped around him and her head on his shoulder, as a movie played.  Aubrey's attention was split between the movie and Tim.  He had been in pain all day, and while the ibuprofen and acetaminophen had dulled it, she could tell he was still in discomfort.  She felt him move beneath her.

He said "baby, I am shorry.  I have to take thish headgear off.  It ish killing me."

Aubrey let go of him and turned towards him.  She replied "my poor baby.  Let mama help."  As she had ever since he had first been fitted with his headgear the day before, she realized he was even more irresistible than she had even imagined in her head.  There was something about his masculinity combined with this vulnerability that touched something deep inside her.  But she hated to see him in pain.  She reached up and gently removed the first elastic.  She followed by removing the second.

As she unbuckled the strap from around his neck Tim said "I'm shorry.  I know I need to wear it.  I jusht need a break."

As she pulled the straps off the top of this head and gently pulled the frame off his face she responded "sweetheart, it is ok.  You don't need to apologize.  I remember how much mine bothered me at first.  I know you have to remember.  But you made it better.  And I am going to do everything I can to make it better for you."

After she had placed the mask on the table, she nuzzled back up against him.  She asked "better?"

He said "yesh, thah yah honey."

Aubrey squeezed him.  She said "of course.  It will get better."

Tim said "I know, even if it doeshn't sheem like it at the moment.  And I am pretty nervoush about Monday.  Having thish lishp.  Why are you able to speak so much better than me?  And wearing headgear in the offish is a terrifying thought.  But I know it will be worth it.   It will be worth it?"

Aubrey replied "it will.  And baby, you are speaking great.  Remember, I had a little head start with my removable expanders.  They were even bulkier than these."  She held him a moment and said "maybe I can take your mind off it?  At least for a little while?"  She reached down and rubbed his groin.  She continued "that is if my baby feels up to it."  She continued to caress him as she said "let mama take care of you." 

Tim reached up and put his hand on the side of her face, being careful not to press too hard on the J-hook that ran from her headgear into her mouth.  Without a word, he slid out from underneath her and stood, taking her hand as he did.

Afterwards they lay in bed holding each other.  He said "thah you."

Aubrey said "baby, thank you."  He turned and gave her a big smile, the first real one she had seen on his face since their appointment the day before.  She asked "what is it?"

He said "I wash jusht thinking.  I am wondering if shinch I can't really eat, if I can survive on thish."  Before she could respond and tell him he would get the hang of eating, he slid down and buried his face in her.  She let out a surprised yelp, followed a moment later by a moan.

Once she had climaxed, she said "oh my God baby.  That was incredible.  Better than the first time."  As he crawled back beside her she said "if I had known how good that was going to feel, I would have made you start treatment the first day we met."

He smiled at her and said "and if I had known how close it would bring us, I would have agreed.  Despite how much this shucksh at the moment."   He looked at her in silence a moment.  He then said "I love you."  It was the first time either had said 'I love you' to the other.  She looked at him.   She crawled over on top of him.  Looking in his eyes she said "I love you too."

Looking up at her he said "I am so glad I got the courage up to walk over and talk to the shy girl at the bar that night.  The shy girl that kept covering her mouth.  You know, that is what first caught my intention and intrigued me.  I could obviously see how beautiful you were.  But your shy glances and the way you seemed to hide your teeth compelled me to come talk to you.  I was so nervous.  I knew you were going to shoot down the dorky dentist.  And that line I used.  Geeze."

Aubrey looked into his eyes.  She sensed he was looking for the next thing to say.  She didn't let him.  She said "you were nervous?  Baby, I turned to run.  If Tara hadn't grabbed me by the shirt, I would have.  I was so embarrassed.  Of my lisp.  Of my appliances.  Your line was perfect.  It made me smile.  And there is nothing dorky about you baby.  Nothing at all."

Tim asked "not even my new headgear?"

With a gleam in her eye, Aubrey responded "especially not your new headgear."  She looked at him and asked "would it ruin the mood if I asked to turn your expander?  We both need to."

Tim looked at her.  He was surprised at how intermingled their orthodontic treatment seemed to be with their intimacy.  He said "no baby, just be gentle."

As he went to move, Aubrey pushed down on his chest.  She said "just stay here."  A moment later she returned with the wrench in her hand.  She instructed him to lean his head back and open wide.  After getting the wrench securely seated on his upper expander, she gave one complete turn.  Tim immediately felt the pressure radiate through his midface but he didn't make a sound.  As Aubrey carefully pulled the wrench out of his mouth, she said "my strong, stoic man.  Now my turn."

As Tim made the turn on Aubrey's expanders, he didn't understand why he was so turned on.  But nonetheless he knew was.  As soon as he had the wrench out of her mouth, he asked "are you ok baby?"

Aubrey smiled at him and said "yes, you are so gentle."  She looked at him a moment before she asked "can I put your headgear back on for you?"

Tim couldn't believe what he was feeling.  He hated his new headgear.  But at the same time he looked forward to Aubrey putting it on him.  The two ideas were at such odds with each other.  It was so confusing, all of this was, he thought.  So, he just answered honestly "yes, I would like that."

After she finished getting his headgear on, she said "God you are so sexy."

Tim felt anything but sexy.  But he could see that Aubrey meant what she was saying.  He said "this is going to be ok isn't it?"

Aubrey looked at him.  She said "yes, yes it is."  She wasn't just referring to their orthodontic treatment.     

Chapter Ninety-six:

Dr. Miller raised Tara up to a sitting position.  As he did he told her "Miss Reynolds, everything looks great.  Your hygiene is exemplary.  Your jaw is doing what we want.  I would however like to offer you the opportunity to speed up your treatment.  It would help you get out of this halo faster.  If you are open to try it, I would like to replace your current elastics with protraction rods.  We will be able to apply more force and move things quicker.  I will warn you, there will be some discomfort involved.  But hey, no pain no gain right?  And if it is too much, we can always move you back into elastics.  What are your thoughts on this?"

Tara looked at Jim.  He said "baby, it is your call."

Tara next cut her eyes towards Alex.  Alex gave her a big smile, the pink petit facemask she wore shifting slightly on her face.  She then said "why don't you try it?  If you have to be stuck in a halo, you might as well get the most horsepower behind it.  Like Dr. Miller said, we can always take them off and go back to elastics if it is too much."

Tara shifted her focus back to Dr. Miller and said "sure, ok, I will try it."

Brad gave her a big smile and said "excellent."   He looked over at Alex and said "dear, a set of #4 rods please?  They are in the tray beside our forsus springs."  Alex stood and walked over to the cabinets where they stored appliances.  As she did, Dr. Miller looked at Tara and said "you are making the right choice.  I know you want to get to the finish line as fast as possible.  And another good thing about the rods is that you don't have to worry about constantly changing them out or finding elastics all over the place."

Alex returned and handed a small plastic bag to Dr. Miller.  Tara and Jim could see a set of stainless segmented rods about four inches long.  As Dr. Miller removed the first, he explained "so, these will accomplish the same thing as your elastics.  They are just more efficient.  I am going to lean you back.  It will only take a few minutes." 

After finishing the installation, Dr. Miller raised Tara back up.  He smiled at her and said "that wasn't too bad was it?  Now, let me show you and Jim how to turn them.  We will use the same wrench that we use to turn your expander, but I will give you a separate one to use for each.  But, if you misplace one, you can use the same one for both.  Obviously just clean it before putting it in your mouth."  Alex held up a mirror in front of Tara.  Dr. Miller continued "so, the rod is actually two pieces, threaded and connected.  Place the wrench over this square section.  Like this."  He seated the wrench on the first rod.  He made a counter clockwise turn as he said "turn it clockwise to shorten the rod.  This will put pressure on your mandible, pulling it forward.  Remember lefty loosy, righty tighty?  Well, these rods ratchet and can go only one direction.  There is no chance for them to slip backwards.  The force will be constant, unlike elastics that weaken over time.  I will turn each until I feel resistance."  As he finished with the second rod, Tara felt slight pressure in her mouth.  Brad asked "ok so far?"

Tara gave a thin smile and said "yes, so far."

Brad smiled at her and said "ok, we are now going to make two more turns on each.  You will feel a little more pressure.  Going forward I want you to make two turns a day on this, one in the morning and one in the evening.  Just like your expander protocol.  A complete turn is considered 180 degrees.  I will show you."

Brad placed the wrench on the rod vertically, from the bottom, and made one turn until the wrench was pointing up.  He said "on the other side, opposite.  Seat it on the top and turn it so the wrench is facing down.  Like this."  He seated the wrench on the other rod, and made a turn.  Immediately Tara felt immense pressure in her face.  He asked "ok?"

Tara said "there is so much pressure in my face."

Brad smiled at her and responded "then we know it is working.  Jim, I assume you will be making her turns for her?"

Jim said "I can."

Brad handed him the wrench and asked "then why don't you make the next two, one per rod."

Jim hesitantly seated the wrench on the first rod.  Tara could see the apprehension in his face.  She said "it is ok baby."  He gave her a thin smile.  He sat there not moving for several moments before Tara said "go on baby, you won't hurt me."  As he made the turn Tara realized this was a lie.  Her face felt like it was on fire.  She tried her best not to show it, but Jim could see he was hurting her.

He said "I am so sorry baby."  He looked at Brad and asked "will it be like this every time?"

Brad said "no.  There will be pressure.  But like so much of what we do here, she will become acclimated to it.  You do need to go ahead and make the turn on the second rod though, we need to keep the protraction symmetrical."

Jim felt horrible as he made the second turn on the second rod.  He could see in Tara's face that she was in discomfort.  As soon as he was done he wrapped Tara in a hug.  He said softly "I am sorry."

Tara hugged him back and said "it is ok."  She took a few deep breaths before she said "I can certainly feel it working."

Brad said "you will be glad you are doing this."

Tara replied "everyone keeps saying that, but things just seem to keep getting worse."

Alex put her hand on Tara's shoulder and said "it is a process.  It WILL be worth it.  Trust me, when you first smile in the mirror after you are done you will realize that.  Just hang in there."

Tara said "thank you."

Brad said "Miss Reynolds, she is completely right.  I won't make any promises, but I want you to schedule your follow up in four weeks instead of the standard six weeks.  You may very well be done with protraction by then.  What I can promise is that we are all done with this appointment though.  Tara, you are doing great.  Jim, you are too.  As always, if you have any questions or have issues, let us know.  I look forward to seeing you in a month.  I know we will see huge progress.  Now, let me go check on our next patient."

Jim just realized that he had not told them how long Tara needed to wear the rods each day.  He asked "oh, Dr. Miller, how many hours a day does she need to wear these?"

Brad said "how dumb of me.  I didn't even mention that did I?  These don't come off.  They are crimped in place.  You won't need to worry about replacing these like elastics.  They will always be working."

Jim asked "she can't take them off?"

Brad responded "no.  But again just for a month.  Then we will reevaluate."

Tara could see the expression change on Jim's face.  It was confrontational, much like she had seen when Dr. Miller had told him he needed to wear his facemask full time months earlier.  Before he could say something, Tara reached out and put her hand on Jim's.  She said "it is ok baby.  My halo doesn't come off either.  It is ok."

He looked at her and his expression softened.  He said "baby, I just hate to see you in pain."

Tara said "if this will get me out of this halo faster, it will be totally worth it."

Brad said "I can't promise you how much faster, but it will certainly get you out of it faster.  Again, you will be glad in the end.  Now, let me go check on our other patients."

As he stepped away, Alex helped Tara up from the treatment chair.  Once Tara was balanced on her crutches, Alex gave her a hug.  Alex said "I am proud of you."  She squeezed the unyielding plastic vest that Tara wore.  She hoped Tara could feel it.  Letting go of Tara, Alex smiled and said "you have your knee appointment now don't you?  Don't let me hold you up.  I just know they are going to take your cast off today.  I just know it.  I will get to see for myself this evening.  I love you both.  Now get going, I don't want to make you late."

Tara and Jim made it to Tara's orthopedic follow up on time, and then had to wait a half hour in the waiting room.  The whole time, Tara's face had been throbbing.  But, not wanting to upset Jim, she had not said a word about it and tried her best to hide her discomfort.  He could still sense it.  Finally, a nurse had appeared and called them back.  Tara had crutched after her to meet with her surgeon.

Entering the room, she was instructed to have a seat on the table.  After Jim had helped her get seated, her surgeon began quizzing her on how things had been going.  In response to how she was feeling, Tara had responded to her orthopedic surgeon "My right knee feels great.  No pain at all.  I am so ready to get this cast off.  I hate having to use these crutches to get around.  They are making my good leg sore."  The surgeon asked her to explain.  Tara said "I get an ache in my upper leg and hip when I have been on my feet for too long.  I can't wait to be able to put weight on my right leg again, even if it is in a brace."  The surgeon asked her if she was wearing her left KAFO all the time.  Tara said "yes, except when I am bathing.  That is a whole other reason I can't wait to get this cast and halo brace off.  I can't wait to be able to take a shower like a normal person."  The surgeon had just nodded and marked things on a chart.  Looking up at her, he said "why don't we see how things are looking?"

It had surprised Tara that not only did they take images of her right leg, but also her left leg and hips.  She just brushed if off as normal.   She really didn't have any idea of what normal was any way.  After finishing with the imaging, the nurse had returned them to the same room they had been in earlier.  Jim and Tara waited nervously for ten minutes before the surgeon returned.

Entering the room with the same nurse from earlier, she now was carrying an armful of x-rays, he gave Tara a big smile.  He said "Miss Reynolds, your surgically repaired right knee is looking great.  That is the good news."  He pulled a chair over from the corner and asked "do you mind if I sit?"  Before either Jim or Tara could respond he sat.  He said "I do have some bad news however."  He reached his arm out as he said "the bad news is that you have a stress fracture in your upper femur, near the ball joint."  Taking an x-ray from the nurse he used a pen to point to an area on the image.  He continued "see right here?  It is minor now.   But my fear is that it could worsen and spread.  If so, it could completely shear the ball off of your femur.  If that were to happen, you would be in extreme pain.  Think 100 of 10 pain.  Unbearable.  But even worse, it would necessitate a full hip replacement.  We do not want that.  So, we need to address this immediately, today.   The good news is that we caught it early enough that surgery will not be necessary.  And you will have a full recovery.  However I do need to completely immobilize your left leg and hip.  You will be confined to a wheelchair for at least the next six months."

Jim's heart sank.  How much more could Tara endure.  Looking at her, he saw her face had turned white and she looked to be on the verge of tears.  He sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close.  He said softly "we will get through this."  He then looked at the surgeon and asked "how will you immobilize her legs and hips?  She already wears KAFOS."

The surgeon said "they are rarely used anymore on adults.  Only in extreme or emergency cases.  This qualifies as both.  We will cast Miss Reynolds in a double hip spica.  Once her femur is healed, we will transition her to a pair of HKAFOS.  They will be similar to her current KAFOS.  The new ones will just have hinged hip supports integrated into them connected to a TLSO orthosis.  These will allow her complete mobility and independence.  Without the use of crutches or a wheelchair."

As Jim closed his eyes he could feel Tara trembling.  Opening his eyes back up, Jim said "so, six months in the cast.  How long in the braces?"

The surgeon said "unfortunately, she will likely need them for the rest of her life if she doesn't want to be confined to a wheelchair." 

Tara finally broke down and began crying.   

Thank you.  It is going to be tough on Tara.

It is for their own good.  No pain, no gain.  Right?

And don’t forget about Dr. Tim’s office.  Poor Sharon can feel her heartbeat in her palate as we speak.  Her mouth is really throbbing.  And then there is Orspco.  How many of their employees are going to end up in treatment?  Is Tom really going to ask the Chargers Girls to show up at an orthodontic trade show in appliances and headgear?  And what if he thinks they are such great advertising he wants them to wear them even after the show is over?  Goodness, some of them might take that hard.

They are awfully pretty.  And there are a lot of them.  That would be a LOT of headgear.  Surely they wouldn’t be asked to wear them when they cheered?  But then again, the football players have to wear helmets and mouthguards on the field.  Why shouldn’t the cheerleaders have their own “helmets” and “mouthguards”?

https://dereferer.me/?https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT7vhretA6PK6TyOQxdAWTCFOwQ5IfnSaB4Cw&s

Chapter Ninety-seven:

Before the two cast techs had begun casting Tara, there had been some discussion between them over how to account for Tara's halo.  It was decided to just wrap the top six inches of her cast over the bottom of her halo vest.  During the casting procedure Jim had been forced to do nothing but watch.  It had broken his heart to see roll after roll of fiberglass casting tape cover the stockinette and padding that reached from the bottom of Tara's halo vest to her ankles.  The only part not covered were Tara's private parts.  The techs had explained this would still allow Tara to use the restroom, though she would require assistance at least at first.   If there was a bright spot at all, Jim realized that at least Tara's right foot would not be covered in a cast, bent down and in at the awkward angle it had been held at.  No, at least her double hip spica would end just above her ankles.  All during the procedure, Tara had remained immobile and silent, simply staring at the ceiling.  Jim didn't know whether it was stoicism or shock.  Based on the fact that Tara barely blinked as the minutes dragged on he thought it was probably shock.  After what had seemed like an interminable amount of time, the two cast techs had finally announced they were done, all that was left to do was let the cast cure.  They would then return with Tara's briefs and a wheelchair.

Her lower body was encased in white fiberglass.  While she was on her back, her legs were held aloft by two slings, as if in a sitting position.  Her hips were angled out at a 30 degree angle and there was a bar connecting them at her ankles.  The cast techs had explained this would provide additional support.  Once done, the cast techs had told them it would take about 30 minutes for the cast to fully cure.  They had then left the room with a promise to return shortly.  After they had departed Jim had immediately moved in beside Tara.  Left alone Jim had tried to reassure Tara.  He had quickly realized she was not in the mood to talk, so he sat in silence simply holding her hand.

Finally, Tara spoke.  She said "can you let Beverly know what happened?  I won't be able to make it in tomorrow.  I will speak with her about how we handle this.  But I am not up to it right now.  Can you also tell Alex that dinner tonight is off.  I don't want anyone to see me like this."

Jim wanted to protest, that there was no reason to hide away.  He wanted to tell her if anything that Tara needed to see Alex more now than ever.  But instead, he replied "yes baby, of course.  After we get home I will make the calls."  Tara had gone silent again, simply staring at the ceiling.  Jim could only imagine what was going through her mind.  As he held her hand, he wished he could do something, anything, to make this better.  He would gladly have traded places with Tara.  But he knew that was not an option.   Finally, the cast techs, one of them pushing a wheelchair and the other carrying a package of adult briefs, returned.  Walking behind them was Tara's surgeon.

Tara could not see them enter the room, but Tara heard the surgeon say "Miss Reynolds, how are you feeling?  Is your new cast rubbing anywhere uncomfortably?"

The surgeon appeared in Tara's field of view, looking down at her with a reassuring smile on his face.  For some reason, the first thought that popped into Tara's mind was that he could use orthodontic work himself.  She quickly brushed this thought aside and said "no.  I can't move, I don't know how anything could rub."

The surgeon replied "good.  I know this may seem a little overwhelming, but this is so much better than the alternative.  I am so glad we caught this sooner rather than later.  I will let my techs here get you transitioned to your chair.  Then we can go over care.   He turned to Jim and said "they will also help you carry everything to your vehicle.  Speaking of which, what are you driving?"

Jim told them he was in a Tahoe.

The surgeon said "good, that should work.  We will be able to help get Tara situated in the backseat.  If you had been in a small car I would have Tara transferred home via ambulance.  But a roomy SUV will allow her to go home in your own vehicle.  Now, you may want to have some help when you get home.  To help get her out of the vehicle.  Do you have anyone?"

Jim instantly replied that he did.  And Jim's first thought was Marc.  But if he was busy and couldn't help he would get one of his employees with a strong back to meet him at his home.

The surgeon had spent only about 5 minutes going over does and don'ts and what life in a double hip spica would be like, then he turned it over to the techs.  As the surgeon departed the room, the techs went into more detail about daily life.  One thing they had recommended was a hospital bed, it would be easier to affix the supports for the slings that would hold and support Tara's legs when in bed.  Jim had instantly replied he would get one.  They then went over life in a wheelchair.  They cautioned that due to Tara's halo, she might find maneuvering more challenging than otherwise.  They said depending on how much difficulty she had, they might want to consider a powerchair.  They did caution that insurance likely would not cover it and that they were expensive.  Jim said he didn't care, they would get one.  Finally, they announced it was time to go home.  He watched Tara's face as they wrapped the adult brief around her waist and between her legs, fastening it in place with the tabs on the brief.  Jim realized that Tara had not said one word.  He was so worried about her.

Getting Tara into the back of his Tahoe had been challenging, mainly because Jim was trying to be so careful with Tara.  When he had picked her up out of her chair, cradling her in his arms, she had wrapped her arms around his neck.  He had held Tara before.  Instantly he realized how heavy her cast was.  He could also feel how tightly she was holding him.  He told her "it will be ok baby.  I've got you.  And I don't just mean getting you into the seat."

Once they were at home, Jim realized he was going to have to make some modifications to his home.  After getting Tara into the vehicle, he realized having a second person really didn't make it easier.  So he had not called anyone for help, instead carefully lifting her from the back seat and gently easing her into her wheelchair once they had arrived home.  He had wheeled her to the front landing and stopped.  He had two steps at his front door and no wheelchair ramp so that was as far as he could go.   After opening the front door, he had lifted Tara from the chair and carried her over the thresh hold of his front door.  As he did, he wished he was carrying her through as a newlywed bride and not under the current circumstances.  The thought made him more determined than ever that he would eventually repeat this, only Tara would be his bride.  He had gotten Tara situated on the couch and retrieved her wheelchair from the walkway.  He then sat beside her holding her.

Eventually, Jim said "sweetheart, I need to make some phone calls.  Will you be ok by yourself?"

Tara had weakly uttered "yes."

Thirty minutes later, Jim sat down beside her again and said "I have a hospital bed on the way.  It will be here this afternoon.  I also spoke with Beverly.  And I spoke with Alex and explained what is going on.  But you know her baby, she wouldn't take no for an answer.  She said she is coming over as soon as she gets off work."

What Jim had not told Tara was how inconsolable Beverly had been.  Upon hearing the news, Jim could hear Beverly wail.  It caught Jim off guard, Beverly was usually all business.  An emotional reaction from her seemed unusual.  He understood why though when Beverly explained she blamed herself.  She had told Jim this was her fault.  She had pushed Tara to return to the office too soon.  She had asked Jim what she could do to fix things.  Jim had been at a loss.  He went through the list of things that Tara would need, the foremost of which was love and understanding.  Finally, he mentioned a powered wheelchair.  He said he was going to get Tara one.  He asked Beverly about Tara's insurance since it was through Beverly's firm.  He wondered if insurance would cover it.  Beverly didn't answer his question about whether insurance would cover it.  Instead she had immediately responded that Tara would have one that day.  Even if she had to go out herself and purchase it.  Jim had thanked her for that but told her it wasn't necessary.  Beverly had been insistent.  She told Jim not to buy one.  One would arrive at Jim's home that day.  As they wrapped up the call, Beverly had asked for Jim's address so it could be delivered.  She also made Jim promise to give her daily updates on Tara.  Not just as her boss, but as her friend.  Jim had promised he would.

The call with Alex had been even more frantic.  Jim could tell that upon hearing the news that Alex was bouncing off the ceiling.  She was upset.  And like Jim, Alex didn't know how to fix this.  Jim had told her the same thing he had told Beverly, just give Tara love and support.  Alex told him that he would also let Becky know.  And explain things to Mona as well.

Jim turned his phone to silent and sat simply holding Tara.  While the TV was on and Tara's eyes were on it, Jim could tell she wasn't paying attention to it.  Finally he asked "penny for your thoughts?"

Tara's response surprised him.  She said "I am so sorry.  You deserve better than this.  You shouldn't have to care for an invalid the rest of your life."  Tara's words had hurt Jim more than a slap in the face would have.

He let go of Tara and knelt down on the floor in front of her.  He looked up at her and said "please don't say that.  You have nothing to apologize for.  Baby, I am the luckiest man in the world to have you.  This is just a bump in the road.  You know what they say, for better or worse, till death do us part." 

Jim immediately regretted this last line when Tara replied "what?  What are you saying?"

Jim felt stuck.  This is not how he had envisioned it in his head.  He said "baby, this is not how I had planned it.  Not at all.  Hang on."  He stood and disappeared towards their bedroom.  Tara could not see what he had in his hand as he returned.   Once again he knelt down before her. 

Jim looked up at her and said "this is not at all how I planned it.  I wanted it to be perfect.  But baby, I realized something today.  Just being with you is perfect.  I want to be your husband.  I want you to be my wife."  He held the box out and flipped open the lid displaying the engagement ring.  He looked at Tara and asked "will you marry me?"

Time seemed to stop as Tara looked at him.  She then opened her mouth and said "no."



   

It may be a week or more before the next update.  I run in spurts and write when I have time for it.  I am about to not have time for it again.