We Will Be Unbroken

Ronnie ran to the edge of the sidewalk with Marilyn in his arms. People stared as he ran by. He managed to hail down a cab and gently placed Marilyn inside. He jumped in next to her.

"Nearest hospital. And step on it." Ronnie ordered. He looked back at Marilyn who looked to be in a lot of pain but was trying to hide it. "How are you doing? Alright? "

"Yes, Ronnie. I'll be fine." She reached up brushed some of his black hair out of his eyes. "You look stressed. Just relax. We don't need you to end up in the hospital, too."

She smiled at him and he smiled back as he got lost deeper and deeper in her eyes, deep pools of blue satin.

The taxi suddenly stopped short, breaking Ronnie's trance. "Here." The man said in a monotone voice.

Ronnie payed him and carried Marilyn into the emergency room.

"Ronnie, you can put me down. I'm okay, really." Marilyn insisted. "I just feel really embarrassed being carried all dramatically in."

"What, you don't like dramatic entrances?" Ronnie joked.

"Not particularly..."

"Oh, well. Too late."

"Ronnie..."

Ronnie burst through the doors of the emergency room. "I need a doctor up in here! This girl is seriously injured! Someone, help!"

"Ronnie!" Marilyn shouted at him.

He looked down at her a started laughing at her angered facial expression. Her face began to turn a bright shade of red as she looked around at all the other people in the waiting room staring at her, some with mouths wide open in shock and others who looked just as irked as she was.

"Oh, fine." He placed her feet back on the floor and draped one arm around his shoulders to support her.

They approached the window that concealed the oh-so-lively secretary behind her desk. "Name." The very unenthusiastic woman stated.

"Marilyn Carson." Marilyn answered.

"When was the last time you were here?"

"A year ago, today."

"Only a year, hmm? And the same day? Sounds a little suspicious to me. What was the reason?"

"I broke my nose."

"Did someone hit you, or did you fall? Or...?"

"I was... punched, yes."

"By who?"

"My... uh... boyfriend..."

"Oh, so this is your fault big guy?" She referred to Ronnie.

"What? Me? No, no, no. You have it all wrong. I'm not her-"

The woman behind the desk put up her hand, silencing him. "Do I need to file an abuse report?"

"No, it wasn't him and it was only once. The guy who did it only hurt me that one time. He's never hurt me after that and plus, this time was an accident."

"Are we done, here? She clearly needs a doctor and frankly, lady, you're wasting our time." Ronnie was getting a little irritated.

"He's got a bit of a temper on him, doesn't he?" The secretary commented to Marilyn who half smiled.

Ronnie threw his hands up in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"Alright, I'm done messing with you kids. Go in the room right there and a nurse will be with you shortly." The secretary pointed to the room and Ronnie helped Marilyn walk there.

He sat her down and the nurse came about fifteen minutes later. After taking her blood pressure, he said "So, do you need a wheel chair or are you okay?"

"Um..." Marilyn began to think about it.

"If you need to think about it, then you need one. I'll be right back." The nurse said.

He came back a few moments later and he helped Marilyn in it. Ronnie tensed up when the nurse put his hands on her. He knew he was just helping her, but he couldn't help but be flooded with jealousy.

He wheeled her down the hall with Ronnie trailing behind, keeping an eye on the nurse.

"I'm going to bring you to get x-rayed first and then we'll bring you back to a room."

Marilyn nodded. She just did whatever the doctors told her. They knew best, after all. She didn't have any idea what they were saying half the time.

An hour and twenty minutes later, they came back with her results but Ronnie had a few things to say before the doctor came in.

"X-rayed? Rayed? I'm pretty sure that isn't even a real word. I bet he's not a legit nurse."

"Jealous much?" Marilyn asked.

Ronnie hid his face from her. He didn't want to admit it, but he was jealous.

Yes it is true, I finally fell in love.

The doctor came in and hung up her x-rays on the box on the wall. He turned the light on and Marilyn saw her bones. She was pretty amazed.

"Alright, Marilyn. See right there?" The doctor pointed to one of the bones that had a dark line about a quarter of the way through it. "That dark line is a fracture. Your cuboid is cracked pretty deep but it's not completely broken and should heal pretty fast with the right treatment. Now you also have stress fractures in all three cuneiform bones as well." He pointed to the three bones that all looked the same and were in a line right above a big bone that the doctor said was called the talus. "Those were there before the break of the cuboid. That was caused from when you fell and twisted your ankle in the pothole. But these stress fractures have been here for a solid year. Did you ever notice any discomfort or limping at all?"

"No, I-"

"I have." Ronnie cut in. "I saw you limping the last time I saw you but... I didn't think I should say anything..." Ronnie hung his head in shame, thinking that it was his fault Marilyn was here.

"That's alright." The doctor reassured. "It's not too serious. Well, what we are going to do for you, Marilyn, is prescribe you codeine for the pain and get you in a cast. I'll be right back with the cast and the nurse will get you the medicine."

All Marilyn could think now was Great. Giant cast and crutches for, like, a month... But when the doctor came back, he didn't have crutches with him.

"Alright, let's see that foot." He took Marilyn's shoe off and slid her foot into the cast.

He secured the velcro straps and pushed the big button in the center that filled the surroundings inside with air.

"To release the air, just push the smaller button." The doctor informed her. "Now, stand up. Take a walk around. How's it feel?"

"I... Wow. I can't feel a thing and I can still walk!" Marilyn was amazed and excited. This meant that she could still maneuver around easily during tour. "Yes, it is a walking cast. Some of our patients call it a boot. Just keep the air filled up and you'll be all set. I say leave that on for a solid four weeks. If you take it off after the four weeks, go for another two if it still bothers you and if it still bothers you after that, come back and see us."

Marilyn and Ronnie both thanked him and they began walking down the long corridor to the exit. Marilyn hobbled along while Ronnie made fun of her.

"So, how many times do you think you can manage to get hurt during this tour?" Ronnie joked.

"Not funny, Ronnie...I'd like to see you get hurt at least once, this tour."

"No you wouldn't."

"..."

"Wait. Would you?"

Marilyn laughed at his worry and he started nervously laughing along with her. His laughter suddenly stopped. Marilyn looked up at him in confusion and then followed his eyes to wear he was looking.

Andy walked in, escorted by Jinxx and Sammi, and he was holding his nose, just like Marilyn had.

Now you know how it feels, too.