Patrick Kane, Things Will Work Out
Chapter 6
It was a short plane ride to buffalo, although not the easiest. Customs and getting around in the airport with crutches really sucks. Besides answering all the questions of what happened, I had navigate everywhere on them, get a hand pat because I could only hop through he metal detector, get a explosive testing on my boot, and find a place to get my crutches while on the plane.
Fortunately, I am pretty good with crutches, so moving in tight spaces wasn’t a problem.
When I got out of the plane, there was Erica waiting. When we met said, ‘Hi I’ve missed you sooo much’ then with a big hig that seemed to last at least a minute. Erica and I were close, we were little over a year apart in age, and she was finishing her senior year in High School.
“Hey Pat, how is your ankle?” she said as I moved with crutches towards the pick-up parking lot.
“Well, not much better, I can you show you the swelling later. Mike, the trainer, looked at yesterday and thought there was a broken bone and some messed up ligaments. I’m going in to get it checked out when I return.”
“ooh, ok, are you sure you are okay to walk this far?”
“I’ll be fine thanks though” This was typical of Erica, super curious of how I was, making sure I was healthy. ”How’s school been?”
“Great, I can’t wait to graduate. You are coming to my graduation correct?”
“Of course I’ll be there Erica. It’s in six weeks correct?”
“yes, well you be able to walk by then?”
I forgot, Erica always likes a time table for recovery, I swear she is going to be a doctor someday, “I have no idea, it depends on whats really wrong with me…How’s Jacqueline holding up?” I said changing the topic.
“I think she doing okay,” she said as we climbed into the car, “I think she is having a hard time concentrating. I think all she thinks about is Abby, and quite frankly shes all I will be able to think about today”
“Ya I know what you mean.”
The drive home from the airport was filled with catch up conversation. On the way home, all the familiar sights, made me feel that I was finally at home. Our house was small, but it suited our family. It had a well-used basketball hoop on the driveway, as well as a huge back yard, where we spent many years playing, keep the ball up. Our favorite game as kids.
“Hey Mrs. Rice,” I said to my sister’s school secretary, “Can you call Jacqueline out of class?”
“Patrick? Is that you? Ya no problem hold on,” she paged my sister to the office. “wow, Pat, I haven’t seen you in years, What happened?” she said nodding at my crutches.
“ohh, I fractured my ankle three days ago. How are you?” Mrs. Rice was the secretary, when I went to school here, so I’m sure I was a familiar face.
“I’m well,” she said,
“Patrick! You came!” shouted Jacqueline running into the front office, and gave me a big hug that took me by surprise.
“Hello Jack, You ready to go?”
“Ya one moment,” said Jacqueline
“Mrs. Rice, where can I sign her out?”
“Right here, where are you going?”
“I’m taking her to the hospital to see Abby”
“ohh ya that so unfortunate, okay tell her the entire faculty sends their wishes.” Returned Mrs. Rice
“Okay I’m ready” said Jacqueline returning with her backpack and jacket.
“Alrighty you’re good to go I’ll see you tomorrow!” said Mrs. Rice.
“Bye, thanks, have a good day!” I said back.
As we were walking to the car Jacqueline said, “thank you soooo much for coming!! I have so much to tell you in the car, but first things first, How bad is your ankle? I mean, I remember the last you out with an injury it was bad so…” she finished with genuine concern.
“I will, be fine Jacqueline, nothing to worry about, I don’t think I told you but my ankle is fractured, but we just don’t know where. I’ve not gotten it checked out by a doctor, only Mike.”
“ohh ok” she said as we entered into the car, “hey I’ll put them in the back seat,” she said taking the crutches from my hands
“thanks,” I said, sitting down in the front seat and starting the car from the passenger seat, “Jacqueline,” I said once she was in the passenger seat and ready to go. “Promise me that you will stay strong until the end of the school year.”
“I promise Pat, Thanks for taking me, I hope you don’t get in too much trouble for this.”
“No worries,” on another note, “How’s lacrosse? I heard you made the A team again.”
“ya it’s great! Can you come to my game tonight?”
“sure, I will, who do you play?”
“I don’t know, but it’s at home so we aren’t going far.”
The car ride to the hospital was filled with chatter, between us. Jacqueline did have a lot to tell me after all. I was happy to see her laugh again, because on Saturday she still seemed pretty stressed out. Crutching down the hospital hallway felt funny, one is that I looked like the patient being on crutches, but also because I remember walking down the hallways in this hospital to see Jacqueline after she was born, weird eh?
Fortunately, I am pretty good with crutches, so moving in tight spaces wasn’t a problem.
When I got out of the plane, there was Erica waiting. When we met said, ‘Hi I’ve missed you sooo much’ then with a big hig that seemed to last at least a minute. Erica and I were close, we were little over a year apart in age, and she was finishing her senior year in High School.
“Hey Pat, how is your ankle?” she said as I moved with crutches towards the pick-up parking lot.
“Well, not much better, I can you show you the swelling later. Mike, the trainer, looked at yesterday and thought there was a broken bone and some messed up ligaments. I’m going in to get it checked out when I return.”
“ooh, ok, are you sure you are okay to walk this far?”
“I’ll be fine thanks though” This was typical of Erica, super curious of how I was, making sure I was healthy. ”How’s school been?”
“Great, I can’t wait to graduate. You are coming to my graduation correct?”
“Of course I’ll be there Erica. It’s in six weeks correct?”
“yes, well you be able to walk by then?”
I forgot, Erica always likes a time table for recovery, I swear she is going to be a doctor someday, “I have no idea, it depends on whats really wrong with me…How’s Jacqueline holding up?” I said changing the topic.
“I think she doing okay,” she said as we climbed into the car, “I think she is having a hard time concentrating. I think all she thinks about is Abby, and quite frankly shes all I will be able to think about today”
“Ya I know what you mean.”
The drive home from the airport was filled with catch up conversation. On the way home, all the familiar sights, made me feel that I was finally at home. Our house was small, but it suited our family. It had a well-used basketball hoop on the driveway, as well as a huge back yard, where we spent many years playing, keep the ball up. Our favorite game as kids.
“Hey Mrs. Rice,” I said to my sister’s school secretary, “Can you call Jacqueline out of class?”
“Patrick? Is that you? Ya no problem hold on,” she paged my sister to the office. “wow, Pat, I haven’t seen you in years, What happened?” she said nodding at my crutches.
“ohh, I fractured my ankle three days ago. How are you?” Mrs. Rice was the secretary, when I went to school here, so I’m sure I was a familiar face.
“I’m well,” she said,
“Patrick! You came!” shouted Jacqueline running into the front office, and gave me a big hug that took me by surprise.
“Hello Jack, You ready to go?”
“Ya one moment,” said Jacqueline
“Mrs. Rice, where can I sign her out?”
“Right here, where are you going?”
“I’m taking her to the hospital to see Abby”
“ohh ya that so unfortunate, okay tell her the entire faculty sends their wishes.” Returned Mrs. Rice
“Okay I’m ready” said Jacqueline returning with her backpack and jacket.
“Alrighty you’re good to go I’ll see you tomorrow!” said Mrs. Rice.
“Bye, thanks, have a good day!” I said back.
As we were walking to the car Jacqueline said, “thank you soooo much for coming!! I have so much to tell you in the car, but first things first, How bad is your ankle? I mean, I remember the last you out with an injury it was bad so…” she finished with genuine concern.
“I will, be fine Jacqueline, nothing to worry about, I don’t think I told you but my ankle is fractured, but we just don’t know where. I’ve not gotten it checked out by a doctor, only Mike.”
“ohh ok” she said as we entered into the car, “hey I’ll put them in the back seat,” she said taking the crutches from my hands
“thanks,” I said, sitting down in the front seat and starting the car from the passenger seat, “Jacqueline,” I said once she was in the passenger seat and ready to go. “Promise me that you will stay strong until the end of the school year.”
“I promise Pat, Thanks for taking me, I hope you don’t get in too much trouble for this.”
“No worries,” on another note, “How’s lacrosse? I heard you made the A team again.”
“ya it’s great! Can you come to my game tonight?”
“sure, I will, who do you play?”
“I don’t know, but it’s at home so we aren’t going far.”
The car ride to the hospital was filled with chatter, between us. Jacqueline did have a lot to tell me after all. I was happy to see her laugh again, because on Saturday she still seemed pretty stressed out. Crutching down the hospital hallway felt funny, one is that I looked like the patient being on crutches, but also because I remember walking down the hallways in this hospital to see Jacqueline after she was born, weird eh?