Post by Deleted on May 4, 2015 0:48:50 GMT -6
“Doc, I’m fine, I swear, I’ve got no lingering effects, I feel great.”
“Austen, you have severe damage to your knee, I cannot in good conscience give you the clear to compete.”
“Doc, c’mon I’m fine. I need to get out there.”
“Austen, you’re patellar tendon, your ACL, and your MCL are all damaged. We need to do surgery.”
“And if I say no?”
“You’ll never wrestle again, you’ll be in excruciating pain, you will likely never walk without pain.”
Just then I woke up, feet propped in my recliner. My head is still pounding. I reach over, and grab a prescription bottle from my end table. I rub my eyes, trying to bring things into focus. I pop the top, and grab one of the green round pills out of the bottle. OC etched into one side, 80 into the other. I hear someone walking through the apartment, and I quickly pop the pill in my mouth, swallowing hard, and set the bottle back.
“Babe, you didn’t take another pill did you?” Dazi asks, walking back into the room.
“No, I was trying to find my phone to see what time it was.”
Dazi reaches into my lap, and lifts my phone off the blanket, and hands it to me.
“Thanks babe, I’d lose my head if you weren’t here.”
“Well I won’t be here all week, I have matches this weekend, so you’re going to be by yourself.”
“I’ll be fine babe. My appointment is on Friday, I’ll be clear by then.”
“Ok, and by the way, I know you took one of your pills, don’t lie to me.”
I look down ashamed.
“Yeah, my head and ribs are killing me.”
“Babe, I’m not going to think you less a man for taking pills, just PLEASE don’t overtake them. I don’t need a junky on my hands.”
“I’ll be fine babe.” I reply, nestling back down, and closing my eyes.
Just as I’m about to drift to sleep, I am woke up by my phone ringing.
“Yeah?” I groan into the phone.
“Hey man, how ya feeling?” The voice on the other line asks, my head still trying to process the voice.
“Fine,” I reply, flipping the phone down to look at my caller id, revealing Jesse Styles.
“Good, I’m putting you against a new guy at the next Ignite. Take this one off obviously, but I assume you’ll be good by next?”
“Yeah for sure. My next appointment is Friday, but I see no reason why I’m not cleared. I feel fine.” I lied, still feeling intense pain in my ribs, and my head still spinning if I’m on my feet too long.
“Ok cool. You’re facing Jordan Mercer. Take him down, so you’re back in tune and I’ve got a good surprise for you.”
“I don’t want to see your penis man.”
“Jesus Christ, you’re worse than Al.”
“What can I say, I gotta keep my mind going. I’ve been cooped up since I left the hospital.”
“I suppose I’ll let it slide, but hey, take care of yourself so you can take down Jared Mercer.”
“Yeah will do man.”
I hang up the phone and grab my pill bottle again, and pop another Oxy. I finally drift off to sleep.
---------------------
“Austen, you’re not going to get in the ring.” A voice says, agitated. the face is hazy, but the voice is familiar.
“Yes I am, nobody can stop me. I am a wrestler, and no one will stand in the way of that.”
“I WILL, IF YOU DO I AM LEAVING.” Dazi’s face becomes clear.
“If that’s what you have to do, I guess that’s your call, but I am not missing a match. I feel fine. These make me feel fine.” I shake the pill bottle at her.
“Austen, you’re hooked on the painkillers, you don’t need them, you just need to rest, let your body heal. Naturally.”
“GOD DAMMIT DAZI I AM FINE, I’M NOT HOOKED ON THE PILLS, AND I AM NOT IN ANY PAIN.”
“Really? Not at all.” She tosses the remote at me, and I step out of the way, catching it. I wince in pain, and drop the remote. “Yeah, not in pain my ass. Austen, I said no more lies, I can’t do it, I’m out of here.”
Instantly I snap awake, looking around. I see Dazi asleep on the couch, and sigh a long sigh of relief. I reach over and grab for my pill bottle. It’s not there. I feel around in panic, my side aching. I can’t find it, so I throw the endtable over. The crash wakes Dazi up.
“Everything ok babe?” She asks, sitting up, her tight fitting tank top barely covering her gorgeous breasts.
“NO, I can’t find my pills.”
“They’re over here,” she points to the coffee table, “You threw them in your sleep. I picked them up and set them here. Do you need one?”
“Yes please.” I nod, feeling bad.
Dazi stands up, not wearing any pants, and walks to the kitchen to grab a drink of water. She comes back, glass in hand and hands me one of my pills. I pop the pill in my mouth and chase it with a big gulp of water.
“Get some rest honey, you’re appointment is tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yeah, you slept all day yesterday, I couldn’t wake you up to even take your pill.”
I rub my head, confused, and look at my phone. Sure enough I had slept an entire day.
“Alright hun...see you in the morning.”
I tossed and turned all night, not able to fall asleep. Finally I am able to relax, and just drift off to sleep when my alarm goes off.
“SON OF A BITCH!” I throw the phone across the room, shattering across the wall.
“HEY!” Dazi hollers, “What’s wrong?”
“I was just about asleep.”
“Aww babe, I’m sorry, we can reschedule the appointment?”
“NO, I need to get back, get in the ring, get back to the gym, get back to life.”
“Ok, just relax, you can sleep in the car.”
“Fine.” I get up, wincing in pain with each step. I grab my bottle of pills and pop two in my mouth quickly, and swallow. I throw on a pair of shorts and a tshirt, slide my flip flops on, and walk out of the apartment to the car. The bright sun instantly intensifies my migraine. Dazi walks up behind me, puts her hand on my back and hands me my sunglasses.
“You’re going to want these.”
I nod in agreement, and get in the car.
The drive was terrible. Every bump and jostle of the car sent pain running through my body. I bit down hard to avoid looking like it hurt. I need to get back in that ring. I need to put a beat down on someone and Jordan Mercer was my first victim. Finally we came to a stop at the clinic, and I let out a sigh of relief.
“Everything ok?” Dazi asked, looking over at me, hand on my knee.
“Yeah, just nervous. Never have liked doctors.”
“It’s ok babe, I’m right here.”
“I know, I’ll be right out, I can’t imagine it will take very long for him to say you look good.”
“Babe, you still are in pain.”
“I will for a while babe, but I’m fine, I’m good to go.”
“Ok,” she shakes her head, knowing I’m being stubborn but doesn’t want to press the issue.
I walk in the doors, check in at the reception desk, and smile.
“Austen...uh…” I pause, “Gustafson,” I quietly mutter under my breath.
“Excuse me? Last name again?”
“Gustafson,” I say a little louder.
“One more time dear?” she smiles again.
“GUSTAFSON! JESUS CHRIST!”
“Sorry, sir, have a seat the doctor will be out in a moment.” The whole waiting room is staring at me, in disbelief.
“Sorry,” I murmur, sitting down.
“Austen,” the nurse calls right away. I stand back up, fighting back the pain. I walk gingerly back towards the nurse, and walk into the exam room area. She checks my weight, and all the vitals necessary, and then leaves the room.
A knock comes on the door, and then the doctor enters.
“Austen, how we doing?” He asks, looking at me.
“Great, better than ever doc. Am I clear?”
“Austen, it’s going to take more than that.”
“C’mon doc, I feel great.”
“I don’t doubt that, but we need to make sure no long term effects are present.”
“Fine, do what you gotta do, but its a waste of your time and my money.”
“My scheduler set aside an hour for this visit. I have all the time in the world.”
“Alright lets get it done.”
After about 30 minutes and a myriad of concussion tests, tenderness checks, all of which hurt like a bitch, and other tests, he sends me down for an Xray. I go down, remove my shirt, revealing a terrible bruise along the side of my ribs, and lay down on the table. The tech lays the lead vest over top of me, and takes his pictures, and I make my way back to the exam room.
I roll my eyes, looking around the room, feeling pain in my ribs, and my head starting to pound again. I pull out my pills from my jacket pocket and pop another one and swallow. The door opens just as I cap the bottle, and I quickly try to slide it in my pocket.
“I hope you’re cutting back on those.” The doctor mentioned, pointing towards my pocket.
“Oh, yeah, I’m down to 2 a day, but I am running low.”
“Yeah, I see there’s still a fracture in the rib here, and your concussion testing is still not where it needs to be. I’d like to see you back here in two weeks. Until then I can’t give you the clearance to get back to work. It’s too risky.”
“WHAT? DOC I HAVE TO!”
“I can’t in good faith put you back in the ring, and risk another serious injury.”
“C’mon doc, let me back.”
“No, I will not put your life at risk for a sport, that is final.”
I throw everything on the desk to the floor.
“Are you about done?” He asks, matter of factly.
I nod.
“Can I at least get a refill on these pills, that way I can move around and start working out to stay in shape.”
“That’s fine, one more refill.”
“Thanks doc.”
I walk out of the exam room, and back to the car. I hop in, as Dazi is reading a magazine.
“How’d it go?” She asks.
“I’m…” I pause, thinking over what the doctor said, “I’m good to go.”
“OH GREAT!” She throws her arms around me, and I instantly wince in pain, but hide it as best I can.
“I gotta call Jesse quickly.”
I pull out my phone, and punch up Jesse’s number.
“Jesse?”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“I’m good to go.”
“Good, see you at Ignite.”
I hang up the phone and we drive back home.
“Austen, you have severe damage to your knee, I cannot in good conscience give you the clear to compete.”
“Doc, c’mon I’m fine. I need to get out there.”
“Austen, you’re patellar tendon, your ACL, and your MCL are all damaged. We need to do surgery.”
“And if I say no?”
“You’ll never wrestle again, you’ll be in excruciating pain, you will likely never walk without pain.”
Just then I woke up, feet propped in my recliner. My head is still pounding. I reach over, and grab a prescription bottle from my end table. I rub my eyes, trying to bring things into focus. I pop the top, and grab one of the green round pills out of the bottle. OC etched into one side, 80 into the other. I hear someone walking through the apartment, and I quickly pop the pill in my mouth, swallowing hard, and set the bottle back.
“Babe, you didn’t take another pill did you?” Dazi asks, walking back into the room.
“No, I was trying to find my phone to see what time it was.”
Dazi reaches into my lap, and lifts my phone off the blanket, and hands it to me.
“Thanks babe, I’d lose my head if you weren’t here.”
“Well I won’t be here all week, I have matches this weekend, so you’re going to be by yourself.”
“I’ll be fine babe. My appointment is on Friday, I’ll be clear by then.”
“Ok, and by the way, I know you took one of your pills, don’t lie to me.”
I look down ashamed.
“Yeah, my head and ribs are killing me.”
“Babe, I’m not going to think you less a man for taking pills, just PLEASE don’t overtake them. I don’t need a junky on my hands.”
“I’ll be fine babe.” I reply, nestling back down, and closing my eyes.
Just as I’m about to drift to sleep, I am woke up by my phone ringing.
“Yeah?” I groan into the phone.
“Hey man, how ya feeling?” The voice on the other line asks, my head still trying to process the voice.
“Fine,” I reply, flipping the phone down to look at my caller id, revealing Jesse Styles.
“Good, I’m putting you against a new guy at the next Ignite. Take this one off obviously, but I assume you’ll be good by next?”
“Yeah for sure. My next appointment is Friday, but I see no reason why I’m not cleared. I feel fine.” I lied, still feeling intense pain in my ribs, and my head still spinning if I’m on my feet too long.
“Ok cool. You’re facing Jordan Mercer. Take him down, so you’re back in tune and I’ve got a good surprise for you.”
“I don’t want to see your penis man.”
“Jesus Christ, you’re worse than Al.”
“What can I say, I gotta keep my mind going. I’ve been cooped up since I left the hospital.”
“I suppose I’ll let it slide, but hey, take care of yourself so you can take down Jared Mercer.”
“Yeah will do man.”
I hang up the phone and grab my pill bottle again, and pop another Oxy. I finally drift off to sleep.
---------------------
“Austen, you’re not going to get in the ring.” A voice says, agitated. the face is hazy, but the voice is familiar.
“Yes I am, nobody can stop me. I am a wrestler, and no one will stand in the way of that.”
“I WILL, IF YOU DO I AM LEAVING.” Dazi’s face becomes clear.
“If that’s what you have to do, I guess that’s your call, but I am not missing a match. I feel fine. These make me feel fine.” I shake the pill bottle at her.
“Austen, you’re hooked on the painkillers, you don’t need them, you just need to rest, let your body heal. Naturally.”
“GOD DAMMIT DAZI I AM FINE, I’M NOT HOOKED ON THE PILLS, AND I AM NOT IN ANY PAIN.”
“Really? Not at all.” She tosses the remote at me, and I step out of the way, catching it. I wince in pain, and drop the remote. “Yeah, not in pain my ass. Austen, I said no more lies, I can’t do it, I’m out of here.”
Instantly I snap awake, looking around. I see Dazi asleep on the couch, and sigh a long sigh of relief. I reach over and grab for my pill bottle. It’s not there. I feel around in panic, my side aching. I can’t find it, so I throw the endtable over. The crash wakes Dazi up.
“Everything ok babe?” She asks, sitting up, her tight fitting tank top barely covering her gorgeous breasts.
“NO, I can’t find my pills.”
“They’re over here,” she points to the coffee table, “You threw them in your sleep. I picked them up and set them here. Do you need one?”
“Yes please.” I nod, feeling bad.
Dazi stands up, not wearing any pants, and walks to the kitchen to grab a drink of water. She comes back, glass in hand and hands me one of my pills. I pop the pill in my mouth and chase it with a big gulp of water.
“Get some rest honey, you’re appointment is tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yeah, you slept all day yesterday, I couldn’t wake you up to even take your pill.”
I rub my head, confused, and look at my phone. Sure enough I had slept an entire day.
“Alright hun...see you in the morning.”
I tossed and turned all night, not able to fall asleep. Finally I am able to relax, and just drift off to sleep when my alarm goes off.
“SON OF A BITCH!” I throw the phone across the room, shattering across the wall.
“HEY!” Dazi hollers, “What’s wrong?”
“I was just about asleep.”
“Aww babe, I’m sorry, we can reschedule the appointment?”
“NO, I need to get back, get in the ring, get back to the gym, get back to life.”
“Ok, just relax, you can sleep in the car.”
“Fine.” I get up, wincing in pain with each step. I grab my bottle of pills and pop two in my mouth quickly, and swallow. I throw on a pair of shorts and a tshirt, slide my flip flops on, and walk out of the apartment to the car. The bright sun instantly intensifies my migraine. Dazi walks up behind me, puts her hand on my back and hands me my sunglasses.
“You’re going to want these.”
I nod in agreement, and get in the car.
The drive was terrible. Every bump and jostle of the car sent pain running through my body. I bit down hard to avoid looking like it hurt. I need to get back in that ring. I need to put a beat down on someone and Jordan Mercer was my first victim. Finally we came to a stop at the clinic, and I let out a sigh of relief.
“Everything ok?” Dazi asked, looking over at me, hand on my knee.
“Yeah, just nervous. Never have liked doctors.”
“It’s ok babe, I’m right here.”
“I know, I’ll be right out, I can’t imagine it will take very long for him to say you look good.”
“Babe, you still are in pain.”
“I will for a while babe, but I’m fine, I’m good to go.”
“Ok,” she shakes her head, knowing I’m being stubborn but doesn’t want to press the issue.
I walk in the doors, check in at the reception desk, and smile.
“Austen...uh…” I pause, “Gustafson,” I quietly mutter under my breath.
“Excuse me? Last name again?”
“Gustafson,” I say a little louder.
“One more time dear?” she smiles again.
“GUSTAFSON! JESUS CHRIST!”
“Sorry, sir, have a seat the doctor will be out in a moment.” The whole waiting room is staring at me, in disbelief.
“Sorry,” I murmur, sitting down.
“Austen,” the nurse calls right away. I stand back up, fighting back the pain. I walk gingerly back towards the nurse, and walk into the exam room area. She checks my weight, and all the vitals necessary, and then leaves the room.
A knock comes on the door, and then the doctor enters.
“Austen, how we doing?” He asks, looking at me.
“Great, better than ever doc. Am I clear?”
“Austen, it’s going to take more than that.”
“C’mon doc, I feel great.”
“I don’t doubt that, but we need to make sure no long term effects are present.”
“Fine, do what you gotta do, but its a waste of your time and my money.”
“My scheduler set aside an hour for this visit. I have all the time in the world.”
“Alright lets get it done.”
After about 30 minutes and a myriad of concussion tests, tenderness checks, all of which hurt like a bitch, and other tests, he sends me down for an Xray. I go down, remove my shirt, revealing a terrible bruise along the side of my ribs, and lay down on the table. The tech lays the lead vest over top of me, and takes his pictures, and I make my way back to the exam room.
I roll my eyes, looking around the room, feeling pain in my ribs, and my head starting to pound again. I pull out my pills from my jacket pocket and pop another one and swallow. The door opens just as I cap the bottle, and I quickly try to slide it in my pocket.
“I hope you’re cutting back on those.” The doctor mentioned, pointing towards my pocket.
“Oh, yeah, I’m down to 2 a day, but I am running low.”
“Yeah, I see there’s still a fracture in the rib here, and your concussion testing is still not where it needs to be. I’d like to see you back here in two weeks. Until then I can’t give you the clearance to get back to work. It’s too risky.”
“WHAT? DOC I HAVE TO!”
“I can’t in good faith put you back in the ring, and risk another serious injury.”
“C’mon doc, let me back.”
“No, I will not put your life at risk for a sport, that is final.”
I throw everything on the desk to the floor.
“Are you about done?” He asks, matter of factly.
I nod.
“Can I at least get a refill on these pills, that way I can move around and start working out to stay in shape.”
“That’s fine, one more refill.”
“Thanks doc.”
I walk out of the exam room, and back to the car. I hop in, as Dazi is reading a magazine.
“How’d it go?” She asks.
“I’m…” I pause, thinking over what the doctor said, “I’m good to go.”
“OH GREAT!” She throws her arms around me, and I instantly wince in pain, but hide it as best I can.
“I gotta call Jesse quickly.”
I pull out my phone, and punch up Jesse’s number.
“Jesse?”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“I’m good to go.”
“Good, see you at Ignite.”
I hang up the phone and we drive back home.