Chapter 5: I Must Do It

I don't want to be alone! Why did he leave? The pain is getting worse again!

Steven returned. He looked at me and smiled.

"Did you miss me?'' he asked.

"How did you know?''

"I see it in your eyes, Tiffany. Don't worry! Everything is going to be fine. With your permission, I will remove the splint," he said merrily.

"Why?"

"You will see. Have you ever broken a bone?"

"No."

Steven removed the splint. An ugly bluish swelling had formed at the place of the fracture. He gently pulled my sock off. Supporting my broken leg with both hands, he asked me to turn on my stomach. I complied. The movement brought tears into my eyes.

"Are you really an orthopedist?"

"Yes. Don't be so suspicious! I know what I am doing," he said calmly, while his hands were supporting my leg.

As I lied on my stomach, he unexpectedly sat on the back of my thighs, pinning me down. All his weight was on me. Then he bent my knee so that the sole of my foot was against his chest. I felt his grip tightening around my ankle and heel. He tugged. The pain was unbearable. I howled. Tears streamed down my cheeks mingling with a cold sweat. The feeling of bone fragments grating against each other was awesome. As if jagged knives were stuck in my leg, piercing the flesh.

"Stop! Please don't do it! It hurts so much, so much..."

Steven pulled and twisted once more. He continued tormenting me as though he hadn't heard my pleas.

"Please! I can bear it anymore."

"I know honey, but I must do it. Just one final tug... that's it."

At last he stopped. I was sobbing quietly, almost happily.

"It's over. The fracture is reduced," Steven said and stood up.

I was physically and emotionally drained from this horrible ordeal. The pain had subsided considerably so I just lied, eyes closed.

Steven drew closer and placed his hand on my brow.

"Are you OK?"

I nodded.

"I will be back in an hour. Take a rest and don't move your leg, Tiffany," Steven said and left.

Why didn't he immobilize my leg with the splint? I wanted know what he is up to, but I refrained myself from asking him. Deadly tired, I dozed off. Before long, I waked up with a start, realizing that the effect of the medicine Steven had given me was wearing off. The pain returned. Still tolerable though.

Steven came back carrying a bag and a bucket with water.

"You will put me in plaster!" I exclaimed.

"Are you surprised?"

"No... I just thought that the splint is enough..."

"It isn't. Don't be afraid! The procedure is not painful."

"I am not afraid."

"Let's do it then, daring girl."

He sat on the bed beside me.

"Nice, pinkish heel," he commented.

"It has been like that for as long as I can remember."

He laughed.

I felt something soft touching my toes. The sensation was like slipping a stocking on. The material was white colored. Sitting on the rim of the bed, Steven pulled it up my ankle, then drew it above my knee. His fingers smoothed the wrinkles. Then it dawned on me that the cast will be longer than I expected. Was it necessary to immobilize the knee? Possibly. Two or three years ago, I saw a young woman in a long leg cast. A rubber heel was fixed into the bottom of the cast so she was able to walk quite easily. Her exposed toes were curling up and down funnily at every step. The sound of dripping water got me out of the reverie. Steven was squeezing a plaster bandage. Then he lifted my foot up so that my knee bent at a 90-degree angle and wrapped the plaster around my instep. I was seeing only a part of what he was doing. His movements felt calm and confident. Molding the cast with care, Steven was smoothing it from time to time. Soon the plaster covered my ankle and reached my knee.