He nodded, his thoughts straying to the woman who had treated him last night, the one his parents had always looked down on.What would they say if they knew she had overcome all odds and become the doctor she—and he—had always believed she could be?Mom might have kittens; Dad might have a stroke.Was it better for him to tell them now, or have them possibly be taken by surprise?Seeing they were in a hospital already, maybe the news that was sure to shock them was better told now.
“Uh, you’ll never guess who I bumped into—”
“Ah, Mr.Tinker.Glad you’re still with us,” Dr.Winthrop said, entering the room.“How are you feeling this morning?”
“A little groggy.Nauseous, still.”
The doctor nodded.“That’s to be expected.How is the side feeling?”
“Sore.”
“Let’s have a look at it, shall we?”
The next minutes passed with the doctor inspecting the wound, declaring himself satisfied, and warning that it was likely to cause pain over the next few days.
“Am I still supposed to feel this bad?”Kyle asked.
Dr.Winthrop frowned.Checked his charts.“Your blood pressure is still higher than I’d like.Have you been experiencing fever or chills?Bloating?Any blood in the urine?”
Man he was glad Gen wasn’t around to hear this.“Yeah to all of that.And I can barely pee.”
“Hmm.We didn’t notice anything untoward during the surgery but you might have an infection.”
“But how can that happen?”Mom demanded.“This is a hospital, for goodness’ sake.”
Dr.Winthrop glanced at her.“It might not be an infection, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.Sometimes trauma can affect things, or it could be an allergic reaction to the drugs or the contrast from the IVP.Regardless, we’ll do more testing and be monitoring you closely.But I’m afraid we’ll need to keep you for a few more days to make sure your kidneys bounce back okay.That means you’ll be on a liquid diet for the next little while, just so we can be sure we’re not putting undue stress on your insides.”
Awesome.
“We’ll likely get you on partial solids by the end of the week.”
Partial solids.“Yum.”
“You should feel healthy within four to six weeks,” the doctor continued, “but should avoid strenuous activities for three months.”Just like he’d warned yesterday.
Dad sighed.“There goes the playoffs.”
“Hey, Seattle might still make it.”Kyle had to look on the bright side.And the boys had plenty of fight, even if they’d miss him.
“Unlikely,” Dad muttered.
That might be true, but humility didn’t permit him to say that aloud.He studied the doctor instead.“Can I work out at all?”
“You can stretch but not do any weight-bearing workouts.No medications or alcohol, either.We want to give that kidney every chance to heal.”
“Of course.”
“My boy doesn’t even drink coffee, so you can be sure he’ll be sensible,” Mom said proudly.
Dr.Winthrop smiled.“I can’t imagine a day without coffee, so good for you.”
“How long do you think he’ll be in for?”Dad asked, just as the doc got a phone call which he frowned at then excused himself to answer.
Did Dad ask for Kyle’s sake or because he wanted a rough estimate before he flew home?Lord, forgive me.Still, the old patterns were there.Dad had always supported Kyle’s career, but it sure helped if it meshed with his own plans.Such as when Kyle had been drafted by New Jersey and been selected to play for their farm team.Some might see his parents’ decision to up sticks and move there too as extreme parental supportive commitment.Those people might not know that it had just so happened to coincide with his father’s own promotion at the property investment firm where he worked, which had seen Dad headhunted to lead their east coast division.The fact Mom didn’t need to pick between her oft-stated two favorite men in the world meant that she’d not issued a peep.Which had meant that unlike most newbies, he’d lived with his folks for the first few years of his NHL career, until he’d finally moved out aged twenty-four.And now, with his mom threatening to mother him—smother him, he bet Mitch Reilly would say—he needed to reassert the boundaries he’d been clear about five years ago.
The doctor finished his call.“Sorry about that.You were asking—?”
“About how long Kyle will be in for,” Mom prompted him.
