Chapter 20: Getting Legs
A few days had passed since the Grand Final. Ryan was still in the hospital receiving treatment for his injured leg. Jeff was in the hospital to visit Ryan, and James wanted to talk to his medical team.
Ryan was sitting in bed, and by his side was Saliyah. Jeff entered his hospital room holding a special autographed pound ball.
‘Hey, how are you doing?’ asked Jeff as he approached the bed.
‘I’m hopeful. I’m very hopeful. It feels a little less painful every day,’ said Ryan as he squeezed Saliyah’s hand.
‘It’s the pain medication,’ said Saliyah. ‘They give him so much.’
‘I want you to know I’m with you 100%,’ said Jeff. ‘My brother knows the best medical experts. He will make sure you’ll be fine.’
‘Thank you. You’ve been so good to me,’ said Ryan with a smile.
‘I have this ball for you,’ said Jeff. ‘I got all the executives, coaches, owners, and even Waldo to sign it.’
‘That’s amazing,’ said Ryan as Jeff handed him the ball. A tear formed in his eye as he looked at the signatures. ‘This just makes me even more determined to get back up and be better than ever.’
‘If anyone can, it’s you, Ryan,’ said Jeff as he joined hands with both Ryan and Saliyah.
James entered the office of Ryan’s physiotherapist. Ryan’s physiotherapist was sitting behind his desk, and a surgeon was standing next to the window.
‘Please, sit down,’ said the physiotherapist to James.
James sat down in the chair on the other side of the physiotherapist’s desk.
‘This type of meeting is a little unconventional,’ said the physiotherapist.
‘I’m paying you handsomely to ensure Ryan gets the best treatment possible,’ said James.
‘Ryan is your star player. You want him back on the field making you more money,’ said the surgeon sternly. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not judging. I’d be doing the exact same thing.’
‘I’m only interested in his welfare.’ said James as he looked across at the surgeon. ‘Tell me the safest path for him.’
‘Ryan has a torn tendon,’ said the physiotherapist. ‘It can heal on its own, but it’ll take months. It is likely it will never be strong enough for him to play again.’
The surgeon sniggered.
‘Is there something funny about someone losing his career?’ asked James angrily.
‘His career is not over,’ said the surgeon. ‘I’m here to save him.’
‘The big hero, hey,’ said James sarcastically.
‘You could say that,’ said the surgeon confidently. ‘I can surgically reattach and strengthen his tendon. In a few months’ time, he’ll be as good as new.’
‘How many times have you performed this operation successfully?’ asked James.
‘You have nothing to worry about,’ said the surgeon firmly. ‘For someone like me, this procedure will be a cinch.’
‘How many times?’ demanded James, sounding frustrated.
‘I have operated on the family members of chiefs from across the continent,’ replied the surgeon angrily. ‘If I can perform surgery on them, I can definitely perform surgery on your farm boy.’
‘If something goes wrong or if he seriously reinjures himself,’ shouted James. ‘I will come after you. I will destroy you and your practice.’
‘I don’t need this crap,’ said the surgeon indignantly as he stormed out of the physiotherapist’s office.
‘Well, that was unexpected,’ said the physiotherapist. ‘He is actually very good at his job.’
‘He hasn’t performed this procedure before,’ said James, shaking his head. ‘He can’t use Ryan as his test subject. His attitude is shocking.’
‘You really do care about that boy,’ said the physiotherapist as he got up from his chair. ‘Let’s talk to Ryan about my proposed approach.’
James sighed and nodded.
Ryan, Saliyah, and Jeff were calmly chatting when James and the physiotherapist entered the room.
‘Glad to see you are in good spirits,’ said the physiotherapist.
‘Tell me you have good news?’ asked Ryan anxiously.
‘We can definitely heal your leg,’ said the physiotherapist.
‘So I’ll be able to play again?’ asked Ryan impatiently.
‘At the moment, with what we know…,’ said the physiotherapist hesitantly.
Ryan took a deep breath as he listened.
‘We can’t make any promises,’ continued the physiotherapist.
‘You said yesterday that you were going to consult with a surgeon,’ said Ryan. ‘Is that still an option?’
‘I just had a conversation with the surgeon,’ said James. ‘To cut a long story short, the surgery is experimental. I wasn’t convinced it could be done safely.’
‘Boss, if this surgery can save my career, we need to give it a shot,’ said Ryan, sounding desperate.
‘Think of your family,’ said James firmly. ‘What if it fails and you can never walk again?’
Ryan diverted his eyes downwards.
Saliyah grasped his hand again.
‘There’s more to life than Pound Ball,’ she told him. ‘You can find another calling.’
‘The Scarecrows didn’t win the Grand Final because of your play on the field,’ said James firmly. ‘They won because you came back after being injured and you showed them true inspirational leadership.’
‘He’s 100% right. You are a natural leader,’ said Jeff, patting Ryan on the leg.
Ryan looked up at Saliyah. She smiled and nodded at him.
‘Sir, I put myself in your hands,’ said Ryan as he looked up at the physiotherapist.
‘I’ll have a rehabilitation plan drawn up for you tomorrow,’ said the physiotherapist confidently.
Jeff and James walked out of the hospital together.
‘Thanks for trying to help Ryan,’ said Jeff as he looked across at his brother. ‘It means a lot to me.’
‘Saliyah is my star talent,’ said James. ‘If she is to continue to bring in the money, I gotta keep her happy.’
‘Of course,’ said Jeff as he smiled at his brother. ‘I’m going to make sure Ryan gets his payday as a coach. He deserves that much.’
‘Hmmm, I have a feeling there is something far more lucrative in his future,’ said James as he rubbed his hands.
On the other side of the city was the headquarters of the group that called themselves the Democracy Chasers. They were a group of young volunteers who promoted the ideas of democracy. An outspoken university graduate, Joan, led this group.
Joan was busy designing more posters for her group’s next protest when a volunteer ran in with a parcel.
‘Someone gave us a present,’ shouted the volunteer as he plonked the parcel down next to Joan.
‘Careful, please,’ she said to him as she looked at the box suspiciously. ‘Where did it come from?’
‘Someone knocked on the door,’ said the volunteer. ‘I opened the door and this box was here.’
Joan picked up a knife. She cut open the top of the box. Inside was a bag and a note. Joan picked up the bag. She knew immediately the bag contained coins. She opened it up and poured the coins on her table.
‘All gold coins,’ she said, sounding shocked. ‘This is a lot of money.’
She picked up the note. It read as follows:
Hey Democracy Chasers,
Your efforts have not gone unnoticed. I sent you some money to help you get the word out. It is about time we had the chance to choose our own leaders. I trust you to invest it wisely. Keep up the great work.
Best wishes, anonymous
‘That’s a funny name,’ remarked the volunteer.
‘Hmm, someone wealthy who wants to keep their identity a secret,’ said Joan as she gently rubbed her chin.
Joan looked at the box it came in. This box had been previously used to package the new Alset Sound Blaster radio. Joan began to grin.
‘I think this is a hint to who sent the money and how we should use it,’ said Joan as she looked at the volunteer.
The volunteer stared back at her blankly.
‘I attended school in Carrington City,’ said Joan as she smiled fondly. ‘Four years ago, during morning assembly, a girl named Jenna Alset read her short essay titled “Democracy: Our Saving Choice”. This was the most inspiring essay I have ever heard. Even more surprisingly, the words came from a thirteen-year-old millionaire heiress. From that day on, I vowed to myself to make her essay a reality.’
‘She just went on with her life,’ said Sally, another volunteer who had just joined them. ‘You actually worked hard and committed yourself to making a difference.’
‘She spoke with such passion,’ said Joan. ‘I know she meant every word. This package must have come from her. She’s telling me to send out our message on the radio.’
‘It’s a great idea,’ said Sally. ‘Students are our best target. Almost half of all radio listeners are students.’
‘Let’s get in touch with the radio station,’ said Joan energetically.
‘I’m not sure Yensid Media would approve of our message,’ said Sally.
‘Yensid Media are only interested in one thing, and that’s money,’ said Joan, tossing a couple of gold coins in her hand. ‘Now we have it.’
Sapien Loop: End of an Era
Sapien Loop: Frozen in Time is the sequel to the book Sapien Loop: End of an Era. Sapien Loop: End of an Era is available on Amazon, in collection series on my @spectrumecons account, and in individual chapters in my @captainhive account.
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