As they were talking, Walt had been adjusting the straps slowly, putting pressure against the leg as it pulled tightly. Elton was starting to get a little uncomfortable when Walt spoke up.
"Okay, we’re through with that. Just take a deep breath and relax."
The leg that was not restrained, Walt gently lifted up and placed it on his shoulder. He slowly bent it backward toward Elton’s body, causing more pressure against the pelvic area. Elton was starting to feel a little bit of pain now. With a sudden move forward, Walt brought Elton’s right leg up to his chest and pressed down on his pelvic bone. With a pop and a sudden shocking, blinding pain, Elton’s pelvic bone relocated itself to its proper position. Elton was gasping for breath—it felt like his lower half of his body had just been ripped into.
Walt let his right leg ease back down and laid it on the exam table. He walked around, took the pressure off of the left leg that was stretched tightly, and looked at his patient.
"Elton, how do you feel? I know it might still hurt a little bit, but how does it feel now?"
Elton realized his back didn’t hurt, his hip and his leg no longer hurt, but his vent was tingling and he told the doctor this.
"Yes, Elton, that’s a side effect. That means that the nerves are all working and you’re beginning to regain feeling in your back vent. It also means you’re starting to tighten back up, so you’ll feel a strange sensation like your muscles are moving on their own—which they are." Walt gestured to his assistant. "Let my assistant get all these straps off you, and we’re going to have you turn around and sit up with our help."
"When you feel like it, I’m going to have you step down with our help off of the exam table, and I want you to put your feet flat on the floor and stand up. If at any time you experience any pain, you let us know."
Elton’s feet touched the floor, and it was great to feel the floor again under his left foot. There was no pain—he actually felt the floor. He looked at Dr. Stafford with wonder.
"I can feel the floor and my feet, my hip, my back—it doesn’t hurt anymore. There’s no pressure."
"Tonya will help you get dressed, and then she will bring you to my office where your family will be waiting for you. I want you to walk into my office and show them the old Elton’s back." Walt smiled broadly. "I know your husband will be very relieved to have his spouse back with no pain, no limp, and you can slowly start your life back again together as a family."
Walt went out to the waiting room and called Raymond, Ed, and Carter into his office. He basically explained what Elton was experiencing and that there had been some adjustments made, and this was as good as it was going to get.
"Sometimes I wish I could do more for my patients, but then I’m not a miracle worker. Elton’s quality of life will improve, and he can do a little bit more around the house as time goes by, but don’t let him overdo it."
Tonya opened Dr. Stafford’s office door, and everyone turned around. Very cautiously, Elton slowly walked in. Raymond looked at Elton’s leg—he no longer favored it; he wasn’t limping. Elton smiled; he couldn’t believe he was walking on his own without having to grab hold of something, and he could feel his foot and leg. It didn’t hurt. And he looked into Raymond’s smiling face holding little Ray—he felt like the luckiest Genman in the world. Raymond stood up and held his hand out so that Elton could make his way over.
Raymond leaned over and kissed Elton as he walked up to him. "You look beautiful. Dr. Stafford really did an amazing job."
Elton took a seat as Raymond stood beside him and placed his hand around his shoulder.
"The rules are: you come back one month for a checkup, and then I’ll give you some new rules for your continued recovery. But I’ll caution both of you—no sex whatsoever until I see you next time at your checkup." Dr. Stafford looked at each of them seriously. "So the three of you can go home and enjoy your life together, but Elton, if you have any pain whatsoever, you call this office and I’ll come to you."
Elton thanked Dr. Stafford for everything he had done and assured him that he would follow all of his rules no matter what—he wasn’t going to mess his recovery up. Raymond agreed that he would watch after Elton and little Ray, and there would be no deviation from the doctor’s orders.
When they left the hospital, Ed pulled by a fast food joint in the city. They got their meal and left on their way back to the ranches.
Lex knocked on his grandfather’s office door and opened it. "Excuse me, grandfather, but I need a little help from you, sir."
"Sure, what do you need?" Zach looked at his grandson.
"I need you to help me to the clinic, sir."
Zach dropped everything he was doing and jumped up, rushing to Lex’s side. "Are you okay? Where is Chris at?"
"Grandfather, I sent Chris into town with the shopping list—he forgot his phone, so I can’t reach him. I was coming down the stairs and my water broke, and this shit hurts. I need you to get me to the clinic, but I don’t think I can walk. This baby is coming full steam ahead."
Zach saw Hans in the doorway as he was headed toward the kitchen. "Hans, get your big ass in here! I need your help now!"
Two steps later and Hans was inside the office.
"Gently pick up Lex and get him to the clinic—that baby is on its way." Zach stuck his head out of the office and hollered. "Ty, get your ass down here now and find Chris—he’s in town!"
Ty came running down the stairs until he hit the fifth one up that was wet thanks to his brother’s water breaking, and ended up at the bottom of the stairs on his ass.