Page 131 of Share with Me

Chapter Forty-Two

“What about a left-hand violin?”

Ivan couldn’t answer Vittorio the torturer. Ivan the victim was writhing in pain, thank you very much. His left wrist hurt with searing bolts of acute pain zipping back and forth between his elbow and his left radius and ulna bones, then leaping to his thumb and a few fingers. It happened every time he flexed his wrist or contracted his fingers.

“Don’t they have violins that you can put on your right shoulder?” the occupational therapist asked again.

“Yeah, but not the Strad—aaarrrggghhh!” He couldn’t lift his left arm, couldn’t turn his hand, couldn’t clench his fingers, couldn’t do much of anything Vittorio tried to help him with.

His mobility was zilch. Almost.

Perhaps seven on a Monday morning was way too early for therapy.

Perhaps he should’ve taken more painkillers before he left the house.

Just cut off my wrist already!

“We’re a nonviolent facility, Ivan.” Vittorio’s facial muscles didn’t contort.

“I didn’t say that out loud.”

“You did too. It’s going to be hard for a couple of weeks and then it’ll get better, I assure you.”

“You can’t promise.”

“The variable is you, Ivan.” Vittorio raised an eyebrow. “Did you do the exercises I told you to yesterday?”

Ivan barely nodded. Well, okay. He had done the exercises, but stopped when it became tearfully painful.

“Did you put an icepack on your wrist?” Vittorio asked.

“Yeah.”

Vittorio rubbed his arm to get some circulation going. Ivan felt better. He closed his eyes. “Good news for you, Ivan.”

“Is there any?”

“Since you didn’t have any surgery, your healing should be pretty standard.”

“Standard?”

“Let’s do more exercises on your entire arm.” Vittorio went looking for balls.

Ivan tried to sneak away.

“Mr. McMillan!”

He crawled back to his seat.

“Do you want to get better or not?”

“Want—aaarrrggghhh!”

And so it went on until the session was up. He could barely remember all that they had done except that once again, Ivan didn’t have to pay a dime. He was feeling a bit suspicious of this free healthcare he was getting. Vittorio could not disclose any information to him.

He left the OT center in near tears. He hoped nobody saw him.

Lord, heal me!

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