Page 76 of Crash
“You love it,” he shot back with a grin.
Pausing, I glanced around and took a deep breath. “Yeah,” I said, my gaze meeting his. “I do.”
Twenty-Nine
Lincoln
I sat in the specialist’s office at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, staring at the wall.
Today was considered a final meeting to discuss my prognosis for going back to Sydney. I hadn’t toldVeeabout the appointment, and the thought stewed around in my gut. I hadn’t exactly lied to her, but I may as well have.
My shoulder hadn’t bothered me for a week or so now, and my exercises had been getting pretty easy, so I knew this day was coming—a full two months earlier than planned. I should be excited. We all knew what the doc was going to say.Get your ass back to Sydney,champ.
“Lincoln?” the doctor asked.
I blinked hard. “Sorry?”
He placed the scans back into the huge orange envelope on his desk. “You’re cleared to go back to full-time training. Congratulations.”
I sat up straight. “I can go back to Sydney?”
“Yes,” he said with a nod. “Pending any residual tenderness, you should be able to resume your normal regime soon enough.”
“Great,” I murmured, my mind going to Violet.
“I’ll forward your scans and details to your physiotherapist in Sydney so they can be clued in to your condition. I wouldn’t go into training too hard just yet. Ease back, but you’re certainly welcome to do a lot more than you’re doing now.”
“Thanks, doc,” I said, rising to my feet.
I shook his hand and scooped up my jacket before letting myself out of his office.
I walked back to my car in a daze. Sitting behind the wheel, I stared at the concrete wall in front of me and wondered why the good news I’d been dying to hear pissed me off so much. This is what I’d wanted my entire life, fighting with the big guns in the AUFC. I’d had it, then I was out for injury, and now I could go back. I’d cut two whole months off my recovery time. I should be happy.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I pulled up the favorites list. For a moment, my finger hovered over Vee’s name, but I changed course at the last second and pressed Dean’s.
He picked up after what felt like an age.
“Hey, Linc,” came my brother’s voice. “What’s up?”
“Doc says I can come back,” I replied.
“No way. Two months early?” He sounded as surprised as I felt.
“Yeah, he seems to think it’s not a problem.”
“When can you get back on the canvas?”
“Didn’t say, but I can start training full-time again if I want.”
“Shit, that’s awesome.” The line rustled, and then I heard him calling out to someone. A moment later, he was back. “Coach is here, lemme put him on.”
“Dean—” I wasn’t ready to talk to Coach yet. I knew exactly what he was going to say, and I still had to talk to Violet about it.
“Linc?” Coach Miller’s voice came over the line.
“Yep.”
“Great news, son,” he exclaimed. “We’ve missed you around here. We need you back and in the gym as soon as possible if you want to get any more fights this season.”
