Malediction

16 - Retail Therapy

"Are you okay?" Dad panicked as he entered the hardware store half hour later, his eyes searching over my body, my face, in search of the injury

"I'm fine" I sighed, sitting leaned back in a camping chair with Todd sitting on the counter nearby

"What happened?"

I stood, holding my hand steady with ice on my wrist, every movement it made burning with pain.

"I fell, my wrist twisted when I tried to catch myself" I told him simply

"You could have told me that on the phone Em, here I was thinking the worse when you called and said you'd had an accident" Dad sighed with his hands on his hips

"If it was bad, the paramedics would have called you, not me" I told him, Todd beginning to pick his belongings up, ready to leave work for the night

"How bad is it?" His eyes hovered on my wrist as I held it closely to my chest, the ice numbing and soothing

"I don't think it's broken, but its a little swollen and tender, which could mean a sprain or hairline fracture" Todd cut in, standing beside me

"Todd's girlfriend is a nurse, he called her and asked for her opinion before we irrationally called an ambulance" I revealed to dad

"We should still go to the doctors, just to make sure there isn't any serious damage" He sighed

"Good idea" Todd agreed "Let me know how you go, I'll talk to Jason in the morning and let him know what happened"

"Thank you Todd" Dad shook hands with my coworker, appreciative of his help before we left.

"So how did it happen?" Dad quizzed as we drove home quarter past seven

"The step ladder I was using collapsed from under me in the stock room" I sighed, leaning my head back, closing my eyes as melted ice trickled down my arm

"That's a serious health and safety issue" His voice deepened, concerned

"Accidents happen" I defended

"Well we're going to have to find a medical centre that is open late once we get home"

"I can wait until tomorrow morning, it isn't that bad" I told him, the pain numb, the swelling easing

"What if it's a fracture or a break?" Dads eyes fluttered to my face

I shook my head "It isn't, it's feeling better already with the ice"

"I'll take a look when I get home, we can decide then" He gave a long sigh, rubbing his temples with his free hand.
He'd clearly had a long day, his days were always long, unpredictable. He was in and out at any point in time during the night and day, his job overly demanding and exhausting.

He was an obstetrician, not a orthopedist, so when we got home, his eyes were clueless and indecisive about my joint injury.
It was quickly mum to the rescue.

Thankfully, the ice had taken the swelling and bruising down quite a bit by 8pm. The pain was tolerable, more tolerable than the almost healed cut along my arm. 
With my casual calm composure, mum had taken my side in agreement of waiting until morning.
I was grateful, because I was tired, and in urgent need for a warm shower.
Despite my wrist taking majority of the fall, my body had still endured a blow, my joints and muscles aching.
What I didn't realise, was that every task, as simple as it would normally seem, was now extremely difficult to undertake with only one working hand. I was right handed, but when it came to putting my hair up after my shower, I struggled, when it came to pulling my baggy T-shirt and pants on, I struggled.