Ruby's Broken Bone

Ruby's Broken Bone Part 3

"I guess that made me a little jealous," said Max.

"Lemme ask you a question, Max. If you broke a bone, would you enjoy it?"

"I would enjoy all the attention and help," replied Max.

"I'm talking about the injury by itself. Would you like it if one of your bones broke?"

"No," Max sobbed. "It would hurt."

"And you wouldn't be able to do things on your own, like walking upstairs or taking a shower, or anything that needs you to use that bone that you broke. That's exactly the situation Ruby is in, which is why we are helping her. You know it isn't that we love her any more than you." Max looked into his mother's eyes with his tear-filled ones and his quivering lip. "Aww, come here, baby." Max got up on the couch and cried into his mother's shoulder as they hugged.

"I was really starting to think you and Dad were loving her more than me," he sobbed.

"That is absolutely not true," said Mrs. Bunny. "And that never will be true. You're my son, and I'm your mom, and there is nothing that is ever going to affect that." With that, she leaned in and they closed their eyes and rubbed their noses together the way rabbits do. "Now come on. Go wash your face and then say you're sorry to your sister."

"Okay," Max said as he rushed to the kitchen. After washing the tears off his face, he rushed upstairs and knocked on his sister's door.

"Come in," said Ruby's voice from inside. Max entered and approached his sister in her bed, reading her magazine with her leg and foot propped up on a pillow.

"I'm sorry I got angry and broke your butterfly, Ruby," Max said humbly. "Mom said that I was just feeling 'jealous.'"

"Well, I'm sorry that I got angry too," said Ruby. "And I just want you to know that you are loved as much as I am. And once I get this cast off and walk normally again, I promise you everything will go back to normal." Max said nothing, but smiled and hugged his sister. "Aww," said Ruby. "So when's dinner gonna be ready?"

"About an hour," said Max as he made his way to Ruby's door. "We're having baked chicken and rice."

"Yum," said Ruby. Feeling better, Max made his way back downstairs.

After a couple weeks, Max got used to the routine, his father waking him up and supervising him to get ready for school while his mother helped Ruby get ready. One Friday afternoon, Mr. Bunny dropped Max off at home after school, and then drove Ruby to the hospital. Max was confused at first. Ruby was not supposed to have her cast removed for a couple more weeks. After a couple hours, Ruby and Mr. Bunny arrived home and came through the front door. Max was utterly surprised to see his sister walking! What was more surprising, however, was that her leg was still not completely free, but in a strange big black boot.

"Great news, Max!" Mr. Bunny exclaimed. "Ruby's allowed to walk on her cast now!"

"I told you I'd be walking again, Max," said Ruby. "Well, I still may stumble a bit but I'm walking!"

"We had her leg x-rayed for an update and the doctor gave them to us," said Mr. Bunny, holding the slides in his paws before handing them to his daughter. "Hey, Ruby, how about you show Max the progress on your leg."

"I would love to," Ruby said with a beaming smile. "Come look at them with me, Max." Max followed his sister into the kitchen and they both sat at the kitchen table. Ruby placed them on the table so she and Max could both look at them.

"You see that, Max?" Ruby said, pointing to the lower section of her tibia on the x-ray. "Look at the crack now versus a couple weeks ago. You can really see how my bone is healing."

"That's so cool," said Max. "And now you can walk again!"

"Well, not normally," said Ruby. "But just enough that I can walk up the stairs on my own. Now you don't have to see Mom and Dad carrying me anymore, hehe."

"Well, that means we can start playing with each other again!" Max said in excitement as he jumped.

"Not exactly," Ruby said with a chuckle. "Doctor says I still have to take it easy."

"Aww," Max replied in disappointment.

"But I can still come to the park with you. I just can't play on the playground yet."

"Hmm..." Max thought to himself. "How about we play walking freeze tag? It's like regular freeze tag but we walk instead of run!"

"Mm, I still think that will put too much pressure on my leg, Max, all that walking. I'll tell you, what I can do is play pretend with you. Wanna play 'pirates' or 'astronauts?'"

"How about we play... airport?"

"Ooh, that sounds fun. "So, do you want me to grab my suitcase?"

"I meant play with my little airplane," said Max, holding his toy airliner up. "You can be the terminal, and your boot makes the perfect jet bridge!"

"A jet bridge?" Ruby said, looking down at her boot. "Huh, I guess you're right. Alrighty then." She sat down in the middle of the carpet, her legs and boot laying in front of her as Max put his plane into position.

"Prepare for landing," he said. He made plane noises which made his sister chuckle. "On behalf of Max Airlines, we would like to welcome you to Max & Ruby International Airport." Ruby just laughed some more as Max pretended to taxi the plane pulling all the way up to Ruby's ankle. "We appreciate you flying with us."

"Hehe, if my legs are the gates, and I guess my body is the terminal and my head is the control tower, so... where would baggage claim and the drop off area be?" Ruby asked with a chuckle.

"Do you really want me to answer that question, Ruby?" Max remarked with a smirk.

"Oh, Max!" Ruby said, and they both laughed.