Alex Carter: A Red Band Society Fanfiction

Surgery&Other Struggles

The next morning found majority of the red banders outside of the hospital. Leo was using his prosthetic leg as a golf club, while Dash commentated and the girls looked on. This was the scene that Alex found as she greeted them that morning. The morning of Jordi's surgery.

"You know, you might break your new leg if you keep that up," Emma called out to Leo.

"Would that really be so bad?" Leo questioned.

"Well, you're parents might think so, since they bought it. And you're PT might have something to say on the matter," Emma shot back.

"Goood morning to you too," Alex said, as she reached the group.

Leo broke form his stare down with Emma to nod at her, and set up another golf ball. Before he hit it, he stopped. "Guys, do you know what's happening right now?"

"Uh, climate change?" Emma was the first to respond.

"Pregnant Kardashian?" Kara added.

"No peace in the Middle East?" Dash finished with.

Alex was silent, thoughtful. Of course she knew what Leo was getting at. She'd been with me all morning talking to me about it.

"Jordi is about to lose his leg," Leo clarified.

"Oh, you meant, like, now now," Dash said.

"Guys, think about it for a second. Every morning you get out of bed, put two feet on the ground and stand up. Like it's easy, like it's nothing. You put your pants on, one leg at a time, it's such a basic concept it's literally an expression. It means your just like everybody else. Except me and Jordi. We're not like everybody else." Leo continued to stare off into the distance, contemplating.

Kara groaned, stood up and complained, "Oh, so having cancer gives you the right to hurl golf balls off in any direction, causing unsuspecting head wounds on any angelenos?"

"I'm just saying that today is all about Jordi and we need to be there for him,"

Kara began backing away. "Yeah, well, I have a stress test to worry about. Later, losers." Everyone just stared at her retreating figure. They couldn't believe someone could be so self-centered.

Later that day, when Leo was waiting for Jordi to get out of surgery, he and Dash were staring out the window at the frat house across the street from the hospital.

"Leo Roth!" He jumped at the sound of his name, but not because it surprised him, but because he knew that voice all too well.

"You're late to physical therapy. Did you forget what floor it's on? Because I'd be happy to escort you," came Nurse Jackson's stern voice.

"As soon as he's out, I'll go!" Leo said, desprately.

"No. That's not how this works." Nurse Jackson said, reaching them.

"I tried to tell him," Dash cut into the conversation. "But the boy does not have his listening ears on today."

Leo looked at him, annoyed. "This is you helping?"

"Diverting attention," Dash corrected.

"Look.Jordi's going to be unconcious for a few more hours, so there's no point in you waiting around here," Nurse Jackson said. "You need to be upstairs right now—"

"No I need to be here right now," Leo interrupted. "Jordi's entire life is about to change, and I'm the only one who knows just how much and how bad it's going to be, so I plan on being the first person he sees when his eyes open, because that was the deal we'd made."

Nurse Jackson studied him.

"Okay?" Leo asked, remembering who he was talking to.

"I'm rescheduling you for 5:00." Nurse Jackson decided.

"But—" Leo began.

"5:00. That's my final offer," she said, as she began walking away, knowing he'd take it.

He sighed, and turned back towards the window and continued to stare at the frat party.

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Meanwhile, Jordi was about to go under.

Doctor McAndrew came over to Jordi. "Alright. Here's what going to happen. We're getting some blood from the blood bank, and then the anesthesiologist is going to come in here, and he's going to do his thing. In the meantime, I want you to do something for me. I want you to pick a happy memory. Sometime in your life when everything went right. You think you can do that?"

"I'm on it."

"Good."

Dr. Mc Andrew left the room.

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Not only Jordi was getting ready for something big.

"Emma, time for your weigh in," Brittany called from Emma's doorway. Emma sat up from her bed.

"Oh, yeah. Just let me...uh... brush my teeth," Emma said.

"Okay, just remember to brush your tongue. That's where all the germs are!" Brittany said, turning to go.

Emma stood up and lifted her tanktop, examining herself in her mirror. To everyone else, Emma was skin and bones. She didn't see it. What she saw was that she could lose a few pounds around her waist, and her stomach still bulged. She then turned to the task at hand. She drank tons of water, put weights under her tanktop, and put on the heaviest sweater she could find in her closet. There. That should give her the numbers.

"Okay, Emma, whenever you're ready, Brittany said, gesturing towards the scale.

She tentatively stepped on it, staring at the numbers that appeared.

"Emma! You gained a pound!' Brittany said, excitedly. Emma smiled at her, doing her best to look excited. She began to walk away, but was stopped by Kara, who'd been taking her stress test nearby.

"Wow, a whole pound. How exciting." Emma smiled weakly.

"You know, the Queen of England used to sew weights to the hems of her dresses so they wouldn't fly up in the wind," Kara said. Emma stared back at her, hard.

"I've got the needle if you've got the thread," Kara said, accusingly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Emma said, calmly.

"Sure you don't."

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"So, Jordi. Did you pick that happy memory?"

"Yeah. Back in Mexico, I won my schools talent show, by singing a song I wrote."

"Sounds great. So, we're going to get started now, on my count—"

Dr. McAndrew's voice faded as Jordi slipped out of conciousness.

He found himself in the hospital, but with nothing inside it. Nothing except for walls and windows.

How would I know this? I was there. I'm always there.