I Love Corey, Chapter ten

A guy came in and got him up and adjusted a set of crutches for him. As soon as he left I readjusted them and took that hunk of foam rubber off the top. Those idiots ought to try walking on them the way they set them. They always make them too tall. You don’t walk on your armpits. You walk on your hands. Corey asked why I changed them. I explained and when I was done he said maybe that is why he had a hard time with them before. I warned him his ribs would be sore for a while.

Dr. Benz came in and looked at his chart. He asked Corey to get up and walk a few steps with his crutches. He looked puzzled when the crutches only came partway up Corey’s ribs. He said he’d call and have them adjusted and I had to go through the whole explanation again. He asked me how I knew and I told him I had walked on them a couple of times. That started an argument about who knew best. I finally asked him to get a full sized pair and I would show him. The next thing I knew we had about a dozen people and a bunch of crutches and we were all walking around on them. I showed them that if they are too tall you can not go uphill very well and stairs are almost impossible. It also shuts off your circulation. There was another argument over the foam pad. I told them it is too thick and doesn’t allow you to keep your arms straight. Finally I challenged Dr. Benz to walk on the properly adjusted ones and on some I had adjusted. I asked him to go up some stairs and just act like he had a bad leg or something. It didn’t take long and I had him convinced. The people who were supposed to fit them were more of a problem. I finally gave up and left that to Dr. Benz. He told me he would make sure that his patients were properly fitted in the future. All this had put him behind his schedule and he hurried out saying Corey could probably go home tomorrow. He never did see if Corey could walk on crutches.

The next morning Dr. Benz’s associate came in while I was talking to Corey. He looked at his chart and checked him over. After bending his knee a few times and making him walk on his crutches he told us Corey could check out. I wish it was as simple as he made it sound. We started the checkout at nine and finally completed it at ten-thirty.

I had been in such a hurry I had not used my head. If I had I would have used the minivan. We had a hell of a time getting Corey into the pickup. His knee didn’t bend very well and the seat didn’t go far enough back to allow him in with out bending it. I finally got in from the other side and dragged him in far enough so the nurse could get his foot in. I had thought to bring some pillows and a blanket so we finally got him reasonably comfortable. I loaded up the rest of the stuff and we headed for home. 

He complained about being starved so the first decent restaurant we came to I went in and explained my problem. They were most helpful and fixed him a nice meal and helped bring it out. When we were done I took the utensils back in and thanked them leaving a big tip. The way they smiled I knew they felt good about themselves for being helpful. Most people are nice if you give them a chance. I jotted down some names so I could write to the owner and thank all for being so understanding. 

It was just after four when we got to Corey’s home. I went up and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. We drove to the Blue Schooner but she wasn’t there either. Finally we went to my place. Getting him out was as bad as getting him in. We managed and he headed for the bathroom. He wasn’t very good on his crutches so I trailed along to steady him if necessary. He gave a big sigh as he emptied his bladder. I got him in a chair and brought in the rest of his things.

Now I didn’t know what to do. The apartment he lived in was an upstairs one and there was no elevator. I didn’t think he was ready for stairs yet and I hadn’t been able to find his mother. I started calling around and learned that nobody had seen her since Friday. She had left work early with some guy and that was all that was known. When I told him he looked dejected and told me it had happened before. He said sometimes she had been gone as long as four days. He said that made him scared. I started worrying about that in addition to where she was. Finally I told him I needed to get some groceries and left him in the recliner with his knee propped up.

Mrs. Downie waylaid me at the market. I told her about the operation and she kept telling me it was so nice I had taken the time to help him. I barely managed to get away by telling her I had to get dinner for him. As I was driving home Vern flagged me down and I had to tell him all about it and that took time. I will say they managed to keep my mind off of what I had to decide.

When I got home he had dozed off in the recliner so I put the groceries away and started dinner. He woke up and insisted on coming to the kitchen so we could talk. The short nap had refreshed him. I finished dinner and after he ate I made him go through the exercises they had recommended. I felt sorry for him. As he lay on the bed trying to pick his leg up with his knee straight, I could see the tears leak out from under his closed eyelids. He never complained about the exercises, but they must have hurt like blazes.

When he had finished, we talked for a while and I told him I was going to write his mother a note and leave it for her. When I had finished that, it was getting late and I told him it was bed time. His eyes lit up but when he started to head for the bedroom he could barely move his leg. I helped him and got him in bed and got his leg as comfortable as possible. I really wanted him but I didn’t think we would be able to do anything together without making his leg hurt so left him and went to the kitchen to do some serious thinking.

I didn’t like the answer I kept coming up with. Every time I just got to like his mother she did something that changed my mind. He needed someone to watch him and help him all the time, not just when it was convenient for her. By the time I got to bed he was asleep and I felt terrible. I knew what I had to do.

Neither of us slept well. Corey kept waking up when he tried to move because of his knee. I just felt bad. I was glad when morning finally came.

In the note I left, I had told her to come over anytime she got home but when it was time to leave for school, she hadn’t arrived. I hauled Corey to school and got there just as the meeting was breaking up. Jerry said I hadn’t missed anything and I asked him if he had a few minutes. We talked a little and I told him what I had decided. He thought about it and said I was right. I felt horrible.

The day was about like normal except I just couldn’t enjoy it. At practice the team were all laughing and telling Corey how glad they were he was all right. I worked their tails off. I was in a bad mood but it didn’t seem to faze them. They just tried harder and in the end I had to admit that they were turning into an exceptional team. Two good games and they were now thinking they could beat anyone. They had developed that intangible quality that set one team apart from another. They believed in themselves.

When we got home, I ran Corey through his exercises and then started dinner. When he had recovered from them he came into the kitchen. He had finally noticed I wasn’t my usual self. He asked me what was wrong and I told him I was just tired and he reminded me I had told him I wouldn’t lie to him. He had me and I apologized to him and told him that I hadn’t wanted to worry him. He asked me why and I told him that I was going to have to decline to tell him. The rest of the evening was a disaster. We finally went to bed and I was acutely aware of him beside me and wanted to make love to him but didn’t think his knee was up to it yet. I couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t cause him to jerk and move about and knew that would be painful so we just lay there and finally slept.

Tuesday was a repeat except I was finally just resigned. I was a little lighter at practice and the team enthusiasm made me feel better. Corey’s mother still hadn’t showed up and we were both worried about her. Corey’s knee had improved a lot. The exercises were easier and he didn’t clench his teeth when he did them. I thought that one more day and he would be fine. 

When I woke up I could feel a gentle warm breath on my back just below my neck. He had finally managed to turn and sleep on his side and was tight against me with his arm across me. I didn’t want to get up. I wanted to stay in bed and feel his body against me. I loved him so much. I finally got up and he murmured in his sleep. After I had the coffee going I woke him up and made him do his exercises and he got through them pretty well. We had breakfast and, when it was time, we headed for school.

At the start of my free period, Jerry called me to the office. Corey’s mother was there. Now was the time to do what I had decided. I didn’t want to but I had to. Corey deserved it.

I told her she was being a poor mother. If she didn’t do better I would turn her in to Adult and Family Services. Corey deserved a full time parent and if she wasn’t willing, perhaps they could find someone who was. She started crying and said she had thought I liked him. I told her I did but that didn’t solve anything. What if something had happened? I didn’t have any authority to make any decisions. Besides, she was never home for him. She kept crying and trying to justify her leaving him with me. She offered to sign a power of attorney or whatever it took but I never budged. Jerry backed me up. Finally she asked if anyone had asked what Corey he wanted. I told her I didn’t see that it would make any difference but Jerry didn’t agree. He called Corey out of class.

When he came in and saw his mother his face lit up. When he saw she was crying and I was scowling he got apprehensive. Jerry explained what we were discussing and asked what he thought should happen. He looked at me with tears in his eyes and asked why we couldn’t just go on like we were. I tried to explain the problems, like I didn’t have any authority for him and that I worried when he was alone at home with no one to watch out for him. He stood there leaning on his crutches for a long time and finally in a very soft voice asked if he could stay over night on the days his mother worked. If he could that would solve that part of the problem. He could stay with her on the others and that way he wouldn’t be alone. Jerry started to object but Mrs. Babcock interrupted saying she thought that was a great idea and she thought we could get a lawyer to draw up some kind of papers to cover any other problems. She even offered to pay some child care if it wasn’t too much. As I had never dreamed of that I couldn’t think of any thing to say. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open. Jerry thought it might work out if we could figure out some rules. I knew Jerry preferred to avoid direct confrontation whenever possible so was not surprised by that. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t but he didn’t like to if it could be avoided. Mrs. Babcock kept on talking and I was still trying to think of how to respond. I asked Jerry what the community would think. After all, I might be a pervert and child molester in some one’s mind and if they started talking there would be all kinds of problems. Jerry finally said he thought we should think about this for a while before we did anything and maybe it would be best if Corey stayed with me when his mother was working until it was decided what to do. Suddenly I felt much better. Maybe this would work out after all. I tried to appear reluctant when I agreed but Corey saw right through me. He winked at me when no one was looking.