Full Strength

Twenty Five-Logan🏒

        My first real doctor's appointment was Monday morning. For support, Lillian and Eve came along. Lillian's support was much more physical, considering that she could actually take notes and know what was going on. I wasn't entirely sure about Eve's support, which was strictly emotional, but she was there, and there was no sending her home. Especially since she was in the passenger seat with her music hooked up to the car; it made it very hard to ignore her presence even if I wanted to.

        "Lillian, pick some music, I can't have total control," my sister ordered.

        "I'm good. What about you, Logan?"

        "We can't play Logan's music, he listens to old man music," Eve complained.

        I raised an eyebrow. "The eighties are old?"

        "Mom and dad listened to the music of the eighties. Yes, they're old," she retorted.

        Lillian was trying not to laugh. "I like the eighties. The music from then, I mean."

        "Thank you, Lilli," I said, grateful for her support. Already, she was proving to be more useful than Eve. And we hadn't even gotten to the office yet.

        "I like this one," my sister announced, turning up the volume on a pop song. I didn't mind her style of music, although it wasn't my first choice. I'd learned long ago not to fight her on who got control of the playlist. As children, mom had often made the rather stupid decision to pass her phone back to us for musical choices. Nick had always had his nose buried in a book thicker than his neck, and I had been the middle child who was unable to resist the power of Eve, the youngest and most lovable. 

        Eve continued flipping through her favorite songs until the car was parked. It had been a while since I'd been to a regular doctor. Most of the time I went to the team doctor, which was always a quick appointment and usually ended with being given a sucker (we all adored Dr. Channing for his suckers). This doctor, Dr. Malloy, was still a sports specialist, but dealt more with long-term injuries. 

        My injury was very long-term.

        Going to a doctor's appointment meant more rides in the wheelchair. I didn't really mind the wheelchair all that much. It always made me feel a little bit bad that Lillian had to push me, but she always insisted that it was no big deal and that I wasn't hard to push. Otherwise, it was great. 

        Eve carried in my crutches, waving them in front of the sensor that worked the automatic doors. I dropped my face into my palms, muttering, "Eve!"

        "Sorry. You can't expect me to have big sticks and not wave them around," she remarked cheerfully, following Lillian and me. 

        "Please act your age," I begged. "To be good moral support!"

        "You're just a party pooper," she complained. "This is my moral support: making you laugh."

        I couldn't really say much to that without feeling like a really bad person, so I fell silent as Lillian pushed me up to the counter. I was given a clipboard to fill out, which I did, then we were told to sit down and that the doctor would be out shortly.

        "Awwww, Logan," Eve whispered. "Look at the little kids."

        I glanced at the two kids playing with the little beaded playset, who appeared to be siblings. "Sticky."

        She glared at me. "That's all you can say?"

        "What? I mean, I guess they're cute," I said, puzzled. "But sticky. That was my first thought."