The higher you fly the more bone-shattering the landing that inevitably arrives.

LOCATION the hospital
DATE 18th of May
TIME 16.00
TOPIC FOR @Howard xx
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"Just calm down will you? It's better to get a look at it than go to prom and ruin your entire act," Noa assured him as she finally had managed to drag Howie to the hospital. Howie had overworked himself, even if he would admit it. So many days almost doing nothing but practice and working out to be ready, day and night, of course his ankle would see the end to it at some point. "I've called for my brother's girlfriend, she has agreed to take a look. You will be fine," Noa added as they walked inside to the reception her supporting his stubborn ass all the way to the desk. "We have an appointment with Dr. Rivers," Noa announced and they were gestured to the waiting hall. Noa was worried by nature, and she would rather have Cecilia check up and have them confirm that it was nothing rather having him maybe end up getting an injury where he never would be able to dance again. "I know you think I'm overreacting, and I might, but I just want to be sure, okay?" Noa took a deeper breath in and gave Howie a warmer smile.

It wasn't like Cecilia wasn't busy here, because she was, but when your boyfriend's sister called you and asked for a favor - what was she supposed to say? Besides, she was all in for helping. "Mr. Findlay," she greeted him and held out her hand when she got closer to him and Noa. "Noa, lovely too see you again. Now Mr. Findlay, shall we go in and take a look?" Cecilia gestured him to follow her to a room, wanting to see how much or how little it hurt to walk without support. Dancers were stubborn. She could imagine shapeshifters being even more stubborn and their bones could take more from being used to transformations.

“Yeah sure” he mumbled as Noa asked him to calm down, how the hell was he supposed to ‘calm’ down! The only reason that he didn’t snap at her, was because he knew how she would take it. A person that always thought that she was going to get yelled at because of the smallest things, didn’t deserve him being in a mood just because of how much his foot hurt. He had been training at home, when he suddenly had felt a snap in his ankle and collapsed. Bloody perfect, he had the whole day planed out for prom. Pick up Maya, in one of those old cars, real vintage and old school. Then to a drive thru, drive to one of the hills that had the greatest outlook of the city.
Then to prom where he would perform with Victoria and the other students in the top of the dancing class. But none of that would bloody happen if he had sprained his foot!
Normally Howie wasn’t a person that normally was very pessimistic, in fact he always tried to be as positive that you could be. But every time he stepped on his foot it hurt, not that he would show it to Noa as she had dragged him to the hospital.

“Okay, okay!” he got through gritted teeth and gave her a small smile as a voice reached them. “Miss Rivers” he said with a smile that clearly thought it funny she had called him Mr. That was something you would call his father not him. “I’m sorry that Noa got you to have a look at me, I’m sure you are very busy, and I even told her that I would just call the doctor tomorrow” he said with a warm voice and put an arm around Noa to pull her into a half hug. Not that she would take no for an answer “yes” he said and then let Noa go to walk in front of them into the exam room. It was clear that he was overcompensation his weight on her left foot rather than on the foot that hurt like hell. Just a little nights rest and I would be fine, he was sure of it!

Cecilia smiled in a low chuckle followed by a smaller shrug, it was really no big deal. It had been if Ash had been involved, and she just begged he wasn't going to call for her with a problem in the ER while she was here. "I bet she is as stubborn as her brother," Cecilia chuckled and looked shortly at Noa. Despite Lucas and Noa wasn't raised together, they both sure were stubborn. "Maybe," the shapeshifter replied before looking at Howie as he pulled her into a half hug before they walked to the exam room.

"Just the door on the left," she gestured them till they entered the room. "So, Howie, tell me what happened," the human asked as they entered the room, and she closed the door behind them. Noa sat down in the guest chair, and just looked. Cecilia was very observant on how he walked, and the way he placed his foot. "How long has it been hurting?" She asked and gestured him to sit down on the examination bed. "Please take off your shoes and socks." She rolled a smaller chair out from her desk and sat down to roll over to him, so she was sitting in front of him. Her eyes wandering to the foot to have a better look at it.

“She is very stubborn that is for sure” he said with a slight sigh but without losing his smile on his lips. Another thing he didn’t like about hospitals, was the always overpowering negative energy. There were good times, of course. People could survive or being taken good care of. But there was so much death and pain that it didn’t do wonders for a kid which a power that was about positivity. He wasn’t nearly as old or well versed in his powers to not be affected by it. Mostly because he was always overwhelmed with how much he wanted to help.

He placed himself on the bed as she asked him to “Ehm, a month” he mumbled, already knowing what kind of Noa would give him after telling Cecilia that. He then took of his shoes and socks so she could take a look. “But I used heat lotion, I even went to the doctor to get ankel support and they just said that if I placed ice on it and kept it elevated it should be fine” he shrugged, it wasn’t like he hadn’t done anything about it. “But today it made a weird snap and the pain shoot through the base of my foot to my knee” at least he wasn’t’ that kind of patient that would just say everything was alright and not give any details. The faster she could give him a diagnoses the faster he could get out of here.

A month. One bloody month. She remembered back in April where Laila had hurt her knee, and felt like her world was ending just by the thought of not being able to perform a few weeks ahead. Dancers were some of the most stubborn people in the field, when it came to push through pain because they needed their act to be perfect. She had read his file before getting him in here. Cecilia inspected his foot while listening to what he mentioned he had done for it. The comment about the doctor just telling him to put it on ice made her snort a little bit, some of them just wanted the money, and it was easy money to just say: go get some ice on it and take some painkillers. Cecilia nodded a bit as he mentioned the weird snap and the sharp pain. "I don't think ice and elevation is going to cover it this time," she pointed out, gently placing her hands on it, trying to feel and compare how the leg felt, looking up at him. "If it hurts too much, just say it," she reminded him, gently messaging the meniscus, but was mostly concerned about the foot. Most knee injuries came from the feet. "You are in luck that we just got the best orthopedic surgeon in the country here, I'm not saying you need surgery - but I would reckon I can call him in and see if he has time to take a quick look, making sure that everything is fine," Cecilia suggested and moved her hands down to his ankle shortly before letting go again. "I understand the need to just get out of here and back to whatever you were doing, you are a dancer, I take you like being on full blown speed on to the next thing? And I know there is a prom coming up at the academy, so slowing down might not be in your best interest, even if its recommended." Dancing on an injured foot was dangerous, and she saw it too often that people pushed through with their pain - she did it herself, but taking painkillers over time just to be able to perform and pushing yourself harder, she was afraid if he chose to do that, it would just make everything worse.

He didn’t want to admit it, but as soon as she started to examen the leg that had an injury. He felt how it sent sparks of pain through it. Even he knew that this wasn’t good, but he was almost too proud to let anyone know that he was hurt.
Funny how this could end up costing his dancing career. He had still just danced around like it hadn’t been a painful experience, only because he knew that there were people at the school dance, that potential could further his job situation after he finished his last year. Now he might have to face that he had lost that opportunity by not taking this more seriously.

Howie slowly nodded as Cecilia started to explain that she wanted an Orthopedic to look at his foot. A soft smile formed on his lips as she told him that she understood why he was going as he was. It helped a little, even as it didn’t feel like it in the situation. “Yeah, to be fair I’m not sure that is just a small thing this time” he sighed and let his fingers glide over his face before falling back onto the examination bed and closed his eyes. The emotions of people in the entire space was starting to weigh him down, and it was suddenly very hard for him to stay positive.

Cecilia was reminded of the time where her knee injury almost had cost her everything, and if it hadn't been for Mono healing her back then - she wouldn't had been able to run these halls or do what she did everyday. She remembered that pain, how it felt like to push through even if your body screamed for you not to, but you never listened. Cecilia could only imagine dancers being that more pushy. She took a deeper breath in, when he confessed he was sure it wasn't a small thing this time, she agreed, and she could perhaps do something, but it was way better getting Clay in and let him figure out a way that would save Howard's dancing future rather than ruining it. "It might not be, but I'm positive in that we can figure something out okay? I'm gonna make the call," she rolled back on her chair and got up so she could page Clay. Noa took a deeper breath in and walked over to sit next to him, giving his shoulder a gentle push. "Your foot will be fine, I'm confident in that," she assured him with a warm half smile. "Even if they find something and there is a chance of surgery, you can get through it. I'll hold onto that hope for you," she breathed out looking at Cecilia while waiting for this orthopedic to come in.

It didn't take long before Clayton came through the door, nodding to Cecilia giving her a warm smile before he took the chair and sat down in front of Howie and Noa with a polite smile on his lips. "Dr. Reyes," he presented himself before looking at the foot, asking just like Cecilia what had happened, letting Howie explain everything step by step so he knew what to think. "I will send you to the x-ray department, so I can get a bitter look, and depending on what we find there - I'm afraid I might have to schedule you for a surgery - but the good news is, that I'm confident that you shouldn't have a problem dancing after - if you take your rest time seriously. Okay?"

Howie sat a little restless while they waited for the next doctor to come and look at his foot. A soft smile formed on his lips as Noa told him that she was confident that everything would be alright. At this point it was a little saying that she was more positive than him. Well, he knew it would get better as soon as he wasn’t in the hospital anymore. Or the mood shifted, it was only because he was so close to the emergency wing, that all the negativity affected him.

He nodded towards the new doctor that came in and presented himself. “Howie” he softly spoke and then started explaining once again what had happened and why he was here. The more details he told, the clearer it became for himself just how stupid he had been. Even with his abilities as a shapeshifter, he should still be more careful.
“I will, thanks doctor” he said with a smile.

There was nothing more important than being able to keep on dancing. So, if that meant that he needed to keep resting and had to pull out of the performance at prom, then so be it. Rather that, than giving up one of the greatest joys in his life.

» Skin to bone - Jessalyn