Chapter 6

Part 4 – Dan’s Story!

- - -2 week earlier - - -

“I’M GOING INSANE!!” Dan yelled as he hobbled over to the kitchen to make a protein shake. “ I can’t take this! I need to go running or biking or something. I mean a broken leg isn’t that bad, I mean Neal Armstrong could do it … and he had cancer.” Lex looked at his brother with an amused grin on his face, “First off Dan, Lance is the one you were looking for not Neal, I mean in less you were complaining you couldn’t go to the moon with that cast you got there. And second, it’s only been one day since you got back from the hospital you big baby. Your not suppose to put pressure on that thing for months so saddle up cause your stuck on the couch for a long ass time.”

“Whatever,” Dan said as he put in some kale and brussel sprouts into the blender, “I can still do crunches or something. Gotta have some way to maintain this…” Dan lifted up his shirt exposing his perfectly cut abs.

“Good luck with that,” Lex sighed, “with 2 cracked ribs, a broken leg, and all those bruises I’m surprised you made it over here without crying, look at yourself, you really think you can lift weights now?

Dan knew the answer. His brother was right, he couldn’t even lift his shirt up without feeling pain throughout his entire body, he would never be able to lift his usual set, or even his mom’s 5 pounders, He was screwed. He had months more of bed rest and no way of exercising until it was over. Sure his bruises and ribs would heal more quickly, but the doctor said any strenuous activities could seriously effect the placement of the bones in his leg.

Dan turned on the blender and began mumbling to himself. “Il just have to be a little more careful about what I eat. Ill stick to a juice fast, Yah that’s it! Cant get fat if all I’m eating are these protein and herb shakes.” Dan pored the muddy looking concoction into a cup and made his way back to the couch. He took a sip and snarled, “Gahh gunna be a long couple of months…”

- - - 1 week later - - -

Dan was getting nervous. He had to go in for X-rays to see how bad the break was and his girl friend wasn’t around to comfort him. She was still in New York for some conference thing for the restaurant she managed. Normally Dan would be fine with this… it would give him more time at the gym or with the guys, but not now. Now he needed her to stand by his side and tell him everything was okay.

See Dan looks to be big and tough, but he’s a crybaby when it comes to hospitals. That’s why he pushed the x-ray off for a whole week before he had to agree to come in. He always thought the worst of a situation and this was no exception. “What if I have to be in this thing for the full 6 months?! Or maybe even a whole year?! What If I can never walk again?!” All these thought were pouring through his mind as he absentmindedly grabbed at the grilled cheese the housekeeper had made him.

“ I would never be able to walk again, or run, or even exercise. I would have to sit on the couch for the rest of my life watching ESPN and god knows what.” The thought resonated with Dan for a while before he knew what to do with it. “Be on the couch for the rest of my life.” He thought again as he polished off the grilled cheese and started munching on the Cheese puffs next to it. He expected to feel sad or angered by the idea of never getting off the couch again, but instead he felt kind of excited. Not having to run 8 miles a day anymore. Not having to spend every second he wasn’t at work or with Jenna at the gym. The thought of just relaxing on the couch eating his favorite junk foods started to fill his mind. “I could eat cheese and bread all day long and not have to work extra hard at the gym to burn it off. I could cook pastas, and lasagna, and casseroles with real butter! Ohhh real butter… I cant even remember a time when I haven’t used that organic flavorless crap you get at those health food stores … and I wouldn’t have to feel bad about it the next day!”