Chapter 3

"Ooh! Ow!" Payton cringed as he gingerly shuffled his wounded leg over to the side of the bed.

"Still hurts, huh?" Lily asked, bringing over his wheelchair.

Payton sighed and accepted. As Lily positioned him in his chair, he wondered what the day would look like. "Probably more of the same," he thought to himself.

Lily wheeled him up to the kitchen table and locked him in place. He ate his fill then snacked as his sister and mother gossiped about Cassandra's weight.

Lily wheeled him in front of the TV and put a bowl of chips in his lap. Several bowls of snack foods later, it was lunch time. Then dinner time. By the end of the day, Payton could barely breathe. He'd already started to forget his diet plan, and his upper body exercise plan had gone out the window. He was satisfied to rest- it had been ages since he'd given himself a break. It was a welcome change from the constant training and conditioning.

At night, when he'd finally found a comfortable position for his knee, he'd lay in bed stifling burps and rubbing his once shredded tummy.
~

"Hey, baby!" Ursula said over the video chat on Payton's mobile.
He grinned and waved. "Hi, Ursula. How's the trip going?"
"Ahh..." she said, sounding a bit worried. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Huh?" Payton asked, a huge amount of breakfast foods being placed on the table behind him.
"They're offering CEUs for my license. I'll be staying longer than I thought," she replied sadly. "I'm sorry, baby."
Payton made a pathetic face before forcing a small smile.
"I'll be okay, ma and Lily are taking good care of me."
Ursula sighed in relief before inspecting her video feed. "Is it me or are you getting a little softer?"
"Ah, well, erm-"
"He's recovering from a big injury, he needs calories!" Margaret chipped in.
"Hi, Ursula!" Lily waved mid-bite.
"As long as he's alright. I don't want to come home to a circle!" Ursula teased. "Talk to you soon. Bye bye."

Payton let out a relieved groan as the feed ended. His belly growled.
He dug in immediately, consuming plate after plate thoughtlessly as his family gossiped about Cassandra and just about everyone in town.