Page 96 of Beyond Redemption
“He’s a tough kid. He tolerated the surgery better than I expected.”
“What about his arm?” Olive blurted out, then faltered. “It’s just that he… he plays basketball for George Mason and”—sheexhaled, shoulders lifting in a small shrug—“he loves it so much. I just… I need to tell him he’ll play again.”
Dr. Frances listened, giving her his full attention, then waited a beat before answering. “Bodhi took a round high through the shoulder. It wasn’t a clean pass-through—the bullet fragmented on entry. We went in, removed what remained, and cleared out the damaged tissue.”
Olive swallowed and reached back for Trenton, somehow knowing he was there. He stepped in without hesitation, taking her hand in both of his.
“The good news is that we were able to preserve function,” the doctor continued. “The bullet missed the joint and the major structural components. No direct damage to the humeral head, and the rotator cuff is intact. All very good news, and that gives him a great chance.”
“What’s the bad news?” Olive asked, fidgeting with her free hand.
“He lost a significant amount of blood. Nearly two liters by the time he reached us. We transfused four units during surgery and he responded well, but I’ll be frank. He’s extremely lucky he arrived when he did.”
Olive glanced to Liis and me and offered a small smile of pure appreciation.
“There was vascular damage,” Dr. Frances went on. “Smaller vessels, nothing catastrophic, but enough to accelerate the bleeding. We repaired what we could and controlled the rest. The wound’s been cleaned thoroughly. Infection is still a concern, but we’re ahead of it with intravenous antibiotics and will continue that protocol for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours.”
Olive swallowed. “So, what happens now?”
“He heals,” Dr. Frances answered simply. “He’ll be immobilized at first. After that, he’ll begin controlled movement,then rehabilitation. The shoulder is complex. Even when the major structures are spared, recovery takes time.”
Liis leaned forward slightly. “And long-term?”
Dr. Frances nodded to her, then turned his attention back to Olive. “If he follows the plan—strictly—he has a real chance of returning to full activity. Not this season. But next? I’d say his odds are better than most.”
Olive blinked, then heaved a heavy sigh. “Oh my God. He’s really going to be okay?”
“He is,” the doctor said. “Range of motion, strength, stability—he can rebuild all of it. But it’s going to take time. He’ll need a strong support system. Ten to twelve months, depending on how he heals and how disciplined he is with therapy.”
Olive nodded quickly. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t miss a thing. Can I see him?”
“Soon,” Dr. Francis said. “One or two at a time. He’ll be groggy, but he’ll know you’re there.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I have another case waiting. A nurse will come get you when Bodhi is ready for visitors.”
Olive pulled Trenton to her, then buried her face in his chest, squeezing him tight.
“He’s good, Ew,” Trenton said, his hand on the back of her hair. “He’s going to be just fine.”
She pulled back, raising her shoulder to wipe her tears with her sleeve, then scanned each of our faces, beaming. After a moment, her gaze settled on Liis and me. “You saved his life.”
“Oh. I…” I began to protest.
“Shut up,” she said with a small laugh, then threw her arms around us. “Thank you.So much. For everything.”
I cleared my throat, feeling my eyes sting. “We should, uh… we should go check on Stella.”
Liis rubbed my arm with a sympathetic grin. “It’s been a long day, Uncle Tommy.”
“Yeah,” I said with a tired laugh. “I need sleep. Trent? You good to stay with her?” I asked, looking to him for confirmation.
“I’ll be here for as long as she needs,” Trenton said without hesitation.
I turned to leave, but he stopped me.
“Hey,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I just wanted to say… thanks, big brother.”
“Yeah,” I said with a single nod, fighting back tears as if my life depended on it.
“Let’s go hug our little girl,” Liis said, holding my arms with both hands as we walked.
