8 Far From Home
The time has come for me to make the journey to San Francisco. It's been another two days since I made up with Tory and she has made it a point to come visit me on both these days, regardless of her busy schedule.
'She really has a soft heart hiding under that tough persona she keeps up all the time.' I think to myself in a bit of fondness.
Thoughts of her lead me to recall our farewells to each other the other day. It was quite clear that she did not want to part with me, but she nevertheless, complied. It's not going to be smooth sailing for her either, the discipline hearing for her expulsion will be happening soon and she is understandingly quite tense regarding it. My reassurances and telling her to trust Kreese's lawyer did calm her down, and she then she demanded that I would call her every day, I readily agreed of course, and my quick agreement pleased her lot considering she had a fine way of showing her pleasure.
Right, time to get my head on straight. It seems like I'll be taking a flight from LA to SF. I did not see that coming honestly. I expected a long drive for six hours or taking the train. I questioned Kreese on just how much money he got from this friend of his and all he said was, "Sufficient." In that gruff tone of his. I know that it quite irked him quite so on how he needed Silver's help but I believe he hopes that it would be a worthy investment.
"Miggy, please take care, be alert and always call---" goes on and on my mother. It seems like my yaya is sulking in the corner. She as expected, was not in approval of our plan to get the free treatment.
"I don't trust him". She mentioned a number of times in Spanish.
"He wants something" she would then carry on. Well, she is not wrong honestly. But would it hurt her to just say get well and be careful of him like a normal person, instead of just repeating the same shit again and again and again.
'Stubborn old hag'. I think to myself in annoyance.
Anyways, they come along with me in a taxi to the airport and say our goodbyes, finally we end it as the time for checking in has come upon us. Honestly, moving around in a wheelchair is a pain in the ass, even if I can't feel my ass at the moment. Luckily, there was an employee who was kind enough to help me out with the baggage check and getting my boarding pass.
Before I know it, it was time to board. I was put on this interesting thing called an aisle chair and then carried on to the airplane. They helped me fasten my seat belt and was quite considerate of me. I received constant looks of pity from my fellow passengers but I didnt't let that bother me, as I was in quite the good mood due to my impending freedom for the next few months. As far as I am aware, there is no one who personally knows me in that location and I can just be at ease.
The flight takes off. I decide to get some shut eye and in an hour and thirty minutes I have reached my destination. The employees again help me out and before I know it I am helped out the airport. I see another individual holding a sign with my name on it. He introduces himself as James and tells me that he would drive me to medical center.
I get into the car and spend the next 45 minutes making small talk with him. We make it to the medical center and I am immediately blown away at how the place looks. Large white buildings a couple of stories high surround the place. I can see a park and notice some children playing about. There seems to also be a lake nearby. There also seems to be a well-kept library as well.
'This place is perfect.' I think to myself. We go into one of the buildings and I am admitted into this place. I am taken to my room and just spend time there on the bed. I notice that the TV is hooked up to a PS4. I immediately turn it on. There are some games already installed on it.
"Nice there is Spyro here." I say out loud and spend the next hour going on this nostalgia trip.
Before I could start another level, a nurse enters my room and mentions that I would have to go through more scans. I go along with her and get the scans done. I am then guided to my primary doctor who would also be my surgeon. After some pleasantries he goes into detail regarding what exactly is the problem and that I would have to go into surgery ASAP.
I ask, "How likely, will I ever be able to walk again?" it was quite clear that he was expecting this.
"If the surgery goes as I expect it, you would immediately feel the results yourself. In fact, I can claim that you will be back to your peak in no time." He says in blinding confidence.
I'm surprised to be honest. As far as I am aware doctors would try console you and don't ever give full guarantee considering the risks involved. Either this guy is self-assured to the max, or my injury is not as bad as it seems or this guy is a complete quack. I look towards the nurse next to me, and she looks towards the doctor with a weary expression. That look on her face has let me know that she has had the displeasure of dealing with this behavior of his multiple times and considering that the man hasn't been fired yet I shall assume that he is just eccentric in nature. I pick up some courage and the acquiesce to his demands.
I am guided back to my room and make the call to the people who care about the 'original' and assure them that I am fine and give them details regarding the surgery I would go through the next day.
I go back to playing the games but quickly realize that I'm just not into it. I look towards my hands and notice them trembling a bit. I place my still trembling hand on my chest and feel my heart racing.
"I'm nervous". I think to myself in self-reflection. Understandable really, I had never undergone any form of surgery as far as I can remember in my old life. In fact, the only time I have ever been admitted to a hospital was due to the pneumonia I had contracted as a child. Tomorrow is the day that decides my fate, I would either get my legs back and begin my path towards greatness or I would be compelled to get a regular job, fade away into obscurity and require assistance for the rest of my life. I consider calling Tory again for any form of comfort, but I immediately throw that idea out of that window.
'I am not a sniveling child that requires comfort for the smallest of insecurities. I am the man that would one day be spoken of as the greatest fighter of my time. I will be compared to the likes of Mike Tyson and Muhammed Ali. I refuse to yield any weakness. Fear does not exist, fear does not exist'. I think to myself in anger and then proceed to center myself. I clap my hands together hard and I notice that they have stopped trembling. I feel my heart rate return back to normal and begin breathing easily, I smile in a sense of satisfaction and decide to go to bed. I have a big day tomorrow.
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The next day I wake up nice and early. Today is the big day. Today is the day where everything will be decided. After last night, I kind of expected my self to revert into a cowardly mess come this new day, but surprisingly I am as calm as a still lake. I am not breathing heavily, my heart is not racing and my arms aren't trembling. I smirk in satisfaction.
A few minutes later a couple of nurses enter my room. The time has come. I am cleaned and taken to the operation theater. I am dressed in this blue hospital gown and then made to lay on this bed looking thing. I am then administered anesthesia intravenously. I start feeling drowsy and before I can think anymore, Darkness!!.
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What I assume to be a few hours later, I wake up without much fanfare. As soon as I am up, I feel completely out of it. My mouth tastes weird and dry, my head feels light yet heavy at the same time, and I feel myself want to giggle like a little school girl. I notice a nurse entering the room. She comes up to me and starts making sure I am fine. Her consideration makes me think she is hitting on me for some reason and I immediately tell her that I have a girlfriend and that she would kick her ass. The nurse just gives me smile and before I know it, I am out again.
A day later I am up again and this time I feel like the drugs have been removed from my system. The nurse enters my room again for a routine check-up and I just can't look at her in the eyes after my embarrassment the other day. She makes sure I am alright and calls my eccentric doctor in for a check-up.
The doctor asks me whether I can move my legs. I attempt it, and I can't. I feel my stomach drop. I expected a better result. I thought that I would be able to at the very least move my legs considering that this is the best medical care I can get that money can buy. I just shake my head in denial and say that I can't move them.
My doctor looks at me for a second. He goes towards the bottom of my foot and pokes me with his fucking pen. I jerk away from pain
"Argh!!! You dick, why would you do that?" I say in quite the bit of irritation before coming to an abrupt pause realizing that I felt actual pain. I look back towards my feet and notice that I've subconsciously clenched my toes. I relax them and then clench them again. I try to slowly raise my foot. It is difficult and slow but I can see my foot raising. I feel myself being blinded by the tears welling up in my eyes.
"Looks like it's time for some physical therapy." I hear eccentric man say while I am still trying to gather myself.
The nurse says, "Tomorrow you will begin something that would be challenge you like nothing else had ever done."
I snort without saying anything. I don't really pay much attention to what she has to say. I have already been through some difficult shit. I have full confidence in the fact that I am built different.
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A new day has arrived, and I was wrong, completely and undeniably wrong. I am not built different. It seems like I have completely underestimated how difficult this challenge would be. As long as I could remember, walking came to me as simple as breathing. Right now, I am struggling just to stand up straight.
I can feel sweat going down my head and getting into my eyes. I can also feel a strong pulling sensation in my back, furthermore, it is quite clear that my legs have atrophied as I can see the visible reduction of muscle mass and quite the sense of weakness.
My therapist keeps hollering about how I can do it and shit.
'I am trying you fucking imbecile.' I swear at him in my head and suck it up and try pushing myself forward. One grueling step, two nightmarish step, and I can feel myself falling, but then the harness attached to me grabs hold of me before I can fall face first into the mat.
My therapist asks me to try again. I follow his instructions and try and fail again and again. Each time I last longer and keep pushing myself. Eventually I managed to walk unsteadily for what seemed like miles but in the end was barely 20 meters. I collapse in exhaustion.
"Excellent job Mr. Diaz!!" I hear him say in a cheerful tone. I just honestly feel like tossing my shoe at him just like mom used to in my old life. Before I could go down that path I say, "It's not enough, I could barely walk for 20 meters." I say in frustration.
"I'm honestly impressed Diaz. What you did in one day is what many would struggle with for days." He says comforting me.
I nod my head and decide to take a break and then restart again. I do the exercise again and this time I am able to do it with a slightly less effort. I am still breathing deeply but I smile as I can feel my progression.
"Well done! I can honestly say that you would be back to your original self in no time". I hear him say again.
'This is not enough'. I think to myself in consideration. The complete healing process will take at least 2-3 months as far as I am aware. I would likely be 100% by the time Robby is out of Juvie. Simply, being at his level once he comes out in un-tolerable for me, I personally want to reach a stage where I wouldn't have much trouble curb stomping him into the ground. I decide to do some research in building my body to it's utmost potential. Having good strong muscles would make my body into the ultimate weapon. I would have to be extra careful in building my back and leg muscles, I cannot reinjure them. Having a stronger back will help in my punching speed while stronger legs will help in stronger kicks, a quick first step and further help me in running circles around my opponents. Speed is 'king' after all. Having these muscles will also lower my chances for injury as well.
I cannot get much techniques when it comes to karate as I am stuck with what I know and some of the Miyagi bullshit I looted from Robby. I could take some lessons from Youtube, but it will not be ideal. I could practice the various blocks or whatever. But I need to get into an actual fight for me to master them quickly. I guess I can practice them to their limits and deal with mastery later.
I guess it's decided then. I shall begin weight training and do some research in sports nutrition and begin building my body in order to create the ultimate weapon and then eventually I will clap the cheeks of all my opponents. There will be nothing that would stand in my way.
"Oi Diaz!! Stop monologuing and get prepared for another round, I have other patients to deal with you know".
'Correction, I shall start my plans after I am done for the day.' I think to myself and then get on to my feet unsteadily and mentally prepare myself for next round of gruesome tort…therapy.
