"You should have said something though."
I looked at her. Her face wasn't showing anger. It showed even more concern than I had ever seen before. That was the moment I knew I messed up. In my desire to power through a situation, I scared my wife. I let my eyes go down. I started to ponder when the moment was that my leg gave out. I couldn't think straight to be honest. I felt her arms around me again and felt comforted before I heard the doctor enter.
There was mostly a conversation between him and Marcie. I kept quiet except when he directly addressed me. Marcie was in her element. This was her thing when it was Mitch. She advocated for me, explaining my routine to him before he started to run his hands along my leg. It took every ounce of control not to slug him when he ran it over the part that hurt. Marcie was whispering in my ear the whole time to keep me calm. He then looked at me. I looked him in the face before he spoke.
"It feels like a stress fracture, Mr. Mercer. I am going to order an X-ray to confirm it. This means the standard cast for a few weeks, then a walking boot after. Are you able to work from home for a while? Otherwise, you may need to get a scooter to move around in. Also, I advise no driving and no activity where you put weight on for a bit. After it heals, you'll need physical therapy to get back to walking again."
He then moved closer.
"You have the best support right there. I've dealt with your wife when she advocated for her late husband and have no doubt she will take excellent care of you. You're in good hands," he said with a smile.
I looked at him before thanking him. It was a little while before the orderly returned to wheel me to X-ray. By the time we were in the car on the way home, Marcie had already called Aubrey and Matt. Matt assured me I'd be alright at home and promised to keep me in the loop for everything. Aubrey and Wes were waiting at home to help me out of the car, albeit Wes was a bit held back. It was understandable. I thanked both after they planted me on the couch. Marcie was already grabbing a couple cushions so I could prop the leg up. After we had coffee with them, the lovebirds left to go back next door before Marcie snuggled me close.
"You're hurt worse, aren't you?" she asked me.
I looked at her.
"You have no poker face, Leo. Your pride hurts. The good news is that I'm the only one who saw it that knew. Just remember, I got you."
She kissed my forehead again. Then she held me tightly for a while. Every hero has his weakness. Not all heroes have the support I have. I looked down at the black cast covering my lower left leg. I wasn't going to let this stop me. At the same time, I knew I'd be okay as long as I had Marcie.