Читать книгу The Power of Time - Павел Миллер - Страница 5

– Sit down! Why are you still standing up?!

Doctor pushed Max rather forcefully to the chair standing behind. Head started to spin more. Doctor was saying something else and taking notes, while Max replied and thought: «Probably the x-ray is bad, turns out I was not supposed to stand up and I kept walking for almost two days…» It was unbearable to be in the hospital and the head was spinning like the globe. Everything inside tortured with exacting pain, it was painful even to sit; weakness overpowered and he could not even stand up. Then Maxim leaned head to the wall and sat like that in the dormant condition, unexplainable to him.

Within various pictures that was crossing his mind, he saw his mother again. Max was always amazed by her beauty: short curly hair, high forehead, big eyes with penetrating look, serious facial expression, firm and sincere confidence in all her actions – all of that made him admire her. What was the most amazing is that from the outside it was not possible to understand her affluent inner world. No matter what she was saying or doing, to understand and acknowledge what she really intent to imply or perform was not possible immediately. Only after some time under the influence of new circumstances Max was able to perceive true motives of her behavior: "Everything that I hear or see, that is just my assumptions, not justified by anything! To understand and learn the genuine meaning, decipher and think over the rest is an unmanageable task, so there is no point in trying to do that till time is right".

Someone took his hand and Max, with an incredible effort, lifted his head from the wall keeping it straight. Then, with the same effort, overcoming his inner pain, Max opened eyes. Only after some time he realized that the person standing in front of him and looking at him with astonishment, was his father, Vaniamin Leonidovich. Head became very heavy, so Max put it down to the wall and closed his eyes. He overheard his father talking to the doctor, to be more specific, raising his voice at him. Then father took him by the hand again and said: «Sit down, son, I will be right back, just don’t stand up, ok!?» Instead of giving an answer, Max bubbled something unclear, and kept sitting in the same position and thinking of his dad. He enjoyed communication with him more then with anyone else. Maxim felt invisible connection with this wonderful person. He was tall, had dark fair hair and clear eyes that seemed to understand everything. Sun admired his father and his admiration had no limit! Father meant everything to the young man, and he constantly felt necessity to communicate with him. Even when they just had a small talk or kept silence, Мaxim always felt that they are organic whole! Not to see each other for a long time – it is wrong and miserable. Every time when his father was missing but his presence was essential, Maxim could always sense their companionship, as if he really was giving advice what action is better to take. Max always did his best to find time for his parent, help him with something, learn something from him, or just to stay near. He also believed that the strength of his Heavenly father and his own strength unite at the right time. No matter what Max was doing, he felt: «Someone is helping me! Even doing it for me! Of course, it is a Heavenly father…»

Maxim was lifted and carried away by the armpits. He did not care much where he was being taken to, because he heard his dad saying:

– Could it be that serious?!

He heard anxiety in his voice. That happened quite rarely, nothing seemed to cause him to loose control and that intimidated Maxim.

– The bone fracture is not an opened one, so he got lucky! But when I found out that he was walking for a couple of days and even made it to the hospital by himself, I became frustrated and surprised.

– What did frustrate you so much? – Veniamin Leonidovich asked. That was the same question that Maxim wanted to ask but couldn’t.

– If he did not come here today then his bone would break and tendons would break. He would never be able to walk satisfactory. In the best scenario he would be lifting and in the worst, would not be able to step on the foot.

Maxim was sat on the chair and somebody covered his head with the cold, wet towel. Fever was leaving and Max opened eyes and saw his foot, from which shoe was already taken off and the trouser leg was lifted up to the knee. The leg had a strange dark color and seemed to be a little swallowed.

– Does it hurt or not? – asked the doctor while pressing on the left ankle. Patient did not reply because he was lifted from the chair with unbearable pain. Tears ran from eyes. Maxim flexed his leg abruptly and touched the floor so that the foot appeared under the chair. Maxim bent from pain and almost fell from the chair but his dad grabbed him. All strengths were spent at the struggle with pain in the leg and in the whole body. Doctor was setting the leg free from the chair for a while and then applied the gypsum.

– He should not be stepping on his foot and stay in bed for at least two weeks. Standing up is aloud only to go to bathroom or to have meals. The room should be aerated frequently.

– Yes of course, I will keep an eye on him.

– I wonder why is he so weak?

– He recently went thought a surgery and did not get strengths back, on top of that kept on walking for a couple of days with the fracture.

– Is the pressure tolerant? – doctor asked Max.

Maxim saw gypsum on his leg shaped like a boot but did not feel any pressure. It seemed like the leg was just bandaged.

– No, everything is fine – he replied and after attempting to lift a leg added: – It is just very heavy.

– You will do fine, – doctor smiled and then replied, – stay in bed more. I gave instructions to Valentin Leonodovich so he would be able to explain you everything.

– Good – bye, – said Max.

When Max and his father were sitting in the car they kept silence for a long time, sadly watched people passing behind the window, leaves falling, and the wind rocking the trees. Maxim felt that his father was very disappointed and did not know how to start a conversation. Only after some time, when it became dark outside he started the car and asked:

– How did that happened son?

– I slipped on the hospital porch; it was covered with snow from the early morning.

– But it is not slippery, – dad didn’t understand him.

– It was warm yesterday and snow melted down but in the morning everything got frozen. So the porch and the stairs were totally covered with ice.

– That happened yesterday and you came to the hospital only.

– I thought it hurts because I hit it. I had no clue that it is possible to break a bone like that.

Dad didn’t reply and they kept quiet. Maxim had a feeling that they were thinking about the same problem: how to tell it to the mother and not get her upset? Gypsum can’t be removed and there is very little point in that action. However, there was a way to make her feel better about the situation.

– Will you make it home by yourself? – Dad asked quietly, stopping the car near the house.

– Of course, I can make it to the first floor.

– I shall park the car and come over.

– Ok.

Max’s sister was sitting near him for a long time and could not believe what had happened; her facial expression changed when she touched the gypsum and asked:

– Does your leg hurt? Do you feel yourself ok?

Maxim felt sleepy. Lying on the couch, he was giving one word answers or did not replied; however, his sister did not pay attention to that. She brought some water and kept her hands on the brother’s head for a long time, as if checking temperature. Nothing seemed suspicious to her and she kept on exploring the gypsum.

– How are you doing Irina? – asked Max and looked at her, opening eyes with a huge effort. He loved his sister dearly and always helped her with everything: gave advice, helped with homework and took her places. She addressed him with various questions on the regular bases, questions she could not even address to the mother, so personal they were. Her blond, almost white hair was turning darker with years; they used to be curly but now straightened, and only unruly locks at the roots reminded of the curls. Blue eyes were getting more bright and intensive and when she was worried. She tried to hide her worries but Maxim could always tell it by her eyes if his sister needed help and asked about the problem. There was not a single situation when he was not there for her. Even when he had no time or the problem was manageable for the little girl, he still was leaving everything behind and gave her a hand. So now, feeling his sister worried, Max realized that his broken bone gave her more reasons to worry.

– The teacher was taken away today by the ambulance!

Tear ran from her eye and slowly rolled down the cheek.

– Please understand that we all shall die at one day. There is no reason for tears, we need to live further, help each other, no matter how hard it is. – Maxim had to close eyes again – weakness overwhelmed him.

– Can she die? She is so young!

– Unfortunately there is a possibility but you need to take it easy, understand??

– I shall try, but it is hard.

After some time, she calmed down.

– Everything in life is difficult. When you do something you say that it was very easy and wonder why you did not do it before. Am I right?

The door bell rang and she rushed to open the door for the father.

– Where is mom? – He was surprised.

– At the neighbor’s place. They made arrangements last night.

– So she hasn’t seen Maxim yet?

– Not yet. She will be here soon it is ten pm now.

They were sitting on the couch in the living room near Maxim and talked lively, waiting for mom to get home. Father even managed to make sister laugh and lift her spirits. Occupied by conversation, they did not notice how mother came in. She froze and silently looked at the lying son. Maxim felt her stare and realized that it was her. Father and sister ceased talking and waited for the reaction.

– Hmmm seems like we will have unusual New Year celebration! Great! Dear, tell me how did that happened?!

Maxim understood that mom was in a good mood and did not know what to say.

– Fell down the stair steps, – it was everything he could say.

– Does your head hurt?

– No!

– No problem then! – She replied and left to the kitchen:

– Let’s have some tea. I brought a cake.

– I shall pass, – Max said and returned to rest. After some time, he heard jingling of the tea pot, clinks of tea cups and happy voices of the relatives. Not having time to think of anything, Max fell asleep immediately.