I had some shoulder pain from my last fight, but didn’t think it was anything out of the ordinary. Or I didn’t want to believe it was. In my mind, if I pretend the pain isn’t there, then it isn’t.
But Adam made me get checked out, and I was sent to the hospital for a suspected rotator cuff injury. Now here I am, just wanting to go home.
“What do you want?” I snap at the man standing just inside the threshold.
“Checking on you. That a problem?”
I grunt, “Yeah, it is.”
“You’re injured, you have to get it addressed.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t you have enough to worry about with your own family?”
“Everyone at my gym is my family,” he states firmly.
I scoff, even though I know he means it, I just don’t want to hear that right now. Adam is in a relationship with Drew and their girlfriend, Max. She’s also with another coach at Uncaged, Caine. I looked up to him a lot when I was younger. He’s the type of fighter I wanted to be. I’m on the right track, which is why a fucking injury like this can’t ruin that for me.
Their relationship may seem confusing to some, but when I went to live with my half-sister, her best friend is also in a poly relationship. I don’t give a shit what other people do with their lives or in their bedrooms so I’ve never even thought twice about it.
Not sure if it would be for me, but whatever makes them happy.
The only thing I want right now is to go home, get back to training, and focus on my next fight.
“I just want to leave,” I state firmly.
“And you will, once we know what’s wrong.”
Someone else comes into the room, and this time it’s a man in a white coat who I need to start talking right away.
“Mr. Hudson?” the doctor asks.
“Yup, that’s me, tell me I can go home,” I tell him gruffly.
“You will,” the doctor starts, and I sigh in relief, but then he continues, “After your surgery.”
“Surgery?” I exclaim, barely restraining myself from launching out of the bed.
“Asher, chill out,” Adam says sternly.
“Fuck that. No, I can’t have surgery. I have fights scheduled, I can’t have surgery. I have to get back to training.” I shake my head, and I’m about to walk right out of this room.
“No, you don’t,” Adam glares.
“He’s right.” The doctor clears his throat, and I can tell how nervous he is. He keeps looking down at the chart and I think his hand is shaking. He better not be the doctor that would do any surgery I may or may not need. “Physical activity will only make your injury worse. You have a complete rotator cuff tear. The only way to fix it is surgery, followed by physical therapy.”
I grit my teeth as the pain in my shoulder increases at the mention of the injury. “How long does that take? A week or two?”
The doctor looks at Adam nervously. I narrow my eyes at him, waiting for him to reply. I hope he doesn’t think Adam is my dad and start talking to him or some shit. “No, much longer.”
“I’ll get a second opinion.” I push to get up, but don’t get a chance to stop the grunt of pain at the pressure I put on my left arm. “Fuck.”
“You’re more than welcome to do that, Mr. Hudson, but the longer you wait the worse it could get.”
“Stop calling me Mr. Hudson,” I snap. I hate my name, it reminds me of my piece of shit dad who doesn’t even deserve to be considered such. I have no family, not really. The last name is a legal formality because I have to have one.
“When could he get the surgery here?” Adam asks, and I want to deck him for speaking up on my behalf.
“I’ll have to consult the surgeon, but due to the severity of the injury, I’m sure it would be sooner rather than later.”