Chapter 792 – Jake Gets Crazy News and Rowen Has a New Adventure
Between Rowen and Jordan, my entire morning had been tied up, although I loved them both and they seemed to need help, not that I could make much difference other than give them a sounding board. It was already lunch time and I joined the others in the office to walk over to the CNB for our luncheon meeting. Blake, Will and Jake joined us coming from the dormitory. We didn’t have a lot to discuss today as things were moving along fairly well. We did have Eric give us an update on the brewery. He told us everything was moving well there and they had shipped several kegs of beer to our outlying CNB’s, San Diego, Ft. Lauderdale and also our new one in Key West. Nate told us the sales so far in Key West had been fantastic. We had just paid off the last of the rehab and expansion work. I told them I talked to Tyler who told me it was gangbusters there the business they were doing. Nate said this one might be the most profitable one yet the way it was going. I told them I would be sure to check it out next week then let them know what I thought.
After lunch, I took a couple of lunches over to Lucky’s for him and Troy. They seemed to be in great mood when I got there, although they were happy to get lunch. They told me they were making progress. Troy told me he was more excited than ever to get to work with Lucky and couldn’t wait to get started. I asked Lucky what the prognosis was for him to go back to work.
“I have to have our physician check me out and determine if I’m capable of regular work, light duty or not capable at all yet. I guess I get my first exam on Monday from what they tell me. I got a call from them this morning. I hope like hell I can at least get light duty. If it wasn’t for Troy coming over and me working with him, I’d be stare crazy by now sitting at home like this,” Lucky commented. Troy said he was glad to help as he was getting a lot out of these meetings. I told Lucky he could always go by the dorm and sit there and help out doing something if he got too bored. He said he thought about that. As we were talking we got an alarm someone was approaching the house. Looking at the screen, it was Cooper. I got up and let him in, getting a nice hug for my efforts.
“Gees, everybody gets to hug you, Josh,” Troy commented. I introduced Troy to Cooper, telling Troy, Cooper was Lucky’s physical therapist, but had become a friend of all of us in the process and that he had just moved into town. Troy seemed happy to meet Cooper.
“So, how’s our boy?” Cooper asked. Lucky told him he was ready to go back to work. Cooper had him sit down then worked his right shoulder and arm, checking his range of motion and notating any pain he had. Lucky told him there was minimal pain anymore, which he was glad. Cooper asked if he was still taking his pain medicine. Lucky said he was only taking it at night as he could get by without it during the day he felt like. “Just so you don’t overdo it and do too much. The pain will remind you if you’re doing too much. If you feel pain, you need to ease off what you’re doing and give it a rest,” Cooper told him.
“Okay, Doctor Cooper, if you say so,” Lucky replied. Cooper reminded him he was only a physical therapist and not a doctor. “Hey to me, you’re one hell of a doctor if there ever was one as great as you’ve taken care of me,” Lucky replied. Cooper thanked him for the complement, but told him to be a doctor he’d be seriously in debt and still in school for years to come. “Well, you’re medicine for my eyes anyway,” Lucky replied somewhat flirting. Cooper chuckled.
“Oh, I think he’s much better, Josh. Of course you always were a character so I guess your injury didn’t change you much in that regard,” Cooper replied. I told him it definitely had not, and I could vouch for that. Cooper chuckled. “So are you behaving yourself otherwise, doing your arm exercises and everything I told you to do?” Cooper asked.
“I’d say I’m behaving for the most part. I’ve started drinking beer again which I think has helped me a lot. Medicine is fine, but liquor’s quicker, so they say,” Lucky chided. Cooper shook his head. “Haven’t seen you at beer-thirty lately. Where’ve you been hiding out? Kind of miss seeing you there, something I always looked forward to,” Lucky mentioned.
“Oh, I have this crazy schedule anymore. Sometimes I don’t get done at the hospital until late in the evenings. I guess being the new guy, you get the shitty schedule,” Cooper replied, grinning. I knew he was mostly with Clark, but I wasn’t going to say anything. I was wondering how far Lucky was going to go flirting with Cooper as Troy was with us. Lucky could get dangerously close to outing himself if he wasn’t careful.
“Okay, at least you’re hard at work. I was hoping your personal life wasn’t suffering any as that would make us all feel bad,” Lucky replied, making Cooper smile.
“I’m fine there, Lucky, but thanks for asking anyway. Is Troy with you most of the day?” Cooper asked. Troy told him he was and he even took him to beer-thirty last night. “Can I show him the exercises you need to be doing so he can help you with those? Troy he needs to do these every half-hour if possible. Just a few rotations. Then he should do some on his own, but I find it helps if he has a buddy to remind him they need to be done. So, if you wouldn’t mind helping, that would be great as I have a feeling this one forgets to do them quite often,” Cooper replied. Lucky looked guilty.
“Well, I was doing them with Rowen, but he’s tied up at the hospital with Kenny these days. I guess they’re releasing Kenny tomorrow, then both of them will be back at the house here. You’ll have two of us to give hell to next week, Cooper,” Lucky teased. Cooper shook his head.
“Lucky me,” Cooper replied. “In a way that makes it easier having you two here together. As long as you don’t gang up on me.” Lucky laughed saying that was something to think about anyway. Cooper shook his head at him.
“You two must know each other pretty well to tease each other like that,” Troy remarked.
“Oh, he was quite he character when he was in the hospital. He’s still a character, but fun,” Cooper replied. Troy thought it was neat the way they teased one another. If he only knew. “Lucky, have you heard anything from Marvin since you’ve been out of the hospital? I meant to ask you if the two of you had talked,” Cooper mentioned, making Lucky stop dead in his tracks.
“Who’s Marvin?” Troy asked, catching Cooper off guard.
“Oh, he’s a great friend of mine, Troy. We kind of had a falling out right before I got shot and we haven’t spoken to one another since then. He kind of betrayed our friendship, and I don’t think I can forgive him for that,” Lucky replied. I got the feeling Cooper realized Troy was not aware of Lucky’s boyfriend as he clammed up almost immediately.
“Sounds like there’s a good story behind this one if he betrayed a great guy like you, Lucky. You’ll have to tell me all about it sometime,” Troy replied.
“Nothing to tell really. He’s history, and I never want to talk about him again. So let’s just drop the subject,” Lucky answered somewhat miffed. I think we all got the picture.
“Sorry to bring up a bad subject. I’ll never ask you that again,” Cooper remarked without a reply from Lucky. “Well, do you think you know what to do with your partner now, Troy?” Cooper asked, after he’d walked Troy through the exercises he wanted him to perform on Lucky.
“I think I have it, and I promise you that I will make sure he does them when I’m around,” Troy replied, making Cooper smile. Cooper said he was out of here then as he had other patients to see, but was glad to see Lucky was doing so well.
“Glad to meet you, Troy, and good luck with your new partner. Great as always to see you too, Josh. I’ll try to get over to the CNB for beer-thirty in the near future as it’s always a fun venue. Lucky, you behave and don’t give Troy too much grief, will you?” Cooper chided.
“I can’t as he’s in much better physical shape than I am so I’m at his mercy,” Lucky replied. “Hey don’t be a stranger to us. We enjoy having you around,” Lucky added. Cooper said he’d try to get together with all of us soon. That seemed to make Lucky happy. Off he went.
“He seems like a great guy. He’s damn cute too. Sorry, Lucky, I guess I shouldn’t say that in front of you,” Troy semi-apologized. Lucky smiled.
“Oh, he’s definitely a heart throb all right for the right woman, I suppose,” Lucky replied. Troy said or for the right guy. Lucky just laughed. I didn’t say anything. Lucky said he had to take a piss and left us for a few minutes.