-You know I hate this. Are you sure it won’t right itself?
-I’m certain. We’re not made to fall. This isn’t normal combat damage. Please, it’s not that complex of a procedure. There’s nothing to be afraid of.
-Who said anything about being afraid?, John asked, with a hint of irritation.
Cameron turned from the table she was lying on so he could see her smile. –John, you don’t even like to cut my hair. You’re afraid you’ll make a mistake. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to avoid mistakes, unless it turns to a crippling anxiety. You don’t want to be crippled, do you?
He exhaled deeply. –No. I don’t.
She lay back down on the table, face first. John’s hand trembled as he hovered it over her bare back, just between her scapulas. He steadied the scalpel, and made an incision an inch left of her spine, parallel to it, about four inches long.
-The incision’s been made. What now?
-Look between cervical vertebrae six and seven. There should be a visible hernia.
-John grimaced as he peeled the flap of flesh back to expose her gleaming spine. Sure enough, a pseudo-cartilaginous disk was protruding.
-I found it.
-Just push it back in. Apply pressure with your index and middle fingers, as though you were taking a person’s pulse. That should be sufficient.
-John did as he was told. The disk slipped back in place easily.
-Does that seem right? Can I suture it up now?
-Yes and yes.
John carefully closed the incision, sprayed the skin around it with disinfectant, and pressed a gauze pad over the area, affixing it with two strips of surgical tape in an ‘x’ pattern.
-So, how do you feel now?, John asked with trepidation.
Cameron sat up from the table and slid off. She leaned to one side, then another, arching her back. John watched her prance about the kitchen as he peeled his latex gloves from his sweating hands. She did a perfect pirouette before him, and ended with a layback, so that she was looking at him upside-down, with her arms outstretched. He quickly wiped his hands dry and took hers, spinning her around and pulling her up close to him.
-Do you see what you can accomplish without fear? You had nothing to worry about.
He smiled sheepishly. –I’m glad you’re feeling better, but I don’t think mom would appreciate seeing you dance without a shirt on.
Cameron kissed John lightly on the lips and flitted away. –She doesn’t appreciate anything I do. I’m not about to start caring.
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