At the ER the doctor ordered x-rays. Both bones in the lower leg were broken. He told her he had to set the leg and put on a cast but with the alcohol precluded giving her anything for the pain. Denise’s slurred voice answered that. “It really isn’t hurting. Go ahead.”

Carol pulled the doctor aside in the hall. “How long is this going to take to heal?”

“I can’t tell for sure.”

“Best guess.”

“Five to seven weeks. She did a number on it and she is in really crummy physical condition from drinking. That will slow the healing.”

“What kind of cast will you be putting on?”

“Well, we usually put on fiberglass. If she is going to be moving around a plaster would be better but it will be awfully heavy.”

She pulled out a hundred dollar bill. “Doctor, thank you for the information. Now I need a cast on her as soon as possible, if plaster is better use it. One thing, she will be doing a lot of activity and I want you to make sure it is sturdy as possible. Understand.”

He took the bill. “I will make it as heavy as is medically legitimate.”

She smiled. “I’m not asking you to do anything medically wrong, just to go to the limit. I can’t afford to have her leg not heal properly. Get to it.”

“We would like to keep her overnight.”

“Can we take her out about eight AM?”

“Unless there is some problem we can let her out. I think you ought to get her some counseling on alcohol if she does this regularly.”

“We will. In fact we have already started that. Can you get the cast on?”

He set the leg and started putting on the cast. “You may need a wheelchair for her and she will need a pair of crutches. We will have to teach her how to use them before she leaves.”

“She is traveling with three women who are long term amputees, a LBK and two LAK’s. They have two wheelchairs in the RV and at least six spare pairs of crutches. Together we have over twenty years of crutch experience. We can do the training.”