Broken Lion Read Online Free PDF Page A

doctor. Under the circumstances, I cared far more about his well being than my bruised ego, and I knew he would be in capable hands with Dr. Hackett. “He’ll probably suggest a tendon graft of some sort, but I couldn’t say which.”
    A smile played across Lion’s face. “You still using zombie grafts?”
    “You mean an allograft, like the kind we take from a cadaver?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Not as much as in the past. The current research shows that harvesting the tendon from your body is more effective long term. So Dr. Hackett most likely won’t use a zombie graft. Unless you demand one.” I smiled, trying to make light of the situation. “But I would strongly advise against it. My understanding is that you might suddenly develop a taste for brains.” I winked. “Human brains.”
    He chuckled. His adorable smile was back. It was good to see.
    “You might consider an animal graft.” It wasn’t a serious suggestion, but I wanted to keep him smiling.
    “Do they do that?”
    “Believe it or not, researchers experimented with animal tendon grafts in the 80s and 90s.”
    “No shit?”
    “None whatsoever.”
    “How about a grizzly bear graft? They’re badass. Can we do that?”
    “If you can find a donor. Know any bears?”
    He laughed. “No. Not personally. But I know a lion who would be happy to loan me some of his.” It was his turn to wink.
    “I bet you do.” I was smiling and dangerously close to flirting again.
    “Joking aside, what kind of graft will you use?”
    “Either a tendon graft, which Dr. Hackett will take from your hamstring, or a bone and tendon graft which he’ll take from your kneecap. Both are viable options with a high recovery rate and return to sport. I’ve done procedures on several athletes who tell me they regained 99.9% functionality.”
    “Won’t taking the graft from my knee weaken it?”
    “You would be surprised by how well the patellar tendon attached to your kneecap can regenerate, as well as the surrounding bone.”
    “Wow. That’s incredible. It sounds like I’ll be able to go back in the cage as soon as I’m healed.”
    Sex cage… “I can’t make any promises, but it is a possibility. Although you should know that the recovery protocol calls for six to twelve months of rehab.”
    “No worries.” He nodded and his cocky smile returned. “So this is good news.”
    “I suppose it is.” I was impressed by his optimism. Unless it was just denial. It was too soon to tell how he would react when the reality of rehabilitation set in. I wouldn’t be treating him, so I would probably never know. But I would be wondering.
    “What do we do now?”
    “After your discharge papers are processed, you can go home.”
    “What about my surgery?”
    “That won’t happen for several weeks. Until then, the goal will be to follow the PRICE protocol.”
    “What’s that?”
    “Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. In other words, be careful with your movement. Take it easy, keep things light and don’t over do it. And keep it iced, no more than twenty minutes at a time. You don’t want to give yourself frostbite. I’ll prescribe painkillers and an anti-inflammatory, and crutches. You’ll need them for walking. I’ll also prescribe a knee-brace, just in case. Once the swelling and pain have minimized, you’ll want to work on getting back as much range of motion into your knee as possible while keeping the muscles strong and flexible. The healthier your knee is going into surgery, the easier the recovery. I’ll schedule you for some prehabilitation physical therapy between now and the surgery, and I’ll have the nurse give you some pamphlets which will tell you how to care for your knee and follow the PRICE therapy at home. Make sure you read the pamphlets carefully. Oh, and the nurse will also schedule a consult for you with Dr. Hackett.”
    “Are you gonna be my physical therapist?”
    “No. I’m not a physical therapist. I’m an MD.”
    “Too