Revision [28398]
This is an old revision of ColeBreaksHisLeg made by AnnCarpenter on 2013-02-27 18:54:22.
Having collected a large length of rope, Cole decides to try to climb down the outside of the tower. Cal, Shawn, and Ollie are all present. While none of them think it's a good idea, they don't launch any strong objections either and they're kind of exited to see how it goes. Cole anchors the rope to something inside the towers and then starts to scale down the outside. Cole is pretty sure that the girls will object and maybe even tell on him to prevent him from doing it so he begins while they're otherwise engaged (Piano lessons, perhaps). Ella, Erin, Jeanne, and Celeste show up, however, when he's about halfway down. Erin just about has a heart attack, but Cal and Shawn calm her down by pointing out that Cole is most of the way down and he's doing fine. Cole, hearing the commotion, looks up. He sees everyone peering down to watch him, he gives them all a big smile and a wave. When he looks down to resume climbing, however, he looses his grip and falls. Erin shrieks (and maybe one or two of the other girls does too.) Cole tries to grab the rope again, but it burns and he can't hold on. He lands hard on the ground. For a minute, nobody moves. Then all the kids file out of the tower and make their way down. By the time, they get there Cole is up on one leg, leaning against the tower, but he's not putting any weight on his left leg. Celeste wants to treat him, and cleans/wraps the burn, but the broken leg is kind of beyond her ken. They try to convince Cole to tell the adults so he can go to a doctor, but he doesn't want to get in trouble and says he thinks he'll be find in a little bit. After a few minutes, Cole is able to limp on the leg, so the kids relent. The next day Ms. Lizzy notices that Cole is limping and questions him about it. He makes up a story about carrying an armload of laundry so big that he couldn't see well and missed the bottom step and fell. Ms. Lizzy is suspicious, but accepts his answer. After a a week Cole is still limping and he's wincing more now then he was initially. Ms. Lizzy insists on bringing him to the doctor. Cole requests that Celeste be allowed to come along.
<#ann: No way is Celeste going to let him walk around on a broken leg for a week just because he's stubborn and doesn't want to get in trouble. I'm waiting because I don't want to start doing stuff too far ahead now that we're all here and consequential stuff is happening, but if my plans go through as imagined, by this point I'm actively studying to be a doctor in my free time, and while I might recognize that something is beyond my skill level, that doesn't meant I'm not going to recognize that *someone* needs to do something about it. She will do her level best to convince Cole to make up a story - he fell out of a tree, Cole and Cal were wrestling, Cole fell off of Jeanne's stilts, anything! If he does not eventually agree, she's going to make it clear that she will take matters into her own hands. There's following a kid code of silence, and then there's just being stupid.
Edited to add that we were just talking about there not being enough conflict. Maybe this could be a source of a fight? #>
<#bill: Sure. Though, I don't think it's a huge knock down/drag out fight - mainly because regardless of how frustrated he might get with her, Cole knows she's trying to look out for him. So he's never really angry...though between them it's probably as much tension as they've experienced before. I think that the sum of it would likely be that there's a passionate negotiation. Cole asks for a few hours just to see if his leg feels better. She doesn't want to agree, but finally relents with his agreement that if it's not better then they'll come up with a story. Two hours later, almost to the second, Celeste finds Cole. He tries to pretend his leg is better...Celeste sees through him and demands he walk on it and, though he tries, Cole can't pull it off. Another heated negotiation begins. Cole argues that it's too late to go to the doctor anyway, so by the end of the discussion Celeste once again relents - granting Cole the reprieve of one night. The next morning, by the time Celeste is up, Cole is already up and gone - off to his chores (this is totally unheard of). He manages to avoid her the rest of the day until it's time for lessons. He limps in after everyone else is already at their seats and Miss Lizzy has her back turned. "Cole, you're still limping?" Celeste says loudly. "Maybe you should go to a doctor." Cole glares at her. Miss Lizzy (and all the other kids) turn around. "What's wrong, Cole? What have you done to yourself, boy?" Miss Lizzy asks. Cole inhales and all the kids can tell right away he's getting ready to tell a whopper, but Celeste interjects. "Cole was carrying so much laundry this morning that he couldn't see the last step. He missed it and really hurt his leg. I think it might be broken."
There's more glaring, but now Cole is trapped. He agrees to Celeste's lie. Miss Lizzy looks suspicious, but, perhaps because it's Celeste who offered the lie, she lets it go. She sighs and agrees he'll have to go to the doctor after lessons. From Cole's look, Celeste assumes that he's livid and, in fact, he doesn't talk to her through the rest of lessons. When he and Miss Lizzy are getting ready to go, however, he still asks for Celeste to be allowed to come along and Celeste knows he's over it.
Sound good, Ann?#>
<#ann: Hmm, I'm not sure that she's willing to even give him over night. She'll let him wait the two hours, but not for an entire day. Broken bones are serious. This is an era where the doctor comes to you, rather than what we're used to with having to go to the doctor. What if, after that two hours Cole begs for more time, and Celeste agrees a little too readily. Then she sneaks out of the hotel (for which she is later reprimanded) and runs to get a doctor. She and the doctor show up and Cole can't escape, which I think would make him furious. Alternatively, we could just go with what you had posited, but move it back in time so that it happens at the two hour mark instead of the next day. Did you specifically want it to need to be rebroken to set right? If that's the case, then we could have Celeste go to the adults after two hours, and Mr. French sends for the cheapest doctor around, who doesn't do a very good job. Celeste can tell that something's wrong, so after a few days, she goes to get her doctor friend who has to rebreak the leg to set it correctly. #>
<#bill: I'm cool with either making your change completely or moving it up by hours and maintaining most of what I wrote...the only problem is that timing wouldn't work because I don't think it makes sense for the girls to be distracted by piano lessons (an evening activity, yes?) while he's climbing and then for Lizzy to get involved via lessons because don't those happen earlier in the day? Anyway, minor issues we could fix by changing either why the girls are distracted or how Miss Lizzy enters the pictures. The only part of my version I'd like to hold on to is that Celeste tells the lie about him falling down the stairs....I like the idea of her trying to both take care of him medically, but also trying to prevent him from getting into trouble. As far as the rebreaking...that's not crucial. I was putting it in because I wanted there to be a consequence for Cole for being stubborn. I wanted Celeste to be proved right (in a pretty definitive way) that waiting was foolish. Oh, and I thought her holding his hand while his leg was getting rebroken was especially sweet. Nice, but not crucial. I defer to you. #>
<#ann: Of course Celeste is proved right, she's always right. :-} I definitely hold his hand while his leg is being set. I also like the idea of her trying to cover for him. We can change why the girls are distracted, I think that is the easiest. Perhaps Cole tries it when he and Cal have finished their rooms up and have a few minutes to exploit. Then the other's find out about it throw the whispered teen grapevine? I sort of like the idea of Celeste running off to get the doctor on her own, rather than going to the adults. I think we're establishing that as a whole the children are less likely to go to the adults for help. She also is hoping that if she's wrong and the leg isn't broken, then maybe they can pretend nothing ever happened since the adults won't know. #>
<#bill: Sounds fine. To sum up for clarity: Cal and Cole post chores, kids hear about it, kids get there in time for him to wave and then fall, she wants to go to a doctor and he doesn't, they strike they're bargain - 2 hours reprieve , time's up he argues for more time she won't agree at first, but suddenly gives in too easily and then she goes to get he doctor. Leg is broken, needs to be set.
Is that all right?
How did she intend on paying the doctor even if his leg wasn't broken? #>
<#ann: That's the part that's dicey because it's so far ahead of where we are now. I have plans for what would happen, but I want to wait and see how all of the manifestations play out because it might influence things down the road. I'm not entirely sure what my relationship with the doctor is at this time. #>
The doctor can tell right away that the leg is broken, but he's trying to figure out exactly where. The doctor seems suspicious of Cole's story right, but Cole won't budge. The doctor then says he needs to examine Cole privately and ushers Ms. Lizzy and Celeste from the room. The doctor then promises to keep it to himself if Cole will just tell the truth - he says it might make a difference in the treatment. Cole is hesitant, but finally agrees. The answer seems to satisfy the doctor. The then calls Ms. Lizzy and Celeste back in to say that he'll have to rebreak the leg because it hasn't healed right.
Celeste holds one of Cole's hands, while Ms. Lizzy holds the other and his leg is rebroken and set. Cole's leg is then wrapped and he's ordered to stay of it completely for two weeks. Then he's to use crutches for another four weeks.
As a result of this incident, Cole misses Abner's next hunting trip. Also, much to Jefferson's dismay, Cole is make to work in the kitchen, because he can sit there and work, while Jefferson has to pick up Cole's other chores. Cole feels bad for Jefferson and tries to make it up to him...I'm not sure how.
<#kate: Ella would be amused at Cole's climbing attempted, more in line with the other boys "let's see what happens" then fearful or scolding. She would also try and help Jefferson out while he's doing Cole's chores. #>
<#jonah: During the two weeks, Cole can't go to the tower, so Ollie stays in the bedroom, and brings a cat or dog (Bill's choice, whichever Cole would like better) to keep Cole company as he rests. Ollie and Cole practice music together during that time, and Cole works out a theme for Ollie. #> <#bill: I'm going to go with Cole being more of a cat person. Thanks, Ollie. #>
<#court: Jeanne comes into the kitchen more often that usual during those two weeks, seeing that Cole feels badly. Flowers are not usually kept in the kitchen since the space is so utilitarian, but Louis allows her to make an exception, and she keeps a few buds in vase in the corner where Cole is sitting, often doing the peeling. When she can manage it, she tries to sneak interesting bugs (something that would not be overtly tolerated) in with the flowers (on the leaves, etc) to make for more interesting viewing. #>
<#bill: Cole appreciates the thought and smiles whenever she comes to the kitchen. One day Louis spies on of the bugs and his patience disappears. He orders the flowers (and the bug) out of the kitchen. Cole moves the flowers to the window next to his bed. #>
<#ann: Celeste is also especially solicitous of Cole as his leg heals. She's in the kitchen with him, and tries to get whatever he needs or whisper directions on how to make whatever he's been assigned to. She's relieved that he's forgiven her for making him get his leg looked at. #>
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