Quick Casts - Episode 9

Celebrating 100 posts this story is not really about the usual cast of characters, but a similar type of conversation I have had before with my wife while out shopping as we sit and "people watch."  Hope you enjoy

“Ok” Lauren said “this IS the best milkshake I’ve ever had.”  Bella silently nodded her head while sipping the straw of her own milkshake.  “You were right” Lauren said as she placed the straw of her milkshake back in her mouth.  Lauren then took note of Bella’s silence and watched as she just sat staring quietly at all the people passing by them in the mall.  Then Lauren looked out at the people passing by also and noticed it, within the group of people was a woman in her twenties.  She had straight dark brown hair that was a bit longer than shoulder length.  She was wearing a simple grey t-shirt and what appeared to be some black leggings that ended about half way between her knee and ankle.  But here was what had caught Bella’s attention in the first place; her right lower leg was encased in a bright red walking cast.  She was wearing a normal black tennis shoe on her left foot and a black cast shoe over her red cast.  This caused Lauren to straighten up and take further notice.  The two friends watched this woman silently while sipping on their milkshakes.  The cast seemed to be covered with many signatures and rather worn around the toe area, which seemed to extend a bit further than a normal short leg cast, it was almost as if covered her toes also.  “That’s interesting” Lauren mumbled with her straw still in her mouth.  Once again Bella just nodded her head, while staring at this newly discovered woman.

After a few moments she sat down with two friends at a table almost straight across from the bench Lauren and Bella were sitting on.  “Dinner and a show” Bella quietly said between sips.  This time Lauren nodded without saying a word.  “Damn this milkshake is awesome” Jane’s voice suddenly interrupted the silence.  “What are you guys looking at” Jane said as she pushed her way onto the bench next to Lauren.  “Wildlife” Bella muttered without taking her eyes off the group of women sitting across from them.  “Wildlife” Jane questioned as she wrinkled her nose and began to scan the food court trying to figure out what her friends were staring at.  “Wow” Jane quietly exclaimed once she saw the woman with the cast.  “That looks…” Jane started to say before she too was engrossed.

A few minutes had passed and Lauren needed to adjust her leg brace and moved a bit closer to Bella to make more room for Jane.  “I have never had one like that before” Bella said as she moved over a bit away from Lauren.  “I think you should get one” Lauren said as she leaned back on the bench.  “Me?” Bella exclaimed as she turned to look at Lauren.  “Why not” Lauren asked.  “Just not right now” Bella quickly said as she turned her focus back toward the casted woman.  “I wonder what you have to do get a cast like that” Jane asked.  “To fix hammer toes” Andrew’s voice suddenly announced as he sat down next to Bella.  “Eww” Lauren said as she wrinkled her nose up.  “Just the thought of ugly toes on her” Lauren continued as she shuttered.  Andrew nodded his head while he too was taking a sip of a milkshake.  “You’re right Bella” Andrew said as he pulled his lips away from the straw of the drink he was holding in his hand, “this is one awesome milkshake.”  “Explain this hammer toe thing” Jane asked as she leaned forward and looked down at Andrew.  “Ok” Andrew said while lower his milkshake from his lips once again.  “In some worst case situations a doctor has to go in and cut away part of the bone of the middle or proximal phalanges” Andrew said “and then they usually place a rod or screw to hold it all together until it heals.”  Lauren grimaced as she rubbed her knee and rolled her eyes.  “But sometimes it is simply a relocation of the tendons” Andrew continued “then it usually only needs a splint for a week or two.”

“Still sounds painful” Jane replied.  “She could have just dropped something on her foot and broke one or more of the metarsal bones” Andrew said before he took another sip of his milkshake.  “Regardless” Jane continued “I think I want a cast like that sometime.”  “I don’t think Hugh will like having your toes covered up like that” Lauren said.  Then quietly Bella nudged Lauren in the side to get her attention.  “What” Lauren asked as she turned toward Bella.  As Lauren looked at Bella she noticed her gaze was no longer on the woman with the red short leg cast, but rather another woman, sitting at another table no more than ten feet away from the first woman.  This woman was very petite in stature with bleach blonde hair.  Her hair was pulled back into a tight braid which ended between her should blades.  She was well tanned and had an athletic build to her body.  This woman was wearing a simple green sun dress that ended slightly above her knees, but probably the one thing that caught Bella’s eye and now Lauren’s was the green long leg cast on her left leg.  The cast was rather clean looking, almost as if it had been put on only minutes before.  Lauren then nudged Jane in the same manner as Bella had nudged her and gave a nod toward this second woman.  “Wow” Jane quietly exclaimed again as she turned her focus toward the second woman also.

Soon Andrew’s attention was drawn toward the second woman with the green long leg cast.  “That almost looks recreational” Andrew said.  “I agree” Jane said as she nodded her head.  “Once again” Lauren said while rubbing her knee “that makes my leg hurt.”  Bella chuckled a bit without taking her eyes off this new figure.  “I think she is kind of hot” Bella said as a similar aged man came over to the table this casted woman was sitting at.  Then the man placed what appeared to be a camera on the table and talked to the woman for a moment, and then he walked away.  The woman sat quietly by herself for a while looking at the camera, until the man came back with a tray of food.  For the next couple of minutes the group of friends watched as the couple ate and looked at pictures on the camera.  After about half an hour the couple got up from the table and the man walked away.  Bella watched intently as the woman’s casted leg swung effortlessly back and forth as she too made her way away from the table.  The woman seemed to be able to crutch perfectly with little effort as she quickly made her way from their sight.  “What’cha guys doing” Morgan’s voice interrupted from behind.  “Watching wildlife” Bella responded before she went back to sipping on her milkshake.