The Hitting Zone

"I see you have a colorful past." He clicked on the mouse, looking at his computer. "Plenty of broken bones. Torn muscles here and there. Severe concussion. Boy, you took a beating."

I noticed Mr. Atkins nervous glances.

"I did. The doctors at that hospital saved my life." I spoke candidly. "Broken ribs. A punctured lung. My legs broke. A cracked skull. A lot of stitches and glue. But they took care of me. I had to stay there for therapy and rehabilitation. I'm okay now."

"Hmmm." The doctor didn't reply right away. He read more off the computer, trying to read everything they had treated me for last summer. When he finished, he stood up and walked to the door. "Come here and get on the scale for me. I want to take some new numbers for comparison and to update your profile."

I obediently got up and moved his way. Back during my hospitalization, they would weigh me every week so I was used to this. I stepped on the scale and watched as the digital screen flashed a few minutes before coming up with a number. Four to be exact. 99.02lbs.

"Only 99 pounds?!" Mr. Atkins no longer looked calm. He got up from his seat to get a better look at the scale to see if it would magically change.

Dr. Walker didn't say anything. He directed me to the wall to measure my height. "Five foot, one and a half of an inch." He went back to his computer to input the info. "Go ahead and take a seat again. Next I'll do some manual work."

I complied, trying to avoid looking at Mr. Atkins. He was still in shock over my height and weight, staring at me like I could vanish in thin air. Dr. Walker finished the typing and stood by the table I sat on. He first had me stretch out while lying down, then he started to touch me.

I flinched away.

"Sorry, Jake." He told me. "I want to get a feel for your muscles for bulk, strength, tenderness, and tone. Just want to make sure nothing is atrophied."

I gave a single nod and tried not to move so much as he squeezed, poked, and flex different parts of my body. After a thorough examination he took a seat by his computer to input his thoughts. Then he faced me, looking me in the eye before he started to speak. "I'm going to schedule some lab work for you. What that means is you'll come in and we'll have a nurse available to withdraw some blood so we can run some tests. I'd like to address your malnutrition a little more seriously. I can see from your records that you've gain weight and even grew a little, however it's not enough. Especially for a growing boy trying to play a sport at a high intensity level."

He glanced to Mr. Atkins. "I'll be sending in the request for the tests. And I'll print out some suggestions and steps you can take to help him battle malnutrition. Focus on pasta, bread, veggies, and especially potatoes. Having a baked potato at least every other day will do more than you think. More frequent healthy snacks too. More milk and other dairy products. No bingeing on junk food."

Mr. Atkins nodded, hands on his knees, looking as serious as Zeke usually looks.

Dr. Walker backed up so he could give both of us his attention. "Altitude sickness is very serious, but as long as you don't push yourself too hard when you're there, you'll get used to it. Subsequently, if you don't, you can come back to talk about medication options. Mainly, I think your malnutrition can be the root of most of your problems. With malnutrition, you're at risk for reduced muscle mass, which can lead to decreased mobility and stamina." He took a breath. "Other adverse effects can include: difficulty breathing, a slower immune response, and a hard time staying warm. Jake, are you cold often?"

"I thought it was because it's colder up north in winter." I blurted out, thinking about how I wear jackets over sweaters because it's so cold.

Dr. Walker laughed. "You're not wrong. But your malnutrition could be causing you to be cold all the time. Fat helps with insulation and keeps you warm. You...have no fat. At all. So try to eat fruits and vegetables in your free time to help with the calorie count."

I nodded, happy to hear that malnutrition could explain most of my problems. The only thing left to address is the black out I had. I thought I merely rested my eyes for a minute and then suddenly hours had passed by.

"What about his confusion after waking up?" Mr. Atkins was already on it. "After an almost three hour nap, he woke up confused on where he was. It's like he didn't know he was waking up from a nap."

"With his given history, and with the records I haven't seen, I would suggest you have a visit with a psychologist. Do you guys have one yet? I can make a recommendation and draft up a referral, if you want?"

Mr. Atkins replied for us. "It's alright. We're already set up with Dr. Moore just around the corner. Are you sure it doesn't have anything with the altitude sickness though?"

Dr. Walker nodded. "Good choice. And I won't say I'm 100% certain, but without seeing any visible bumps on the head, it's not a common complaint. Now, if it happens again, and you're still worried, just come back in and we'll order a MRI too. But first, ask your psychologist." He directed the last line at me.

I figured as much.