Hypnosis Cures What Ails Her

The rest of the afternoon passed as usual with me cheering Cassie on from the sidelines as she posted impressive times, routinely in the top three. Finally came the event I was quietly dreading: the hurdles. I beat a manic rhythm into the metal bleachers with my jiggling leg as she took her starting position. The starting pistol went off and all the girls sprang to action, streaking down the lanes. Cassie hit the first set of hurdles in the lead but got slowed enough that by the time she was passed the first set she was back in third. She was neck and neck with the lead again as she approached the second set when I stood and screamed at the top of my lungs "HIT IT CASS!"

The next moment happened too fast for anyone else to process at once, but it happened in horrifying slow motion for me as I watched my daughter's ankle twist, her leg give out beneath her and for her to fly headfirst towards the first hurdle. Cassie managed to throw her arms up in time to protect her face but had managed to land awkwardly across the next lane. The girl in that lane had no time to course correct and stepped directly on Cassie's chest before stumbling into her own hurdle as well. Thankfully the rest of the girls avoided the pileup and finished the event without issue but by the time I got down to the field both Cassie and the other girl were already being loaded onto stretchers.

After a quick check the other girl, Lana as I would find out, was mostly fine, a couple minor scratches and a bruised knee. She was more apologetic than anything. Cassie though was being taken to the hospital for x-rays. The team physician assured me that she looked OK, but it was just a precaution. Later that night I sat in the ER with my daughter holding her hand and dreading the worst. Cassie's ankle was swollen to the point that she couldn't fit in her shoe and she was covered in bruises on her arms and chest. Her coach visited us at the hospital to offer his sympathies and to assure us that her spot on the team was secure when she was cleared to return but he had to leave before long.

Finally the attending physician arrived with her x-rays. She was a korean woman with greying hair who didn't bother to look at us as she read the chart thoroughly. "Good news:" she said without looking up. "No broken ankle. It's a serious sprain, but she should have a full recovery as long as she stays off it for a couple weeks. We'll get you a walking boot to help the recovery, but absolutely no weight on it for the first week." We both breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at us for the first time. "Bad news: she has two broken ribs so even after the ankle is healed she's going to need a month off the track."

"A MONTH!" Cassie almost screamed before she winced in pain and clutched her chest.

The doctor slid the chart into the holder at the end of the bed, completely unfazed by Cassie's reaction. "Yeah, month. Suck it up. Good news is that her blood work came back clean so she's not getting banned."

I reacted before Cassie could. "Banned?"

The doctor folded her arms across her chest. "Your daughter had a dramatic improvement over a short amount of time. Her coach requested a drug screening. But she's clean. No steroids, no amphetamines, not even cannabis. There's nothing to worry about. He mentioned some extra training so in my medical opinion you've been overdoing it. This-" She pointed to the swollen ankle and spoke directly to Cassie "Is what happens when you push too hard. You're lucky it wasn't worse. I've seen a broken ankle end people's careers and you've got your whole life ahead of you. Take it easy for a while. Doctor's orders." With that the doctor wrote a prescription for some painkillers and left us to get checked out.

The ride home from the hospital Cassie was sullen and wincing any time she breathed too deeply. We stopped for a drive through dinner and to fill her prescription, but otherwise went straight home. After I got her situated on the couch I set a bottle of water, a pint of ice cream and the painkillers on the table nearby. Cassie looked up at me, finally speaking for the first time since we left the hospital. "I don't want those." I started to take the ice cream away and she rolled her eyes. "The painkillers. Not the ice cream." She smiled slightly. "You can leave the ice cream."

I raised her head gently, sat down and let her rest her head in my lap. "You need the medicine Cass. You've got two broken ribs and a sprained ankle. Don't be difficult about this."

Cassie shook her head and locked eyes with me. "Ash's brother got hooked on painkillers and overdosed a few years ago. I can't do that to you Dad."

"Shit. I didn't know. You never told me."

Cassie blinked away a tear. "I found out a few months after Mom died and you were... barely there. I couldn't put that on you."

I rubbed Cassie's shoulder gently. "Babygirl... I'm your dad. I know I wasn't in a good place, but you shouldn't be responsible for my mental health. I appreciate why you didn't tell me, but you know I'll always be here for you right?"

Cassie smiled, tears running down the side of her face as she looked up at me. When she spoke it was barely a whisper. "I know dad. I love you."

"Love you too Cass."

I bent down to kiss her forehead and she lurched up at the same time and our lips met, briefly. The feeling of her lips on mine seared into my brain before I sat back up. Wanting to move quickly before awkwardness could set in I spoke up. "We still need to do something about your pain though. I know you don't want them, but you definitely need them."

Cassie smiled and shook her head. "No I don't. Do what you did for mom. You said you helped her ease her pain from chemo right? Let's try hypnosis. Worst case scenario it doesn't work and then yeah, I'll take the pills."

I laughed and stroked her hair. "Hypnosis got us into this mess and you want to use hypnosis to get us out of it?" I sighed "OK, deal. We'll give it a shot. Ready?" Cassie smiled and nodded. I took a deep breath as I thought about how to word the suggestions. I held out my hand in front of her face. "Three, two, one, relax." I snapped my fingers and watched Cassie go limp, her eyes fluttering. "How do you feel?"

"...Relaxed..."

"Good girl. Now when you awake your pain will be dulled. If it starts to come back I can say the word 'Relief' and the pain will be dulled again. Also wherever I touch you like this:" I laid my hand gently on her bruised arm without applying pressure. "You'll no longer feel pain in that spot and will feel a pleasant wave of energy instead. Understand?"

"...Yes Daddy..."

"Good girl. Three, two, one, awake." I snapped my fingers again and Cassie's eye's flew open she beamed up at me. "How do you feel Cass?"

She breathed a sigh of relief. "So much better. Like I can tell my ankle is supposed to hurt, but it just... doesn't. Thanks dad." I winked and squeezed her shoulder. Cassie gasped. "OH fuck!" I quickly withdrew my hand; afraid I had hurt her. "No, no it's good. I think it was that second command. You touched me and it felt, just, great." Cassie locked eyes with me and grabbed my hand. "Could you try it on my bruises?" She offered me her arm.

Carefully I reached out and placed my hand on the big, purple patch on her forearm and the reaction was immediate. Cassie moaned and dug her head back into my lap as she arched her back. Cassie bit her lip and inhaled sharply through her nose urging me on further without saying it out loud. I hovered my hand over her chest where her ribs had been broken. Cassie nodded quickly and her breath hitched as she waited. I lowered my hand to her chest and she inhaled sharply but didn't moan. She looked up at me, an odd look in her eyes. "It needs to be skin." Before I could react, Cassie sat up and threw her shirt off and laid back down. She had taken her bra off for the x-rays and had not put it back on since. My daughter laid in my lap, naked from the waist up her flawless skin marred by the bruises but my attention was drawn to the soft globes of flesh that sat on her chest. I couldn't help but notice that her nipples were standing at full attention. Cassie gripped my hand and brought it to her chest but let go before I touched her. "Please..." she whispered. I barely heard her over the hammering of my heart.

I placed my hand on the bruise and was almost thrown off her as Cassie screamed and flailed. I didn't need to ask if this was a scream of pain or pleasure though. I had seen her mother cum enough times to know what she looked like. Cassie's eyes rolled back in her head as I placed my hand on her chest again, this time finding her breast, cupping it out of reflex and holding her nipple between my fingers. Cassie reached up and grabbed the back of my head, pulling me down to kiss her. This time it was no quick peck, she kissed me with need, and I returned that kiss. I held onto her breast while we kissed and she eventually broke it as he shoulders quaked. Cassie's moans filled the air. "OH! OH! DADDY! OH MY GOD! I'M- I'M-"

I locked Cassie in a kiss again and moved my hand from her breast down her body. I slipped my hand under the waistband of her track shorts and cupped her mound with the flat of my hand. I broke the kiss and stared into her eyes. "It's OK Cass. Let go." I felt my hand soak in a sticky wetness as I gave my daughter a screaming orgasm.

Cassie trembled, her hands still gripping my hair. "I'm- I'm sorry dad. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry." She licked her lips and tears welled in her eyes.

"No, no, it's fine." I pulled my hand back and leaned down, kissing her forehead, wiping the tears from her eyes as carefully as I could. "You didn't do anything wrong Cass. It was an accident."

Cassie's grip on my hair loosened. "OK. OK. It was an accident. It was an accident. I'm OK. We're OK." Cassie looked past me, her eyes focusing on the ceiling as she gradually relaxed. I held my daughter and stroked her hair as we sat in silence.

It was at least half an hour before Cassie finally broke the silence. "Hey dad?"

"Hmm?"

"Is that ice cream melted?"

I laughed, which made her laugh, which made me laugh harder. Eventually I regained enough composure to finally check. "Not melted yet, but we need to eat it quick."

Cassie sat up and pulled her shirt back on. "Go get a second spoon then, old man."

I kissed her forehead again before running off to the kitchen for another spoon and returned to the couch to find my daughter stuffing her face with mint chocolate chip as she scrolled through Netflix. Life wasn't back to normal, not quite, but for now it was close enough.