Slightly Taller by Matt Harrah

"So how do you feel?" Chad asked his brother Jax.

"Slightly taller," Jax smirked.

The rest of the ride home was routinely silent. Chad was a bit surprised by the lack of complaints from Jax.

Jax didn't exactly like doctors. It wasn't so much that he didn't trust them or didn't like paying the bills, it was more frustration that none of them could really help him. Jax had made a name for himself as a drummer in various rock and roll bands over the years.

Although he was never in a group that had a smash hit, he did fill in on tours for fellow drummers who weren't able to tour for various reasons. It was a dream come true, but dreams come with sacrifice. In Jax's case, it was his hearing, which was more than seventy five percent gone.

A few doctors suggested hearing aids, but Jax refused anything that would make him feel or look old. It was a little too late to worry about looking old though, since he had developed very bad posture from spending the bulk of his days and nights slouched over a drum kit. Chad had watched his brother slowly shrink from five foot eleven to five foot eight, according to his last driver's license.

Chad was persistent Jax keep seeing doctors to preserve what little hearing remained. Most of the time they never made it past the waiting room because Jax would grow frustrated with making the receptionist repeat herself. Chad would try to translate, but grew frustrated as well from having to yell instead of talk. Sign language and lip reading were last resorts that Chad feared would soon be reality. When one doctor suggested Jax learn sign language, he responded that he already knew sign language, and then proceeded to make obscene gestures at the doctor as he stormed out of the office.

Prescriptions always made Chad uncomfortable, so he tried to find holistic and natural cures for his ailments. Unlike Jax, Chad trusted medical professionals, hanging on every word they said. He subscribed to nearly every medical journal he could get his hands on.

Chad dabbled with guitar and enjoyed jamming with his brother. He knew making Jax give up the drums would devastate him, yet he didn't want to be responsible for making his brother completely deaf. One day after a jam session he came up with a compromise he thought they both could agree on.

"I made you an appointment for Friday with Dr. Azimar," Chad said.

"No more doctors," Jax replied. "He's not an audiologist, he's a chiropractor."

"No thanks, I don't feel like getting my back cracked and paying an arm and a leg just to be a little taller," Jax whined.

"It's not like that at all. Remember when I tweaked my back loading Jay's amp into his van? I had headaches for weeks after, even some ringing in the ears. I went to Dr. Azimar and he said I had a pinched nerve. He explained what he was going to do and five minutes later I was as good as new. It doesn't hurt at all."

"Well good for you, but I said no," Jax grunted.

"Just try it. If you don't like it, I won't push anymore. No more doctors, I promise." Jax reluctantly agreed.

On Friday morning, Jax was his usual self. They had barely pulled out of Jax's driveway when he began grumbling about how all doctors were money-grubbing quacks. Chad just let him get it out of his system.

Chad exchanged pleasantries with the receptionist and nurse. He was a little surprised they remembered him after three years, but the informal setting helped to relax Jax somewhat.

"We ready for you Mr. Jennings," the nurse said.

Chad didn't know what exactly went on behind the closed door in the exam room. He didn't hear screaming or cursing, so he assumed it was going well.

Jax finally came out of the exam room after Chad had finished thumbing through his third celebrity gossip magazine in the waiting room. Jax rubbed his neck and back furiously as if they were on fire. Chad asked him how it went, but received only a slight brow furrow, an indication that Jax didn't hear him.

"Nevermind," Chad said.

The ride home was too quiet. Listening to the radio hadn't been an option in years, since Jax would turn it up so loud just to able to hear it that he once got them pulled over and cited for noise pollution.

"Come on Jax, say something. Did he help or not?"

"Huh?"

"I said, did he help you or not?" Jax repeated louder.

"I'm not sure. I mean does this feeling wear off after a while?"

"It didn't for me. The results were instant and lasted until the next time I was stupid and tried to lift something I knew I couldn't."

"Well, my back feels a little better. You don't have to yell by the way, I'm sitting right here."

Chad glanced suspiciously at his brother. "What did you say?"

"Is that supposed to be a joke? Picking on the half-deaf guy?" Jax said, struggling to contain the smile forming in the corners of his mouth.

"I thought you were three-fourths deaf?" Chad said, returning the same sly smile.

"Nope, only half. I've still got a slight ringing in my ears. The doc said that'll probably be permanent, but I can live with it. He said something a nerve and pressure points. Honestly I couldn't really hear him and was too embarrassed to ask him to repeat himself. Anyways he put his hands on my neck and back then twisted and pulled. You were right. It didn't even hurt. Then it was like my ears popped and I could hear better. He said that's probably from a stronger flow of blood to my brain now so there shouldn't be as much pressure, so I should have less headaches."

"I told you so."

"Yeah, I know. You're always right, although I do recall it was you that said I should get a drum set so you and I could start a band, but no hard feelings." Jax slugged Chad playfully in the shoulder, causing him to drive over the curb into Jax's driveway.

"Ouch! Come on, watch it man. I just got my neck fixed, there's no need to test Dr. Azimar's workmanship by giving me whiplash."

"Sorry about that. I think we should celebrate. So, what do you feel like doing?"

Jax took a seat behind his drums in the garage. He twirled the drumsticks as if daring himself to test out his recovered hearing and posture.

"I don't know, but the world is our oyster. I feel like going out and strutting around like I'm six feet tall."

"Five eleven and a half," Chad corrected.

Jax played a rimshot, clutching his ear after he hit the cymbal.

"Nice to see you've still got your comedic timing, let's test out your musical timing. That guitar over there could use some love, let's jam."

Chad nodded. He slid the guitar over his shoulder and glanced back at Jax.

"Count it out," he said.

"One, two, three,...wait a second," Jax said.

He pulled two bright orange earplugs from a plastic bag in his pocket.

"Doctor’s orders,” he said blushing. “Okay, now let's see if we can make the neighbors lose a little hearing. One, two, three, four!"

As they played, Chad couldn't help but smile. He was thankful for Dr. Azamir for giving him a trip down memory lane to a time without backaches and headaches.





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