Chapter 09

Morning light. Roll over, slide off the bed. Face down. Try pushup. He'd attempted a few by the time Jessica came in.

"How's it going?"

"About the same. Take a while I guess."

She moved the walker over and he slowly got up and into it. That part was getting a little easier. It seemed.

He got to his usual recliner and sat back.

Rest a bit.

Jessica brought the weights over and handed one to him.

"Coffee on the way. Want to give it a try?"

He lifted the weight. Up, eye level, a little further. Down.

Again. Again. Rest. Move it to the left hand.

Up, just a little. Let it down, resting on his thigh. Use the right arm to assist. Little better, almost up to shoulder height.

Down. Try again, one more. Up. OK, that's it for today.

"Good." Jessica took the weight and set it down.

"Coffee should be ready."

She moved a small table near his chair. Brought coffee, Pop-Tarts.

Then finished the pastries and sat sipping coffee. Jessica picked up her phone.

"Alysin Chambers please."

Pause.

"Jessica Marshall."

"Hey girl. How'ya doin?"

Chatter. Jessica's side. Didn't recognize much. Doug. Frank and Emma. She'd mentioned them.

"OK, see'ya. Bye."

"We're in luck." Jessica said. "Doug's last day is next Friday. Alisyn said she'll set something up for us to have dinner."

"I'd like to be ambulatory if possible. Let's work on getting me so I can walk, at least to and from the car. Don't want to be carrying this thing around."

Nodding towards the walker by the chair.

"No better time than now to start. Let's get you up and outside. You did pretty well walking around the farm."

"Yeah, didn't fall more than a half dozen times. See if I can improve on that."

Use the walker to get vertical. Cane. OK.

Legs still a little rubbery, but not as bad. Maybe this'll help.

Outside they used the sidewalk from the garage to the patio around back. Slow going, Jessica standing close but not touching. Unless he started to fall. Back yard smooth, firm, grass not ready to cut yet. Out to the fence. The house was on the last street in the subdivision, beyond the fence was a grassy field. Maybe a hundred yards to the woods. Couple of laps around the yard, back to the patio. Back into the house. Sink back into the chair.

"That was pretty good. Let's try another time or two later. Alisyn said it will be a day or two. We have a couple of days. Want to do some work?"

"Yeah."

Reach for the walker.

"Wait. Let me help you."

Moves around, standing over him. Hands out, leaning over so he can grab her hands.

Get up. She doin' all the work. Knees want to give. Arms around me, holding me up.

"Just hold on," she says. "You're doing fine. I've wanted to hold you like this for so long...."

Eyes wet again. Inches away. Like I thought, hurtin' her worse than me.

Don't want to let go, but need to. Let go with right hand, reach for the cane.

Jessica held on to him as he oriented himself. Walked to the desk. Into the chair.

"Excellent. Just relax, you're healing. We just need to rebuild your strength. I'm going to go look at the hospital records some more."

When they got him out of bed the first time. Physical therapist they said. He looked like a guy he'd seen since he woke up, doing regular nurse stuff. Had a big guy with him. Not that other big guy. Dunno where he went. Psycho. Wanted him to move, just shoved him or picked him up and dropped him. Other nurses would pull on the sheets, roll him over a little, pull some more. Tryin' to be gentle. Not this bastard. Heard him talking, outside the room. They did that a lot, talkin' about him. As if they didn't think he'd year, or care. He was a nutjob for sure. Bragging about how much he knew about every subject that came up.

Nah, this another big guy. Wide strap around his chest, hangin' off so they could wrap it around him, so he couldn't fall. Just hang there instead, until they verticalized him again. Not easy. Third day he managed to stand between them without touching. Except still swaying. Legs might hold him but couldn't stay balanced. Couple more days, could stand in the walker, take a couple of steps.

Finally out in the hall. Slow, so every door they passed he'd look in. Bed, with an old person, flat on back, staring at the ceiling if their eyes was open, but as likely they weren't. Everybody in here in a coma? Why was he here? Charlie and Sam and Jessica had all told him. He had a heart attack. That couldn't be the whole story.

"Something ain't right. Even though my mind ain't functioning a hundred percent. Bad vibes."