Page 259 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

He crosses his arms as I enter. "I'll never get back to work."

"We don't know that yet."

"I do."

His words are sharp. Defensive. Fear usually is.

I pull up a chair beside him. "We're not going to worry about six months from now."

He gives me a skeptical look. "We're going to worry about today."

He sighs. "I can't even walk across the room."

"No." I smile gently. "But you stood up yesterday."

He shrugs. "With help."

"So today we'll try again."

Silence.

Then he quietly admits,

"I'm tired of needing people."

The words leave my mouth before I even think about them.

"Needing help doesn't make you weak."

He looks at me.

"It makes you human."

Something catches in my chest.

Jamie.

Those weren't my words anymore.

Somewhere along the way...

They'd become ours.

Later that afternoon, Dr. Lawson joins me while I finish my notes.

"You've got a gift."

I smile politely. "I'm still learning."

"I hope you never stop."

He watches one of my patients laughing with another therapist. "You see people."

I glance toward him.

"That's the hard part to teach."

He closes my chart. "Technique can be learned."