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ChapterTwenty
Joseph
I wake up to see Joyce asleep next to me, holding my hand. It takes me a few minutes to acclimate to my surroundings and two things hit me at the same time. One, I am thirsty as hell, but I cannot reach my water pitcher, and two, I have to pee. I look over at her sleeping peacefully and I hate to wake her, but I don’t think I can avoid it.
“Joy,” I say quietly, and she springs into alertness and action. She sits up so fast it startles me.
“Solo, what’s wrong?”
“Calm down, harikoa, I just want some water and I have to pee.”
“I have your water, Mr. Joseph. It’s also time to take your medicine and blow in the spirometer. Also, you have a catheter so go ahead and pee.”
“Do I have to? I hate blowing in that stupid device, and we are going to be removing that catheter ASAP.” I pout like a toddler after being told no.
“Stop it, Joseph. Do what you need so you can do what you want! You have a lot of hard work ahead of you and whining is not going to get you there,” my dad says.
“Yes sir!” I say as New York sits me up so I can drink and take my meds. As she goes through everything, she needs to with me, Joyce slips out of the room to shower and get ready for the day. By the time she comes back, I’m done getting my incisions and stitches evaluated, my vitals checked, and I am forced to blow in that little hellish machine.
“Alright Mr. Joseph, you’re doing well. The day after tomorrow we are going to start getting you mobile, so I suggest getting your rest because you are going to need it. I will be back in a few minutes with your breakfast.” With that she is out the door.
“What do you have planned for today?”
“Being with you,” she says like I should have known that.
“Baby, I am getting ready to go back to sleep. I can feel my medication starting to kick in. There is no need for you to sit around here and watch me sleep when you have stuff going on at your new offices. Go to work. After I eat, I am sure I will be asleep for at least a few hours.”
“At least. Here’s your breakfast, and I expect a clean plate when I get back,” Brooklyn says as she places the tray down.
“Besides, my mom and dad are here too. I won’t be alone.” I look at the plate of food and wonder where the flavor is. There is oatmeal, fruit, jello and juice on the plate. Where is the bacon, eggs and pancakes?
“But Solo...”
“It’s fine, Joy. Go help T.” I grab her and give her a kiss and send her on her way. I can feel the pull of the medication, but I am trying to eat my breakfast before sleep fully claims me, so New York doesn’t come in here and beat me. Joyce lingers around dragging her feet; she’s reluctant to leave me but she eventually gets dressed to go into the office. By the time I am done, Joy is leaving, and New York comes back in to take my empty plate. As soon as she picks it up, I’m falling asleep. This happens all day the first and second day I am home, but by the third day I notice I am getting pain meds less frequently, and true to her word New York starts low impact PT. Lifting my legs, sitting me up and making me get out of bed. It hurts like a son of a bitch, but I push through it.
After a few days, we have developed a schedule. Joyce and I take a shower, eat breakfast together and she goes off to work and I do PT. By the time I go to bed each night, I am tired, sore and ready to go to sleep. I barely have the energy to pull Joy in my arms before I’m asleep, but all that matters to me right now is walking again. My brothers and I worked with a PT professional known for his work with military veterans to create a progressive and punishing PT routine. He has amazing success rates in getting injured vets back on their feet. Aryan or Lennox, and sometimes both come to evaluate my progress, evaluate the PT exercises and adjust them, if necessary. The last thing any of us wants is for me to have a setback.
3 months later
Tonight, is my bachelor party and I’m wearing my customary all black. My brothers have not told me where we are going or what they have planned so I wear something that I can fit in anywhere.
“Solo, where are they taking you? Are there going to be strippers there?”
“Baby, I already told you I do not know anything.”
“So, help me if I see pictures of some stripper with her titties in your face or ass on your crotch, I am going to kick your wheelchair over with you in it!”
“Really, baby? How am I the one being punished when it was my brothers who would have gotten the strippers?!”
“Because you are spoken for, so you better tell her to back the hell up from what belongs to me!”
“Don’t make my dick hard before I go out with my brothers, Joy,” I tell her and laugh as she walks away shaking her head and mumbling about fucking somebody up. A few seconds later, Asher walks in, also wearing all black.
“You ready to go?”
“And where are y’all going?” Joyce comes from out of nowhere, like she was lying in wait for one of my brothers.
“Um, well, I was told not to tell you,” He stutters out, looking anywhere but at Joyce.
