AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Gently. Easy does it. Fantastic. How does that feel?” That’s the million-dollar question because I don’t know how to answer that.
Silent tears start to fall down my face. A sign of achievement. Something I haven’t been able to establish for far too long now.
As the overwhelming sensation hits my lower core and my arms start to shake, Asher barks frantically, sounding more like a full-grown dog than the little sausage he is. I get less than half a minute to react before Mrs. M is behind me, holding me to her while Asher continues his alarmed ruckus.
“I’ve got you, Evelyn. The chair is right behind me. I’m going to take a step back, but I need you to let me bring you with me. I’ll get you to hold the edge of the bars while I maneuver the wheelchair in place.”
“No. I’d like to keep trying. I need to rebuild myself, and I can’t let a little slip like this stop me, right?” I hold myself against the bars, gaining courage to move forward despite how petrified I truly am.
“Alright, Eve. Let’s start from the beginning.”
I turn myself, resting a forearm on each bar ready to continue. I do the same movements, over and over, with Asher by my side until I can’t take any more.
“I need to sit down now.”
“Okay, honey, grab the bars and hold yourself up for a few more seconds while I position your chair.” I hang my limp arms over the bars, catching my breath while I wait. “And let go, I’ve got you again. Phew, what a run that was.”
I inhale a few deep breaths as I sit down, only to exhale on a laugh.
“I did it.” I beam up at Mrs. M. “I really did it!” I can’t help the uncontrollable giggles that burst through me like a child being tickled.
“Congratulations are in order, Evelyn, because you just put in a solid twenty minutes of hard work.”
“Are you serious?” I ask, having to confirm what I was told. “I did that? Mrs. M, thank you!” I bend down at the waist picking Asher up and giving him a kiss on the head before letting him sit on my lap. “Asher, who’s a good boy? Thank you too, buddy, for helping me find strength today. We definitely make a good team, don’t we?” I confirm. “Mrs. M, do we have any doggy T.R.E.A.T.S for this one?” I look at him as I spell it out, but it seems this wee thing is much smarter than all of us. He starts panting and shaking his whole body again, telling me he knows exactly what I intend to give him.
Mrs. M brings over a treats packet and after dishing out an extra one, because I’m a total pushover, I place him back on the ground where he starts to trot toward the door. As I’m about to turn to Mrs. M for my next rep, he pauses in the door and barks one high-pitchedyap.I smile and reply, “See you again soon, buddy.” Before I have a chance to turn, I see a set of manly hands and a head of dark hair bend down to pick him up, as if to avoid being seen—but I saw enough.
I wonder how long he was standing there. At least now I know Mr. Fort—my handsome stranger—is caring enough to find his little dog.
Chapter Four
Evelyn
This morning’s session was brutal, but I was warned it would be. Although, having the guidance of little Asher brightened my spirits more than they have been since my accident.
Contrary to what people might think, animals are amazing healers. They have a way of nestling into your head, making the mental portion of recovery less unpleasant.
I spent the rest of my session with Mrs. M smiling, which is something I haven’t done in a long while, and pushing thoughts of my handsome stranger aside.
Having my cast off means I’m mobile again, and now that my physio is in full swing, I’ll be graduating from my wheelchair soon, which will be replaced with a walking frame. In some ways, I’m nervous about the change. I’ve come to rely on my chair since I arrived and with the change, I may be freaking out that it’s too soon. Rest assured my physio team is more than confident I’ll be walking in no time.
My aim is to build muscle mass throughout my entire leg—from hip to toe—making my therapy easier and less strenuous on the rest of my body.
One thing I’m finding hard to adjust to is my loss of movement, when before I had a full range of flexibility. The comparisons aren’t worth justifying, yet all I do is compare myself to my past and present state. Torturing myself all over again.
As I make my way to the gardens, I literally crash into Josey. She wasn’t paying any attention to where she was going, instead glued to her phone, and crashes into me before I have the chance to do or say anything.
“Oh, crap. Sorry, Eve. I didn’t see you there.” Instead of being mad, I find it oddly amusing.
“I can see that. Someone either has your attention, or you’re trolling social media again?” I ask. I know she likes torturing herself by watching the video reels where people are making up those dances. She’s shown me a few she made before her accident, and she was amazing.
“I made a new friend here… at the center,” she says reluctantly, a blush covering her already rosy cheeks.
“Ah-huh and would I be correct in saying it’s a boy that has you all out of sorts?” I ask, knowing she doesn’t go all shy when meeting new people.
“Well… maybe?” She definitely isn’t convincing me otherwise.
“Answering like that sure isn’t convincing me, Josey.” I chuckle.
