AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thank you.”
Trees close around us on either side, the odd dry leaf fluttering to the ground.
“So, it’s been three months,” I say.
“Yes.”
“Tell me about Finn’s injury.” I’ve read the doctor’s and the physio’s detailed reports, but I want to see what Missie understands about her son’s predicament.
“He suffered damage to the lumbar section of his spinal cord,” she says, “the L1, L2, and L3 vertebrae, to be exact. They’re not sure yet how serious it is because there’s still some swelling. He has loss of function in his hips and legs, and hardly any control over his bowel and bladder. He can’t walk, even with crutches. He also had a concussion, and he can’t remember the day of the accident. Maybe that’s a blessing.”
She’s obviously listened to Finn’s doctor and physio. I don’t need to explain what’s happened to her son. I just need to make it clear where we go from here.
“As I’m sure you know,” I say, “spinal shock can last for several months. The most recovery occurs from three to six months, after the swelling has gone down, so he’s at the perfect stage to start rehabilitation.”
She nods. “So you think you can help?”
“Let me explain first what we do at Kia Kaha. I think Juliette told you about the exoskeleton?”
“A little.”
“We’ve given it the nickname The Hands-On Robot, or THOR, for the children. It’s a self-supporting mobility device that helps the patient to move and exercise their limbs with confidence. At the moment, we’re using it primarily to help patients regain greater control over their body. When people have damaged their spinal cord, the brain can’t control the bladder and bowel because the message carrier—the spinal cord—has been injured. We can teach the patient ways to help empty the bladder, and to control the bowel, and rehabilitation helps lessen the possibility of circulatory problems and regain muscle tone.”
Birds hop between the lofty walls of the cork oak and sequoia trees of the Archery Lawn. I take the path to the right, deeper into the park, and Missie follows.
“There are other companies in New Zealand carrying out similar rehab,” I say, “but THOR is different because we’ve integrated it with a gaming computer to encourage children to do their physio, and to make it more enjoyable.”
“What kind of games are there?”
“A wide range—anything from sporting games like tennis, rugby, and football, to action games involving doing quests and fighting monsters. All of them are age appropriate, of course. If you decide to go ahead with the rehab, Finn will have to come into Kia Kaha after school three days a week for an hour each time. It will be intensive and tiring, but it’s most likely to provide positive results.”
She’s quiet for a moment. We come to the end of the path, and I gesture for her to turn right.
“Have you seen the Regret Water Sculpture?” I ask her.
She shakes her head. We emerge from the trees onto the Archery Lawn, in front of a round pond with a sculpture made from steel rods. The statue of a partially submerged figure of a woman wearing a gown and a blindfold with arms outstretched reclines in the water.
“It’s supposed to reflect the messy reality of human life,” I tell her.
“Seems appropriate,” she whispers. “It’s beautiful.”
“I thought you’d like it, as an artist.”
She stops walking and stares at it for a moment. Then she turns to me. “Alex… can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Can you help Finn to walk again?”
I hold her gaze. Her eyes are a shade darker than the blue sky behind her.
“You know I can’t promise anything,” I tell her gently.
“I know. And I’m not asking you to sign your life away. I won’t sue you if it doesn’t work, I swear. But…” She hesitates. “That first week, Finn’s specialist, Dr. Michaels, said it was unlikely he’d ever walk again because the damage was too severe.”
I don’t say anything, although I frown.
“Finn didn’t take it well,” she continues, “and it’s been very hard on us both. I don’t want to give him false hope, to put him through all that if there’s little chance of him returning to the way he was. But if you think you can help, we’ll both give a hundred and ten percent to the program. I’ll get on my knees if I have to.”
