thoughts.”
“It’s just, this feels all kinds of wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve worked for Mr. Holt for a long time now, driven you folks all over the city more times than I can count. I know it looks like my ears don’t work when I’m driving, but they do. I’ve seen the way you were, and if you guys can’t make it… well, what chance do the rest of us have?”
“You’re a very loyal employee of his, Stan…”
“Ma’am, pardon me, but that’s a bit insulting. I’m my own man, just callin’ it like I see it. Saw it.”
“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply anything. I just… I don’t remember those people you drove around. I don’t understand how the person I was got there. I need to do a lot of thinking.”
“That’s OK, Ma’am. I’m a lot harder than that to offend. You need anything else before I go?”
“No, thanks though Stan.”
“You stay safe, Ma’am. Bye.”
I closed the door behind him and leaned against it, feeling like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders, breathing easier than I had in weeks. My own space again, at last. I unpacked and settled in as quickly as my semi-crippled state would allow, feeling my confidence build with every task I completed for myself.
Eventually my stomach rumbled and I opened the fridge, seeing nothing but the air and shelves I had expected. I sighed, glancing down at my crutches and then spotted my purse on the kitchen table. Tonight, pizza, tomorrow a session with Ellie back at the hospital and a trip to the supermarket.
*****
I concentrated all my energy on getting everything I could out of the physical therapy sessions, asking Ellie what else I could do at home to speed things along. She gave me some printouts detailing some exercises but told me not to overdo things, and holding myself back was just as hard as actually doing the exercises.
I kept Jeremy updated with the barest of essentials via text message, and turned down his replies that invariably asked to meet when I was comfortable. A few weeks later I walked a few steps without my crutches, and a week after that I was able to go short distances without feeling like I was going to topple over. Finally I was in my last scheduled slot with Ellie, not that she took it any easier on me.
“High five!”
Ellie held her hand up and I gave it a hearty slap before taking water bottle she held out to me, gulping the cool water down as if my life depended on it, which felt really close to the mark if the truth be told. I wiped the sweat off my brow and drank some more before limping to a nearby chair, Ellie following a few steps behind writing something on the clipboards that were so popular at this particular hospital.
“Well, that’s almost it, Beatrice. Bet you’re not sad to see the back end of me, huh?”
“You’re harsh but fair,” I laughed between deep breaths. “What now?”
“Now you can keep on doing those exercises I gave you, but the main thing is to stretch out your leg and strengthen it doing the things you would normally do. I’d suggest you go for a walk around the block or around a park or something every day, build it up from there.”
“Will do. Thank you, it’s been… interesting.”
“There’s a euphemism if ever I’ve heard one. What now for Beatrice Holt? Aside from exercise of course.”
“Beatrice Hampton. And I don’t know, I’ve got to figure out my place in the world all over again.”
“What about Prince Charming?”
“He can go find a princess, I wasn’t cut out for that life.”
“Bea, would you mind if I was a little… blunt?”
“Oh God. OK, what?”
“What is it you’ve got against Jeremy?”
“Nothing! He’s just not my type.”
“That’s not what I saw before the accident.”
I furrowed my brow, Ellie had never given any hint that she knew me before the accident before. How had she managed to omit that fact? Seeing my
“It’s just, this feels all kinds of wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve worked for Mr. Holt for a long time now, driven you folks all over the city more times than I can count. I know it looks like my ears don’t work when I’m driving, but they do. I’ve seen the way you were, and if you guys can’t make it… well, what chance do the rest of us have?”
“You’re a very loyal employee of his, Stan…”
“Ma’am, pardon me, but that’s a bit insulting. I’m my own man, just callin’ it like I see it. Saw it.”
“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply anything. I just… I don’t remember those people you drove around. I don’t understand how the person I was got there. I need to do a lot of thinking.”
“That’s OK, Ma’am. I’m a lot harder than that to offend. You need anything else before I go?”
“No, thanks though Stan.”
“You stay safe, Ma’am. Bye.”
I closed the door behind him and leaned against it, feeling like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders, breathing easier than I had in weeks. My own space again, at last. I unpacked and settled in as quickly as my semi-crippled state would allow, feeling my confidence build with every task I completed for myself.
Eventually my stomach rumbled and I opened the fridge, seeing nothing but the air and shelves I had expected. I sighed, glancing down at my crutches and then spotted my purse on the kitchen table. Tonight, pizza, tomorrow a session with Ellie back at the hospital and a trip to the supermarket.
*****
I concentrated all my energy on getting everything I could out of the physical therapy sessions, asking Ellie what else I could do at home to speed things along. She gave me some printouts detailing some exercises but told me not to overdo things, and holding myself back was just as hard as actually doing the exercises.
I kept Jeremy updated with the barest of essentials via text message, and turned down his replies that invariably asked to meet when I was comfortable. A few weeks later I walked a few steps without my crutches, and a week after that I was able to go short distances without feeling like I was going to topple over. Finally I was in my last scheduled slot with Ellie, not that she took it any easier on me.
“High five!”
Ellie held her hand up and I gave it a hearty slap before taking water bottle she held out to me, gulping the cool water down as if my life depended on it, which felt really close to the mark if the truth be told. I wiped the sweat off my brow and drank some more before limping to a nearby chair, Ellie following a few steps behind writing something on the clipboards that were so popular at this particular hospital.
“Well, that’s almost it, Beatrice. Bet you’re not sad to see the back end of me, huh?”
“You’re harsh but fair,” I laughed between deep breaths. “What now?”
“Now you can keep on doing those exercises I gave you, but the main thing is to stretch out your leg and strengthen it doing the things you would normally do. I’d suggest you go for a walk around the block or around a park or something every day, build it up from there.”
“Will do. Thank you, it’s been… interesting.”
“There’s a euphemism if ever I’ve heard one. What now for Beatrice Holt? Aside from exercise of course.”
“Beatrice Hampton. And I don’t know, I’ve got to figure out my place in the world all over again.”
“What about Prince Charming?”
“He can go find a princess, I wasn’t cut out for that life.”
“Bea, would you mind if I was a little… blunt?”
“Oh God. OK, what?”
“What is it you’ve got against Jeremy?”
“Nothing! He’s just not my type.”
“That’s not what I saw before the accident.”
I furrowed my brow, Ellie had never given any hint that she knew me before the accident before. How had she managed to omit that fact? Seeing my
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