underwear as I attempted to help by lifting myself off the chair a little. The soft towel kept me covered, but I couldn't stop my hand from checking to make sure I wasn't pitching a tent.
Grace busied herself with wrapping my arm and leg. Before long, she was lifting me out of the chair. I tried to balance on my good leg and put as much of my weight on it as possible, but I was too busy trying to hold the towel up.
"Help me out, Merrick. Don't worry about the towel, I've got it," she said, her voice strained with the effort of holding me up.
A few grunts and painful groans later, I was finally on the seat inside the shower with nothing but the towel over my lap. We were both out of breath, but I was shocked she could even get me out of the chair let alone through a shower door. "It will get easier once we get the hang of things," she mumbled.
My leg was lifted and propped up on something inside the shower that was never there before. "What's my leg on?"
Grace adjusted me a little more and checked the covers on my limbs before answering. "I snagged another seat from the hospital to make it easier for you. This way you're a little more stable so you can shower by yourself if you want to."
My muscles ached and the throbbing in my arm and leg was almost unbearable, but I couldn't concentrate on the pain. Grace was making it possible for me to take care of myself. I couldn't thank her enough for that.
"Thanks?" I said, shaking my head when it came out as a question.
"You sure about that?" she teased, handing over the removable shower head. Dad had it installed the day after they brought me home, in the hope that I would use it one day. Up until now, I'd barely touched it. Once my fingers securely wrapped around it, Grace let go.
"I am. I appreciate it," I declared, emphasizing the sincerity in my voice.
"You're welcome. I'm only here to help make it easier for you to transition and to make sure you don't do too much damage to yourself in the process."
"You mean the damage I could cause in that stupid chair?"
"Exactly," she said, her voice giving away a smile. "You've been doing better driving the last couple days, though." She turned on the water and adjusted the temperature, then lifted my arm and guided the shower head to its hook on the adjustable slide bar, being sure not to let the water spray us. "We'll start with basics for now. Here is the hook. If you hold the shower head down by the hose part, you can feel it slide into the hook and make sure it's secure."
She made me practice a few times before she was satisfied. It was difficult with the water on, but she assured me that practicing that way would be better since I was going to be showering by myself, for the most part. It was a strange thing to re-learn something I never even thought was necessary before losing my sight.
Once the shower head was secure on its hook once more, she shut off the water and lifted my arm to a shelf next to the slide bar, guiding my fingers to a couple bottles. "The shampoo is in the square bottle," she informed me and waited for me to feel its shape enough to memorize it. She moved my hand to the other bottle, "This one is the body wash. It's round." Again, she waited patiently while I memorized its shape. "And here is a wash cloth. I'll stop at the store tonight and get you a bath sponge. It will lather better, plus, it's easier to hold onto."
She slowly moved my hand back and forth so I could feel where everything was, then she let go and waited for me to do it on my own. The loss of her touch made my brain misfire and my first attempt knocked over both bottles, sending them clattering to the floor. She replaced them and told me to try again. I moved slower this time and was able to find them on my own without sending them crashing again.
"There. You just need to be patient with yourself and the things around you."
I nodded and pressed my lips together. I could do this part, I just needed to practice. Once my left arm was
Grace busied herself with wrapping my arm and leg. Before long, she was lifting me out of the chair. I tried to balance on my good leg and put as much of my weight on it as possible, but I was too busy trying to hold the towel up.
"Help me out, Merrick. Don't worry about the towel, I've got it," she said, her voice strained with the effort of holding me up.
A few grunts and painful groans later, I was finally on the seat inside the shower with nothing but the towel over my lap. We were both out of breath, but I was shocked she could even get me out of the chair let alone through a shower door. "It will get easier once we get the hang of things," she mumbled.
My leg was lifted and propped up on something inside the shower that was never there before. "What's my leg on?"
Grace adjusted me a little more and checked the covers on my limbs before answering. "I snagged another seat from the hospital to make it easier for you. This way you're a little more stable so you can shower by yourself if you want to."
My muscles ached and the throbbing in my arm and leg was almost unbearable, but I couldn't concentrate on the pain. Grace was making it possible for me to take care of myself. I couldn't thank her enough for that.
"Thanks?" I said, shaking my head when it came out as a question.
"You sure about that?" she teased, handing over the removable shower head. Dad had it installed the day after they brought me home, in the hope that I would use it one day. Up until now, I'd barely touched it. Once my fingers securely wrapped around it, Grace let go.
"I am. I appreciate it," I declared, emphasizing the sincerity in my voice.
"You're welcome. I'm only here to help make it easier for you to transition and to make sure you don't do too much damage to yourself in the process."
"You mean the damage I could cause in that stupid chair?"
"Exactly," she said, her voice giving away a smile. "You've been doing better driving the last couple days, though." She turned on the water and adjusted the temperature, then lifted my arm and guided the shower head to its hook on the adjustable slide bar, being sure not to let the water spray us. "We'll start with basics for now. Here is the hook. If you hold the shower head down by the hose part, you can feel it slide into the hook and make sure it's secure."
She made me practice a few times before she was satisfied. It was difficult with the water on, but she assured me that practicing that way would be better since I was going to be showering by myself, for the most part. It was a strange thing to re-learn something I never even thought was necessary before losing my sight.
Once the shower head was secure on its hook once more, she shut off the water and lifted my arm to a shelf next to the slide bar, guiding my fingers to a couple bottles. "The shampoo is in the square bottle," she informed me and waited for me to feel its shape enough to memorize it. She moved my hand to the other bottle, "This one is the body wash. It's round." Again, she waited patiently while I memorized its shape. "And here is a wash cloth. I'll stop at the store tonight and get you a bath sponge. It will lather better, plus, it's easier to hold onto."
She slowly moved my hand back and forth so I could feel where everything was, then she let go and waited for me to do it on my own. The loss of her touch made my brain misfire and my first attempt knocked over both bottles, sending them clattering to the floor. She replaced them and told me to try again. I moved slower this time and was able to find them on my own without sending them crashing again.
"There. You just need to be patient with yourself and the things around you."
I nodded and pressed my lips together. I could do this part, I just needed to practice. Once my left arm was
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