When I came around again I was in recovery, my mother was seated in a chair next to me. I turned my head and stared at her tousled hair.
“Mom.” I croaked softly.
My mother lifted her head and smiled at me.
“Did it go all right?” I asked her worriedly.
I got home on Tuesday afternoon. I was walking by myself but my father refused to allow me to carry the overnight bag, even though it had only two sets of PJs, or the new guitar case. But instead of going into my house my father led the way to the main house.“We thought you should stay with us for a little while, until you can move around by yourself.” He said shyly.“I can move by myself dad.” I replied and followed him hesitantly.
I woke the next morning in the bed with no idea how I had gotten there. The sun poured into the room through the open curtains but I had no desire to get up and close them. Instead, I pulled the covers over my head and stayed put. Gwen’s words kept repeating in my head. I thought of ways I could’ve handled it better, or maybe could’ve said something. Perhaps I should’ve just gone along with them, did what they wanted, perhaps they would’ve left me alone then.I was awake for nearly half an hour when the door opened and my mother called my name softly. I did not answer her at all.
My mother had barely left when Gwen poked her head into the bathroom door.“You okay in there?” she asked and opened the shower door where I sat, butt naked, on the stool my father had put in there. “Almost done. Just need to get the suds off.” I replied and wiped the water from my eyes.I felt Gwen’s eyes wander over my body.
It seems to me that it was a previous agreement between Miss Preston and Miss Sheldon as to who would take me to school and take me home in the afternoon. My mother was free most afternoons but Miss Preston still insisted on taking me home. On afternoons when my mother was home, a group of my school friends would drive along and we would form a study group at my house. It was easier for me to walk at home than at school. Usually when I got home Miss Preston would stay in the living room while I go to my room and change.Sometimes I would discard the back brace and sit in my chair but mostly I would soldier on with the back brace, walking against the walls until I reached the sitting room table.
Dr Jones had me start on strengthening my legs and lower back. I lay flat on a bench and pressed against a small weight that rested on my feet. We did all kinds of exercises that made the time pass by very quickly. She kept me busy for about three hours when the receptionist entered, pushing the next patient in a chair. “Oh my!” Dr Jones exclaimed. “We are not even halfway done! Maggie, can you please ask Joanie if she can assist with Mr Peters?” I lay back on the floor and breathed hard. The exercises she had me do was not
Dr Jones had me in the pool for just over an hour. We lay on the paving for a little while, just relaxing and chatting while I caught my breath. I was about to get up when a racket infiltrated my brain. It sounded like a live band that was warming up but it went on too long for it just to be a warm-up.“What the hell?” I asked Dr Jones cringing at the sound.“It’s my sister. She needed a place for the band to practice before they audition for the concert.” She replied, pulling a face as the lead guitarist hit a wrong no
Gwen got me home at around two pm. She helped me into the house to the sitting room and handed me the TV remotes. I lay on the couch and scrolled through a couple of channels until I came across the Discovery ID channel. I watched a couple of episodes of Criminal Investigators before I realised I couldn’t hear anyone in the house. My phone was on the coffee table not too far from me. I sat up carefully and picked it up. There was a couple of messages including one from an unknown number. It read simply“How are you feeling?”
I sat down on my bed and called my father. He answered after the third ring.“Hey kiddo, what’s up?” he asked in a hushed tone.“Sorry to bother Dad, but can I use my car this evening? I’m meeting someone for drinks and dinner tonight and I really don’t want a third wheel hanging around.” I asked him, matching his tone.“May I ask who?” he replied