pulling it on; his arms had goose bumps. “Ready?” He reached for his chair, leaning over, the towel still in his lap.
Neil got the pants around Kit’s ankles and started dragging them up, bringing them all the way up over Kit’s hips as he lifted. “There you go.”
He’d tried not to look, but he’d definitely noticed Kit’s package this time. He put that in a box in the back of his head.
“Thanks.” Kit settled himself, and this time his cheeks were definitely pink with a blush. He tossed the towel into the tub, over the chair. “I appreciate your help; this is way out of your job description.”
“You’re welcome. I was happy to do it.”
Kit smiled at him, his blush starting to fade a little. “Okay. It felt great; I could have stayed in there for half an hour. Ready to cook?”
“Sure, let’s go make food happen.” He headed toward the kitchen, letting Kit wheel himself this time. “I should get you in the pool and teach you some water exercises, if you’re a water baby.”
“Yeah?” Kit sounded intrigued. “Where’s the pool? I haven’t swum for competition or anything, but I enjoy it. Do you think I could float all right even if I can’t use my legs yet? I mean, my little foot wiggles won’t have me doing laps or anything, I know, but even just floating would feel good, I bet.”
“Your body is still buoyant, whether or not you can use your legs, so yeah, I’m pretty sure you could float.”
Kit rounded the kitchen table as they went in, heading to the fridge. “That would rock. Is the pool used a lot? Like, we’re not going to the Y during swimming lessons, right?” He opened the fridge and started getting out food, putting it on the table.
Neil chuckled over Kit’s sudden enthusiasm. “There’s a little pool for physio patients at the hospital, though there’d be more room at somewhere like the Y. I can look into how hard it would be to work something out with them for therapy.”
“Private is better.” Kit surveyed the table and went back to the fridge, emerging with a head of garlic. “For now, anyway.”
“You’ll get there, Kit. Every day is going to be a bit easier than the last.”
“It’s... getting there.” It looked like, for Kit, the admission had been a big one. “The work is still really hard, don’t get me wrong. And I don’t think I’m making progress fast enough. My biggest barrier right now is that I feel so goddamn useless all the time.”
“I know it’s hard. You’re doing the work and you want to skip ahead to the end already.”
Kit nodded. “That’s a big part of it. But the other part is that I really don’t have anything to do. I go to too many appointments to be able to hold down a job. I can’t take a class in anything because I either can’t get to where they are, or I’d miss too much time with therapies and doctors to be able to pass. I have no social life at all. I’m really, really not in a good position to be a productive person right now, and it’s hard to take.”
“Have you ever considered doing something online? I mean they offer courses and stuff, if that’s what you’re interested in.”
“I suppose.” Kit went to the counter and opened a drawer. He got out a peeler and a sharp chopping knife, then pulled a cutting board out of a lower cupboard. “It would fit my messed up schedule, as long as there weren’t people relying on me for group work. It’s just depressing, you know? Being stuck in the house all the time. I can’t even volunteer, really, since I’ve got limited mobility and transportation. Sometimes I think it would have been better if I’d just lost my legs. Then I could focus on building a new life instead of trying to get my old one back.”
Neil shook his head. “I can’t say one would be better than the other, but I can remind you of what you know. Whether this is harder or easier, it’s the hand you were dealt and you have to play it.”
“I know.” Kit moved to the table
Neil got the pants around Kit’s ankles and started dragging them up, bringing them all the way up over Kit’s hips as he lifted. “There you go.”
He’d tried not to look, but he’d definitely noticed Kit’s package this time. He put that in a box in the back of his head.
“Thanks.” Kit settled himself, and this time his cheeks were definitely pink with a blush. He tossed the towel into the tub, over the chair. “I appreciate your help; this is way out of your job description.”
“You’re welcome. I was happy to do it.”
Kit smiled at him, his blush starting to fade a little. “Okay. It felt great; I could have stayed in there for half an hour. Ready to cook?”
“Sure, let’s go make food happen.” He headed toward the kitchen, letting Kit wheel himself this time. “I should get you in the pool and teach you some water exercises, if you’re a water baby.”
“Yeah?” Kit sounded intrigued. “Where’s the pool? I haven’t swum for competition or anything, but I enjoy it. Do you think I could float all right even if I can’t use my legs yet? I mean, my little foot wiggles won’t have me doing laps or anything, I know, but even just floating would feel good, I bet.”
“Your body is still buoyant, whether or not you can use your legs, so yeah, I’m pretty sure you could float.”
Kit rounded the kitchen table as they went in, heading to the fridge. “That would rock. Is the pool used a lot? Like, we’re not going to the Y during swimming lessons, right?” He opened the fridge and started getting out food, putting it on the table.
Neil chuckled over Kit’s sudden enthusiasm. “There’s a little pool for physio patients at the hospital, though there’d be more room at somewhere like the Y. I can look into how hard it would be to work something out with them for therapy.”
“Private is better.” Kit surveyed the table and went back to the fridge, emerging with a head of garlic. “For now, anyway.”
“You’ll get there, Kit. Every day is going to be a bit easier than the last.”
“It’s... getting there.” It looked like, for Kit, the admission had been a big one. “The work is still really hard, don’t get me wrong. And I don’t think I’m making progress fast enough. My biggest barrier right now is that I feel so goddamn useless all the time.”
“I know it’s hard. You’re doing the work and you want to skip ahead to the end already.”
Kit nodded. “That’s a big part of it. But the other part is that I really don’t have anything to do. I go to too many appointments to be able to hold down a job. I can’t take a class in anything because I either can’t get to where they are, or I’d miss too much time with therapies and doctors to be able to pass. I have no social life at all. I’m really, really not in a good position to be a productive person right now, and it’s hard to take.”
“Have you ever considered doing something online? I mean they offer courses and stuff, if that’s what you’re interested in.”
“I suppose.” Kit went to the counter and opened a drawer. He got out a peeler and a sharp chopping knife, then pulled a cutting board out of a lower cupboard. “It would fit my messed up schedule, as long as there weren’t people relying on me for group work. It’s just depressing, you know? Being stuck in the house all the time. I can’t even volunteer, really, since I’ve got limited mobility and transportation. Sometimes I think it would have been better if I’d just lost my legs. Then I could focus on building a new life instead of trying to get my old one back.”
Neil shook his head. “I can’t say one would be better than the other, but I can remind you of what you know. Whether this is harder or easier, it’s the hand you were dealt and you have to play it.”
“I know.” Kit moved to the table
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