Lovers and Other Strangers Box Set: The Boston Stories by L.C. Giroux Page A

could have at least comforted her but she wouldn't. She pulled her walls up and disappeared behind them. He hated himself but there was no other way.

Chapter Five: Six weeks later
    Violet leaned against the door frame exhausted from her physical therapy and the last month and a half. She had given up trying to not think about Michael and was going with a more meditative approach. Of course he would come up in her thoughts and when he did she simply acknowledged the thought and set it adrift. She thought about him just as much but at least she felt less guilty about it. The physical therapy was helping with some of the adhesions and pain left over from the surgery. The pain in her heart was a different story. She noticed the lights were still on in the therapy room which was odd since she had the last appointment. She was about to go when she heard someone fall to the ground and a man's voice cursing. She knew who it was and it would serve him right to leave him lying on the floor or under a piece of equipment for not calling her. She just couldn't walk away though.
    She walked into the room to find Michael lying on the mat under the parallel bars. She thought back to when she had helped him across the street and how miserable he had been and steeled herself for an outburst. "Doctor, Can I help you with something?"
    "oh, fucking wonderful. No, just leave me here, with any luck I'll be dead in the morning."
    "So we've decided that morose rather than belligerent as the lesser of two evils. Michael let me help you for god's sake."
    "Just go away, I'd sooner be stuck here than to see you look at me with pity."
    "Well then it is your lucky day because I had intended to look at you like you were a goddamned ass if you want to know the truth."
    "Oh, that I can deal with. Unfortunately it is the truth. Can you bring my chair over here and then I might need you to steady it while I get in."
    Violet looked around for the large chair with the hydraulics. "I don't see the Dr. X chair. Is it in the other room?"
    "The what?
    "Dr. X, you know the comic book hero in the wheelchair, has mental telepathy and x-ray vision, all the usual super hero stuff."
    Michael cocked an eyebrow at her. "Is that how you thought of me?"
    "Don't be an ass Michael, oh, sorry too late! Where is the chair?
    "It is the low backed one right near you, I don't always use the other one. I was doing some exercises and then I am supposed to go play basketball with a friend."
    She pushed the wheelchair closer to him as he rolled to a sitting position. "I could see you were in good shape, I didn't really think about what kind of exercise program you would have to do. What were you doing with the parallel bars?"
    "If I tell you you'll laugh at me."
    "Michael, I have never laughed at you, well unless you were being pompous. More likely I will end up yelling at you if past experience is any indication."
    He smiled, she was right of course, she had never laughed at his deficits only his lousy attitude. "Fine, I was practicing walking."
    "What? You can walk?"
    "No, actually I can't but I keep trying. I hope it keeps the neural pathways open. I end up falling on my face most of the time. Stupid but true, I've had plenty of doctors tell me I am wasting my time but I can't give up trying."
    She covered her mouth to hide the smile, not at his foolhardiness but at his perseverance.
    "So you are going to laugh at me after all."
    "No, I was thinking how very much alike we are. I would do the same thing."
    He had no doubt that she would too. God, it hurt to look at her he missed her so much. The past six weeks had been hell, he couldn't concentrate, didn't want to get out of bed, he'd slacked off on his exercise sessions to the point that his ol' buddy Cam was going to kick his ass up and down the court today. He knew he shouldn't but he didn't want her to just leave again.
    "Violet? Would you like to go with... Forget it. Its a dumb idea and you probably have plans anyway."
    He was in