though, that today...she eats. It's not a lot, and she even tries to hide that she's eating, but it's more than I've seen her eat on other days. Well, anything's more than nothing.
After Johnny's nurse wheels him away, and we've confirmed our plans for tonight, I ask Rose to take a walk with me around the room.
"Come on." I nudge her after she doesn't respond. "I heard Nina telling you you should. Besides, the room emptied out. It's practically just the two of us in here."
She looks down at her legs for such a long time that I think she's ignoring me, but then her hands cup the edge of the table and she pushes her chair away. My impulse is to take her by the arm, but I don't want her to think I think she needs my help.
Her small pale hand grips her cane and she steps to my side. I take the first step, and we walk together around the edges of the large room. I'm guessing the room is set up for walking, since the tables are set in the center of the room and the lounge area is off to the far corner, leaving adequate space for wheelchairs and recovering walkers to roam about the room. A month ago, I think I’d have laughed if someone asked me to walk around a room for recreation. I'm just saying, the room may be large, but it's no baseball field. None of that matters at the moment, though, because I'm walking with the most beautiful girl I’ve ever had the honor of walking with. So, yeah, I'm good.
11
ROSE
This is so awkward.
And embarrassing.
I don't even know what to think right now. My yoga pants are covering this fake leg, but it's not like Ben doesn't know. Besides, even if he didn't know, all he'd have to do is look down at the big plastic foot that sticks out from the bottom of my pants.
I'm trying. Really. There's nothing I want more than to be home with my mother, but...
Well, that's a lie.
There is one more thing I want more than to be home, and that's for this stupid accident to never have taken place so that I could still dance. But that dream was wrenched away from me, and that makes me sad. Yet I don't want to stay here forever, so I need to find it in myself to willingly cooperate and show some kind of semblance to my old self.
"So, I know you don't talk much," Ben says slowly, his hands stuck in the front pocket of his sweatshirt, "so you can just nod or shake your head...if you're comfortable with that, of course."
He pauses in his speech and his step. I force myself to look up at him but only for an instant. Then he continues to walk as he asks, "Do you like funny movies?"
I nod.
"Do you like horror movies?"
I shrug, because they're not bad, but I don't necessarily love them.
He seems to understand my shrug, since the next thing he says is, "Soooo, not reeeeaaaally a fan, but you'll watch it...if forced."
The way he draws out some of the words, I can't help but smile.
"Okay. What about action films...like... Need for Speed or Fast and Furious ?"
I scrunch up my face and shake my head.
"What about... Hunger Games , Twilight , that kind of thing?"
I nod.
"Okay, okay, what about love stories? Like Nicholas Sparks and..."
I nod before he's even finished asking the question.
"Noooo." He throws his head back as we walk. "Okay, okay, I had a feeling, but...just wanted to be sure. I guess I'll see what DVDs we have to choose from, and I'll pick a love story or something funny.
He looks at me again and then says, "Probably something funny. I have a feeling Johnny needs to laugh."
Yeah. I'm sure he does.
Look at me, feeling sorry for myself having only one leg, when poor Johnny can't even move. I sigh, and a painful-sounding noise escapes my gut. Quickly, I cover my mouth, but not quick enough to hide the noise from Ben.
"Are you all right?"
I nod, but I'm terribly embarrassed, and I feel myself start to cry. In an attempt to be normal, I force the tears back. Though, in doing so, I'm sure I look like a complete idiot.
"Hey. Johnny's gonna be okay." He pulls a hand out of his
After Johnny's nurse wheels him away, and we've confirmed our plans for tonight, I ask Rose to take a walk with me around the room.
"Come on." I nudge her after she doesn't respond. "I heard Nina telling you you should. Besides, the room emptied out. It's practically just the two of us in here."
She looks down at her legs for such a long time that I think she's ignoring me, but then her hands cup the edge of the table and she pushes her chair away. My impulse is to take her by the arm, but I don't want her to think I think she needs my help.
Her small pale hand grips her cane and she steps to my side. I take the first step, and we walk together around the edges of the large room. I'm guessing the room is set up for walking, since the tables are set in the center of the room and the lounge area is off to the far corner, leaving adequate space for wheelchairs and recovering walkers to roam about the room. A month ago, I think I’d have laughed if someone asked me to walk around a room for recreation. I'm just saying, the room may be large, but it's no baseball field. None of that matters at the moment, though, because I'm walking with the most beautiful girl I’ve ever had the honor of walking with. So, yeah, I'm good.
11
ROSE
This is so awkward.
And embarrassing.
I don't even know what to think right now. My yoga pants are covering this fake leg, but it's not like Ben doesn't know. Besides, even if he didn't know, all he'd have to do is look down at the big plastic foot that sticks out from the bottom of my pants.
I'm trying. Really. There's nothing I want more than to be home with my mother, but...
Well, that's a lie.
There is one more thing I want more than to be home, and that's for this stupid accident to never have taken place so that I could still dance. But that dream was wrenched away from me, and that makes me sad. Yet I don't want to stay here forever, so I need to find it in myself to willingly cooperate and show some kind of semblance to my old self.
"So, I know you don't talk much," Ben says slowly, his hands stuck in the front pocket of his sweatshirt, "so you can just nod or shake your head...if you're comfortable with that, of course."
He pauses in his speech and his step. I force myself to look up at him but only for an instant. Then he continues to walk as he asks, "Do you like funny movies?"
I nod.
"Do you like horror movies?"
I shrug, because they're not bad, but I don't necessarily love them.
He seems to understand my shrug, since the next thing he says is, "Soooo, not reeeeaaaally a fan, but you'll watch it...if forced."
The way he draws out some of the words, I can't help but smile.
"Okay. What about action films...like... Need for Speed or Fast and Furious ?"
I scrunch up my face and shake my head.
"What about... Hunger Games , Twilight , that kind of thing?"
I nod.
"Okay, okay, what about love stories? Like Nicholas Sparks and..."
I nod before he's even finished asking the question.
"Noooo." He throws his head back as we walk. "Okay, okay, I had a feeling, but...just wanted to be sure. I guess I'll see what DVDs we have to choose from, and I'll pick a love story or something funny.
He looks at me again and then says, "Probably something funny. I have a feeling Johnny needs to laugh."
Yeah. I'm sure he does.
Look at me, feeling sorry for myself having only one leg, when poor Johnny can't even move. I sigh, and a painful-sounding noise escapes my gut. Quickly, I cover my mouth, but not quick enough to hide the noise from Ben.
"Are you all right?"
I nod, but I'm terribly embarrassed, and I feel myself start to cry. In an attempt to be normal, I force the tears back. Though, in doing so, I'm sure I look like a complete idiot.
"Hey. Johnny's gonna be okay." He pulls a hand out of his
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