Title: Adjustments
Author: Listabets
Rating: PG13 may end up R but I'm not sure
Category: Robert and Elizabeth romance
Disclaimer: I do not own Robert orElizabeth. I'm just borrowing them for a little bit for my own amusement, and hopefully for the amusement of those reading this.
Robert rolled his left shoulder forward and back stretching the residual muscles to their maximum. The joint still felt stiff but he was making progress and had been working on improving the strength and stability of what remained of his left arm for over eight weeks now. When not stretching and strengthening Robert was working on improving electrical output of the remaining muscles so he could make the best use of his prosthetic.
"If someone had told me 2 years ago I would be doing this I would have laughed in their faces" Robert thought grimly and not for the first time. Sweat gathered in the hollows of his collarbones and slid down his arms as he continued to push his body through the regular routine of Physical Therapy. Watching himself in the mirror on the far side of his home gym Robert found it hard to look at the stump his left arm had become. Closing his eyes he could still just about imagine what it felt like to be whole-to wiggle his fingers, scratch himself, run his hand across his face. Shaking his head Robert reached for the massage cream to begin his daily ritual of rubbing the scars to reduce the sensitivity.
"Lucky the I'm on medical leave-this is a damn full time job!" Robert declared to the empty room. As he absently rubbed and massaged the healing scars on his stump Roberts thoughts drifted to Lizzie. Eight weeks and not a word from her. Not one phone call. Snippets of memory tugged at Robert- slurred mumblings that seemed to add up to him saying something stupid and Elizabeth closing him out of her life. Not that he had ever really been invited into her life but having the privilege of being on the periphery had been awfully nice. Now there was nothing.
Wiping the excess cream onto his towel, Robert forced himself to head up to shower and face his day. He would have the final fitting for his Myoelectric Arm in about two hours and then yet another training session to learn how this one would be different from the training prosthetic. As the hot water beat against his body Robert thought back to those moments just prior to surgery, in the hallway, with Elizabeth.
"You think I'm doing the right thing?" Robert had asked needing her reassurance.
"Doesn't matter what I think" Elizabeth had replied, briefly glancing up from writing Not This One Idiot on Robert's right arm. He was sure she had understood the weight of his fears.
"That is a position I would usually advocate, but....now I'm asking." Robert felt unable to look away from her face, searching for the support he so desperately needed.
Lizzie met his eyes with her own "You're doing the right thing."
"Yeah" Robert shook his head to rid himself of the memory of those hollow words.
All that concern, even a brief glimpse of caring, and now nothing.
Robert slammed his hand down on the shower controls to stop the spray of water "What the Hell did I say to her in recovery that has scared her away!!" he thought viciously as he banged out of the shower stall and began the long process of drying and dressing.
Rating: PG13 may end up R but I'm not sure
Category: Robert and Elizabeth romance
Disclaimer: I do not own Robert orElizabeth. I'm just borrowing them for a little bit for my own amusement, and hopefully for the amusement of those reading this.
Robert rolled his left shoulder forward and back stretching the residual muscles to their maximum. The joint still felt stiff but he was making progress and had been working on improving the strength and stability of what remained of his left arm for over eight weeks now. When not stretching and strengthening Robert was working on improving electrical output of the remaining muscles so he could make the best use of his prosthetic.
"If someone had told me 2 years ago I would be doing this I would have laughed in their faces" Robert thought grimly and not for the first time. Sweat gathered in the hollows of his collarbones and slid down his arms as he continued to push his body through the regular routine of Physical Therapy. Watching himself in the mirror on the far side of his home gym Robert found it hard to look at the stump his left arm had become. Closing his eyes he could still just about imagine what it felt like to be whole-to wiggle his fingers, scratch himself, run his hand across his face. Shaking his head Robert reached for the massage cream to begin his daily ritual of rubbing the scars to reduce the sensitivity.
"Lucky the I'm on medical leave-this is a damn full time job!" Robert declared to the empty room. As he absently rubbed and massaged the healing scars on his stump Roberts thoughts drifted to Lizzie. Eight weeks and not a word from her. Not one phone call. Snippets of memory tugged at Robert- slurred mumblings that seemed to add up to him saying something stupid and Elizabeth closing him out of her life. Not that he had ever really been invited into her life but having the privilege of being on the periphery had been awfully nice. Now there was nothing.
Wiping the excess cream onto his towel, Robert forced himself to head up to shower and face his day. He would have the final fitting for his Myoelectric Arm in about two hours and then yet another training session to learn how this one would be different from the training prosthetic. As the hot water beat against his body Robert thought back to those moments just prior to surgery, in the hallway, with Elizabeth.
"You think I'm doing the right thing?" Robert had asked needing her reassurance.
"Doesn't matter what I think" Elizabeth had replied, briefly glancing up from writing Not This One Idiot on Robert's right arm. He was sure she had understood the weight of his fears.
"That is a position I would usually advocate, but....now I'm asking." Robert felt unable to look away from her face, searching for the support he so desperately needed.
Lizzie met his eyes with her own "You're doing the right thing."
"Yeah" Robert shook his head to rid himself of the memory of those hollow words.
All that concern, even a brief glimpse of caring, and now nothing.
Robert slammed his hand down on the shower controls to stop the spray of water "What the Hell did I say to her in recovery that has scared her away!!" he thought viciously as he banged out of the shower stall and began the long process of drying and dressing.