Chapter 14 – Progress
Three days afterwards Nick smiled brightly as he parked his car in front of the house, Stan sitting patiently in the passenger seat.
"I can't believe it really is that easy." Nick said as he switched the motor off.
"I have to admit you are quite talented. So, what do you think? You get yourself out off this car again?"
"Absolutely." Nick said with a bright grin on his face. For the first time since he was told about his injuries he felt independent again.
He pushed the button on his door and watched in the rear view mirror as the robotic arm brought his chair directly to the driver side.
"You can be really happy to have a car like this. Normally you would have to get your chair out of the passenger seat now and get it back together." Stan said watching as well.
"At least all the money is good for something." Nick smiled before transferring himself into his wheelchair again.
Andy couldn't hide her smile as she was having dinner together with Nick. Today had been a long day for him but for the first time in ages it felt like talking to the "old" Nick, the Nick she knew so well. He was smiling brightly, talking and joking and Andy knew that he felt great with the independency he just got back.
"What do you think? We could catch a movie." Nick said looking at his watch.
"I'm in." Andy said before getting up.
"I will quickly get dressed. Can you order the tickets?" Nick just nodded getting his phone out of his pocket. He couldn't wait to feel normal again.
On their way to the cinema Nick had to swallow. In his mood he hadn't thought everything through .He didn't know if the cinema was accessible. What should he do if it wasn't?
"Hey you okay?" Andy asked as she watched Nick from the side. The smile that had been on his face since he had got back to the house from his drive with Stan had suddenly faded. "Yeah." He said looking towards Andy for a second. She had dressed up and looked so beautiful. Hopefully it would all went well and not turn to embracing again.
Nick quickly found a parking lot and pushed the button on the side of the door so his chair was transferred from the trunk towards his side of the door.
"Great technique I have to admit." Andy said while watching.
"You need my help?" She asked as she spotted Nick getting ready to transfer to his chair. "Hopefully not. But you can come over here and catch me if it went south." Nick joked before gently transferring to his wheelchair, Andy standing in reach to grab him.
"That went well." She said smiling before she helped Nick settle his legs into the footrests of the wheelchair and strapping them in.
The fact that there where parking lots for handicapped had got some of the tension that Nick was feeling away and indeed the cinema was perfectly accessible. He had a space beside Andy where he could easily park his wheelchair and keep sitting in it. At least he could really enjoy the movie and laugh out of his full heart about the jokes. Andy closed her eyes for a second as she heard Nick laughing. It felt like an eternity since she had heard this sound for the last time. She smiled brightly before relaxing as well.
As they returned home it was already midnight.
"Oh damn it Betty! We forgot to tell her that we where running late today!" Nick said glancing at his clock. "We can't call her in the middle of the night."
"No problem. Nick you are so good with all the transfers and I can help you with the other things. Shouldn't be a problem to manage this together, should it?" Andy asked receiving a headshake.
"No. I just need to get undressed and settled with my pillow."
"Oh I know how to do that." Andy said before they both bursted into a laughter.
"I remember." Nick said, glad Andy was sharing his mood.
"My dear brother is coming by today, staying overnight." Nick said as he wheeled himself into the kitchen the next morning. He had just received a text from Swarek. Andy just nodded, glad to finally be able to spend some time together with Sam again.
Sam got into the house just minutes after Stan had entered. He knocked onto the door to the physioroom before stepping in. Nick was laying on the floor while Stan was stretching his legs again.
"Hey little brother. Just wanted to announce I am here."
"Hey!" Nick said before getting into a sitting position, hugging Sam quickly.
"How is he doing? No more stunts since the last time I stopped by?" Sam asked towards Stan. "No nothing. He's doing quite good but I think Nick is looking forward to tell you all of the great progress he is making himself."
"Damn sure I am." Nick said smiling brightly.
"I am glad you are doing better. Honestly." Sam said and Nick knew that he was just telling the truth, not only in his role as his brother.
Nick directly got upstairs after physio, giving Sam and Andy the private time they needed, even if it felt like ripping his beating heart out of his chest. He was spending 24 hours together with Andy at the moment which wasn't doing any good to his real feelings for her.
"Nick? Dinner is ready." Andy called out for him a few hours later. She appreciated what he was doing for them but she really wanted Nick to come down and eat some proper dinner.
To her surprise Nick made his way downstairs with the elevator without any more protests. "Sam, you got an idea when Stan or the cartel is going to start a move? It's way to quite at the moment if you ask for my opinion." Nick said after eating a few bites.
"Yeah don't tell me. We are getting anxious too. Until now Stan isn't even asking you many personal questions from what I hear during physio. It's kinda weird, we recognized that too." "Do you think he's playing us?" Andy asked, getting Nick to shake his head.
"I really think Stan is a good guy. I don't know how he fits into all of this but he is a great physiotherapist and a great guy too."
"We will have to wait, there is nothing else we can do. I don't think it will take them forever. You got any feeling back in your legs?" Sam asked, pointing his fork towards Nicks wheelchair.
"No, nothing. Absolutely nothing. They are still completely senseless and completely motionless."
"I don't think it will take long until you get your feeling back. If you want me to consult a doctor or…."
"I am fine." Nick interrupted. He knew that it wouldn't do him any good to get impatient now. It was a spinal cord injury and it needed time. They had just spent a few weeks here.
During the whole night Nick couldn't catch any sleep. Images of Andy and Sam in the other room got to him every time he tried to make an attempt on sleeping. It wasn't just the fact that Andy was with Sam right now. It was the burning question in his head if he would ever have sex again? If he would ever feel his lower body again. This thoughts got him a hard time throughout the night. He just wanted to walk again and even if he knew that there was no reason to get impatient at the moment, he just felt like crap. Even for the smallest things he needed an eternity. Sitting on the couch and forgot your coke...great just transfer from the couch to the wheelchair again. Make your way towards the fridge, pray that there was a coke in reach and not stored to high, get back towards the couch, transfer again, get your legs settled. He was just sick and tired of it and there was still a long way ahead.
….to be continued!