LOST - PART I
ON YOUR MARK
Chapter 7
Adam found himself grinning back at Thea in spite of the ominous welcome she had just given him. She laughed softly and said, "Good, I can see nothing here intimidates you so there is no reason why we can't get started."
Turning, she walked toward the center of the room where a large, thick mat was spread out on the floor. Abner quickly pushed him up to it, set the brake on the chair, and then came around to lift him up and settle him on his back on the floor.
Thea startled him by dropping gracefully to sit next to him with her legs folded under her. "Now, I know you want to get your hands on those parallel bars and start walking, but believe me that can do more harm than good. The tendons in your limbs will have started to shorten, which always happens when arms and legs are kept immobile for long periods of time. Yours will not have shortened that much in just six weeks, but we have to be careful and stretch them back to normal gradually. We don't want any tearing to occur, we just don't have the ability to repair tendons yet."
Adam was looking up at her animated face and realized he was nodding in agreement with her, even though every fiber of his being wanted to be up and walking right then.
She smiled down into his face again before looking up at Abner and nodding. The black man came to kneel next to Adam's left leg. Then he reached out to take Adam's ankle in his right hand and used his left hand to help the knee bend. The pressure was gentle and he stopped when the knee had bent as far as it would easily.
Thea was watching this carefully and when Abner looked at her questioningly she nodded again. The black man increased the pressure on the knee by small amounts, gradually bending it further. By the time he finished, beads of sweat were standing out on Adam's forehead, but he hadn't made a single sound.
Pulling a handkerchief from a pocket, Thea blotted the sweat away, and then switched places with Abner. She started kneading the muscles of his left leg while Abner repeated the procedure on his right. Again, Adam made no sound indicating how much the stretching was hurting him and Thea couldn't help but be impressed with his control, something she had a great deal of herself.
When Abner finished, she moved around to massage the other leg while the black man moved on to Adam's left arm. His arms were in much better shape and Abner motioned for Thea to come around and test it.
"Just let your arm go limp," she said to the prone man while taking hold of his wrist and upper arm with her strong, long-fingered hands. She looked off into the distance and began moving his arm through its normal range of motion. Moving to the other side she did the same with his right arm. Gently laying the arm back down on the mat, she smiled a wide smile as she looked down into his face.
"This is wonderful, I only felt the slightest resistance in your left elbow. That means we can start working on getting your strength back in your arms right now." She seemed to be extremely pleased and rubbed her hands together before turning to Abner.
"Would you please bring the trapeze over?" she asked and he rose to his feet, hurried across the room, and quickly returned with something that looked like a sawhorse with two short pieces of rope tied to it. The ends of the rope had been threaded through holes near the ends of a round, wooden bar. He placed it over Adam's chest and he automatically reached up to grasp the bar in both hands.
"We're going to use your own body weight to build up your arms for a little while, then we'll move on to heavier weights." She reached out to take his hands off the bar, and then turned them over. "Hold the bar like this and pull yourself up if you can," she instructed and watched as he pulled himself up until his chin met the bar.
"Oh good," she chortled with delight. "Now do that nine more times and be sure to lift and lower yourself slowly," she instructed him and by the time he was finished sweat was soaking through his shirt. He was surprised that little amount of effort had left him wrung out and his muscles quivering.
"I know you feel about as weak as a kitten right now, but I'm quite sure you'll recover more quickly than you expect." She rose to her feet and moved the trapeze away herself so Abner could lift him up and settle him in the wheelchair again.
Adam sighed, disappointed and impatient with the little he had managed to do. Thea patted him on the shoulder.
"That's all we are going to do today and we will continue to come out here once a day for the rest of this week. After that, we'll be coming out here in the morning AND the afternoon. Then we will continue that schedule, but the sessions will get longer as time goes on. You'll be up and on your feet in no time!" she reassured him, her voice ringing with the authority of past experience. Adam's heart lightened at her words and he resolved to throw every bit of effort he could into getting moving again.
They left the building and returned to the house where Thea insisted that he lie down and rest for what was left of the morning. But he found it easier to accept when she told Abner to help him onto the couch instead of the bed.
She slipped a pillow under his head, patted him on the shoulder again, and moved to the chair opposite to sit down. Then she gave him a warm smile.
"You don't have to go to sleep Adam, I just want you to rest. Muscles have to be given time to recover or damage can occur." She picked up a book. "Would you like something to read?"
Adam had been dreading this question and didn't answer, he just kept looking at her with eyes that had darkened.
"What's wrong?" she was quick to ask and he grimaced before reluctantly speaking.
"I can't read."
He appreciated the fact that she didn't react by saying "what?" or staring at him in surprise. Instead her eyes narrowed and she slowly nodded her head.
"I am sure you used to be able to read, and I was afraid something like that might happen. Frequently with brain swelling, skills can be lost and need to be learned all over again."
She bit her lip as she stared off into the distance for a moment. Then she surprised him by standing and coming over. Putting the book down on the low table in front of the couch, she bent over, slid her hands under his shoulder blades and pushed him into a sitting position. Then she quickly sat down cross-legged on that end of the couch, facing in the same direction he was.
She put the pillow in her lap before putting her hands on his shoulders to tug him back down. When his head and shoulders were propped up against her, she reached out to pick up the book then opened it to the first page while holding it upright with the bottom edge resting on his chest.
"How does this feel? Are you comfortable?" she said and all he could do was nod. He was deeply aware of her closeness and the warmth of her body that he could feel through her dress where the top of his head was touching. Then he realized he was having that same intense reaction to her again, but didn't care. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his nerves, but instead reacted even more strongly to the faint, flowery scent she was wearing. "Lilly of the Valley," he thought and smiled, thinking the perfume suited her.
She interrupted his musings when she cleared her throat and shifted slightly. Staring at the printing blankly for a moment, he clenched his teeth and tried to concentrate as she started to read out loud.
An hour later when she stopped he was smiling with relief. He still couldn't really read, but letters and words had started standing out and he was certain he would remember.
Thea set the book down on the low table and was about to ask him if anything had looked familiar when she realized he had fallen asleep. She sat there with his head in her lap for some time, even though her legs were now numb. For some reason, she just could not bring herself to disturb him by moving.
He was sleeping deeply, completely relaxed and she could tell when he started dreaming and when the dream turned into a nightmare. Drawing in a sharp breath, his brow furrowed and his entire body tensed as his eyes moved swiftly under his closed lids, as though looking for escape. Sweat was starting to bead his forehead when Thea cradled his face in her hands and leaned down to whisper in his ear.
"It's alright Adam, you're safe. You're only dreaming..." She continued to whisper in his ear and was pleased to see him begin to relax, the tension in his muscles easing and his expression clearing. But he didn't wake up and she smiled with satisfaction when he moved on to the next and deeper stage of sleep.
Smoothing the damp hair off his forehead with a gentle hand she sat back as she considered the assault he had endured. As a doctor, she knew exactly what had been done to him and for the first time in her life felt the urge to kill as true fury burst to life in her heart.
The intensity of that feeling shocked her deeply and she carefully lifted his head to slip off the couch. She stood there for a moment, her legs shaking from more than being in one position for too long and stared down at him. He was a stranger to everyone, even himself, and she shook her head as she began backing away. She had no intention of giving her heart to anyone, firmly believing that a heart not given could not be broken, and she had promised herself that no one would ever have that kind of power over her again.
Still shaking her head, she did what she had never, ever done before - she ran away.
ON YOUR MARK
Chapter 7
Adam found himself grinning back at Thea in spite of the ominous welcome she had just given him. She laughed softly and said, "Good, I can see nothing here intimidates you so there is no reason why we can't get started."
Turning, she walked toward the center of the room where a large, thick mat was spread out on the floor. Abner quickly pushed him up to it, set the brake on the chair, and then came around to lift him up and settle him on his back on the floor.
Thea startled him by dropping gracefully to sit next to him with her legs folded under her. "Now, I know you want to get your hands on those parallel bars and start walking, but believe me that can do more harm than good. The tendons in your limbs will have started to shorten, which always happens when arms and legs are kept immobile for long periods of time. Yours will not have shortened that much in just six weeks, but we have to be careful and stretch them back to normal gradually. We don't want any tearing to occur, we just don't have the ability to repair tendons yet."
Adam was looking up at her animated face and realized he was nodding in agreement with her, even though every fiber of his being wanted to be up and walking right then.
She smiled down into his face again before looking up at Abner and nodding. The black man came to kneel next to Adam's left leg. Then he reached out to take Adam's ankle in his right hand and used his left hand to help the knee bend. The pressure was gentle and he stopped when the knee had bent as far as it would easily.
Thea was watching this carefully and when Abner looked at her questioningly she nodded again. The black man increased the pressure on the knee by small amounts, gradually bending it further. By the time he finished, beads of sweat were standing out on Adam's forehead, but he hadn't made a single sound.
Pulling a handkerchief from a pocket, Thea blotted the sweat away, and then switched places with Abner. She started kneading the muscles of his left leg while Abner repeated the procedure on his right. Again, Adam made no sound indicating how much the stretching was hurting him and Thea couldn't help but be impressed with his control, something she had a great deal of herself.
When Abner finished, she moved around to massage the other leg while the black man moved on to Adam's left arm. His arms were in much better shape and Abner motioned for Thea to come around and test it.
"Just let your arm go limp," she said to the prone man while taking hold of his wrist and upper arm with her strong, long-fingered hands. She looked off into the distance and began moving his arm through its normal range of motion. Moving to the other side she did the same with his right arm. Gently laying the arm back down on the mat, she smiled a wide smile as she looked down into his face.
"This is wonderful, I only felt the slightest resistance in your left elbow. That means we can start working on getting your strength back in your arms right now." She seemed to be extremely pleased and rubbed her hands together before turning to Abner.
"Would you please bring the trapeze over?" she asked and he rose to his feet, hurried across the room, and quickly returned with something that looked like a sawhorse with two short pieces of rope tied to it. The ends of the rope had been threaded through holes near the ends of a round, wooden bar. He placed it over Adam's chest and he automatically reached up to grasp the bar in both hands.
"We're going to use your own body weight to build up your arms for a little while, then we'll move on to heavier weights." She reached out to take his hands off the bar, and then turned them over. "Hold the bar like this and pull yourself up if you can," she instructed and watched as he pulled himself up until his chin met the bar.
"Oh good," she chortled with delight. "Now do that nine more times and be sure to lift and lower yourself slowly," she instructed him and by the time he was finished sweat was soaking through his shirt. He was surprised that little amount of effort had left him wrung out and his muscles quivering.
"I know you feel about as weak as a kitten right now, but I'm quite sure you'll recover more quickly than you expect." She rose to her feet and moved the trapeze away herself so Abner could lift him up and settle him in the wheelchair again.
Adam sighed, disappointed and impatient with the little he had managed to do. Thea patted him on the shoulder.
"That's all we are going to do today and we will continue to come out here once a day for the rest of this week. After that, we'll be coming out here in the morning AND the afternoon. Then we will continue that schedule, but the sessions will get longer as time goes on. You'll be up and on your feet in no time!" she reassured him, her voice ringing with the authority of past experience. Adam's heart lightened at her words and he resolved to throw every bit of effort he could into getting moving again.
They left the building and returned to the house where Thea insisted that he lie down and rest for what was left of the morning. But he found it easier to accept when she told Abner to help him onto the couch instead of the bed.
She slipped a pillow under his head, patted him on the shoulder again, and moved to the chair opposite to sit down. Then she gave him a warm smile.
"You don't have to go to sleep Adam, I just want you to rest. Muscles have to be given time to recover or damage can occur." She picked up a book. "Would you like something to read?"
Adam had been dreading this question and didn't answer, he just kept looking at her with eyes that had darkened.
"What's wrong?" she was quick to ask and he grimaced before reluctantly speaking.
"I can't read."
He appreciated the fact that she didn't react by saying "what?" or staring at him in surprise. Instead her eyes narrowed and she slowly nodded her head.
"I am sure you used to be able to read, and I was afraid something like that might happen. Frequently with brain swelling, skills can be lost and need to be learned all over again."
She bit her lip as she stared off into the distance for a moment. Then she surprised him by standing and coming over. Putting the book down on the low table in front of the couch, she bent over, slid her hands under his shoulder blades and pushed him into a sitting position. Then she quickly sat down cross-legged on that end of the couch, facing in the same direction he was.
She put the pillow in her lap before putting her hands on his shoulders to tug him back down. When his head and shoulders were propped up against her, she reached out to pick up the book then opened it to the first page while holding it upright with the bottom edge resting on his chest.
"How does this feel? Are you comfortable?" she said and all he could do was nod. He was deeply aware of her closeness and the warmth of her body that he could feel through her dress where the top of his head was touching. Then he realized he was having that same intense reaction to her again, but didn't care. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his nerves, but instead reacted even more strongly to the faint, flowery scent she was wearing. "Lilly of the Valley," he thought and smiled, thinking the perfume suited her.
She interrupted his musings when she cleared her throat and shifted slightly. Staring at the printing blankly for a moment, he clenched his teeth and tried to concentrate as she started to read out loud.
An hour later when she stopped he was smiling with relief. He still couldn't really read, but letters and words had started standing out and he was certain he would remember.
Thea set the book down on the low table and was about to ask him if anything had looked familiar when she realized he had fallen asleep. She sat there with his head in her lap for some time, even though her legs were now numb. For some reason, she just could not bring herself to disturb him by moving.
He was sleeping deeply, completely relaxed and she could tell when he started dreaming and when the dream turned into a nightmare. Drawing in a sharp breath, his brow furrowed and his entire body tensed as his eyes moved swiftly under his closed lids, as though looking for escape. Sweat was starting to bead his forehead when Thea cradled his face in her hands and leaned down to whisper in his ear.
"It's alright Adam, you're safe. You're only dreaming..." She continued to whisper in his ear and was pleased to see him begin to relax, the tension in his muscles easing and his expression clearing. But he didn't wake up and she smiled with satisfaction when he moved on to the next and deeper stage of sleep.
Smoothing the damp hair off his forehead with a gentle hand she sat back as she considered the assault he had endured. As a doctor, she knew exactly what had been done to him and for the first time in her life felt the urge to kill as true fury burst to life in her heart.
The intensity of that feeling shocked her deeply and she carefully lifted his head to slip off the couch. She stood there for a moment, her legs shaking from more than being in one position for too long and stared down at him. He was a stranger to everyone, even himself, and she shook her head as she began backing away. She had no intention of giving her heart to anyone, firmly believing that a heart not given could not be broken, and she had promised herself that no one would ever have that kind of power over her again.
Still shaking her head, she did what she had never, ever done before - she ran away.