~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You better stand tall
When they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break
Baby, don't back down
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few days later, the doctors decided that Prue was ready for her first physical therapy session.
Leo came in with a short, shrewd-looking woman. "Prue, this is Natalie. She'll be your therapist." he introduced. "I'll leave you two alone so you can get started."
"Okay, then," Natalie started, glancing at Prue's medical chart. "Prudence, is it?"
"Prue." she corrected.
Natalie ignored her. "So, Prudence, can you describe for me exactly what the problem is?"
"The problem," Prue said impatiently, annoyed at the woman's insistance on using her full name, "is that I can barely move from the waist down."
If Natalie noticed Prue's tone, she completely disregarded it. "What is your range of motion, exactly?"
"I can't really bend my knees well," Prue said, "but I can lift my legs about an inch or so above the bed."
"Good," Natalie said, jotting down notes on a clipboard. "That's the excersise I was going to begin with, anyway. Prudence, I want you to lift your legs as high as you can. Keep them straight. Good girl, you can stop now."
Prue had been doing as Natalie asked, focusing all her energy toward getting her legs up just one inch in the air. She managed to hold that position for nearly two minutes, then at Natalie's command, she dropped back down on the bed, dejected. How could something so simple be so damn difficult? Tears sprung to her eyes, but she held them back. There was something about this woman that Prue didn't like, and she was determined not to seem at all weak in front of her.
"Not bad." Natalie said, ignoring Prue's distress.
"Not bad?" Prue repeated, pulling herself up so she was leaning on her elbows. "That was barely an inch!"
"It takes some people with your kind of injury a lot longer to get this far. Considering this is your first session, I'd say that was very good."
Crossly, Prue flopped back down onto the bed. "How long until I'm recovered completely?"
Natalie looked at her sternly. "You need to be patient, Prudence. Pushing yourself too hard isn't going to help, and probably will hurt, your rate of recovery."
Prue was placated. She wanted to get better as soon as possible, and if listening to Natalie was the only way to do it, then she would listen to Natalie.
They ran through a few more excersises, then Natalie decided they should call it a day. Prue started to protest that they'd hardly done anything, but thought better of it.
The moment Natalie left, Piper bounded through the doorway. Her obvious good mood instantly lifted Prue's spirits.
"Hey, sweetie. You look happy." she observed.
"Oh, I am." Piper responded.
"Then I take it your date went well?" Prue asked, subtly pressing for details.
"It was perfect." Piper replied. She proceeded to tell Prue everything, from the moment he picked her up to their last good-night kiss. "He's just... amazing." she finished.
"I don't think I've ever seen you fall this hard, this fast." Prue remarked. "He must be really special."
"He is." Piper agreed.
"Then I'm really happy for you, sweet girl." Prue said, pulling her sister onto the bed next to her.
Piper leaned against Prue, letting her sister play with her hair. "So, how's your session go?" she asked.
"With the Evil Bitch-Monster of Death? Just fine." Prue replied sarcastically.
Piper giggled. "I passed her in the hallway, and she scared the crap out of me. At least now I know I wasn't over-reacting."
Prue glared at her. "Glad I was able to give you some peace of mind."
Piper tried unsuccessfully to hide her amused smile. "Oh, honey, don't worry. Maybe after a few more sessions, she'll relax."
Prue shook her head. "I don't think so. She seems like a real battle-ax. She's got a really forceful, Type-A personality."
"Sounds like someone else I know." Piper commented.
Prue gave her a playful shove. "I am not that bad."
Piper shook her head, still smiling. "Whatever you say, sweetie. Whatever you say."
****************
~from the song "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi~
You better stand tall
When they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break
Baby, don't back down
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few days later, the doctors decided that Prue was ready for her first physical therapy session.
Leo came in with a short, shrewd-looking woman. "Prue, this is Natalie. She'll be your therapist." he introduced. "I'll leave you two alone so you can get started."
"Okay, then," Natalie started, glancing at Prue's medical chart. "Prudence, is it?"
"Prue." she corrected.
Natalie ignored her. "So, Prudence, can you describe for me exactly what the problem is?"
"The problem," Prue said impatiently, annoyed at the woman's insistance on using her full name, "is that I can barely move from the waist down."
If Natalie noticed Prue's tone, she completely disregarded it. "What is your range of motion, exactly?"
"I can't really bend my knees well," Prue said, "but I can lift my legs about an inch or so above the bed."
"Good," Natalie said, jotting down notes on a clipboard. "That's the excersise I was going to begin with, anyway. Prudence, I want you to lift your legs as high as you can. Keep them straight. Good girl, you can stop now."
Prue had been doing as Natalie asked, focusing all her energy toward getting her legs up just one inch in the air. She managed to hold that position for nearly two minutes, then at Natalie's command, she dropped back down on the bed, dejected. How could something so simple be so damn difficult? Tears sprung to her eyes, but she held them back. There was something about this woman that Prue didn't like, and she was determined not to seem at all weak in front of her.
"Not bad." Natalie said, ignoring Prue's distress.
"Not bad?" Prue repeated, pulling herself up so she was leaning on her elbows. "That was barely an inch!"
"It takes some people with your kind of injury a lot longer to get this far. Considering this is your first session, I'd say that was very good."
Crossly, Prue flopped back down onto the bed. "How long until I'm recovered completely?"
Natalie looked at her sternly. "You need to be patient, Prudence. Pushing yourself too hard isn't going to help, and probably will hurt, your rate of recovery."
Prue was placated. She wanted to get better as soon as possible, and if listening to Natalie was the only way to do it, then she would listen to Natalie.
They ran through a few more excersises, then Natalie decided they should call it a day. Prue started to protest that they'd hardly done anything, but thought better of it.
The moment Natalie left, Piper bounded through the doorway. Her obvious good mood instantly lifted Prue's spirits.
"Hey, sweetie. You look happy." she observed.
"Oh, I am." Piper responded.
"Then I take it your date went well?" Prue asked, subtly pressing for details.
"It was perfect." Piper replied. She proceeded to tell Prue everything, from the moment he picked her up to their last good-night kiss. "He's just... amazing." she finished.
"I don't think I've ever seen you fall this hard, this fast." Prue remarked. "He must be really special."
"He is." Piper agreed.
"Then I'm really happy for you, sweet girl." Prue said, pulling her sister onto the bed next to her.
Piper leaned against Prue, letting her sister play with her hair. "So, how's your session go?" she asked.
"With the Evil Bitch-Monster of Death? Just fine." Prue replied sarcastically.
Piper giggled. "I passed her in the hallway, and she scared the crap out of me. At least now I know I wasn't over-reacting."
Prue glared at her. "Glad I was able to give you some peace of mind."
Piper tried unsuccessfully to hide her amused smile. "Oh, honey, don't worry. Maybe after a few more sessions, she'll relax."
Prue shook her head. "I don't think so. She seems like a real battle-ax. She's got a really forceful, Type-A personality."
"Sounds like someone else I know." Piper commented.
Prue gave her a playful shove. "I am not that bad."
Piper shook her head, still smiling. "Whatever you say, sweetie. Whatever you say."
****************
~from the song "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi~