AN: I am working on a shorter, more condensed version of this story. I am contunuing to write this for those who have invested their time. I decided to do so after the comments received. I am not sure how much I can cut out, but I will do my best.
Right after breakfast the next morning, Dr. Davis showed up with a bright smile on his face.
"Good morning, John. How are you feeling today?" he greeted cheerfully in an attempt to gauge how his patient's mood was and how he felt towards therapy.
Grimacing, Johnny shrugged, "Am fine."
Nodding, the doctor set down the few items he had brought to help increase the effectiveness of therapy.
"I know that Doctor Early has you on less medicine to help with pain, so you may hurt a bit more right now. The exercises I do with you and ask your family to help you with may cause some pain too," he warned. "The pain shouldn't get too bad, if it does, tell someone. Otherwise, what you do in physical therapy will help with the pain. It will take a bit, but once we get you moving, your body will be happier. Does that make sense?"
"Pain now…so, less…later?" Johnny asked slowly and carefully, trying to remember what his Uncle Roy had told him about speaking.
"Yes, exactly!"
"And great job kiddo," Roy grinned at Johnny. "That is what I meant by speaking all the words in your head. I know it'll be hard, but like I said, Aunt Jo, me, Chris, Jenny and others will be here for you."
Smiling bashfully with pink running through his cheeks, John turned back to Doctor Davis. Sensing the embarrassment, the physical therapist started his session.
"What I am going to start with is helping you stretch out your muscles," he elucidated. "You should be able to do this on your own after this."
Picking up the uncasted leg, Davis began the stretching exercises, explaining what he was doing and why as he did so.
"How did that feel?" Dr. Davis inquired. "Was it painful?"
"Feel funny. Kind of bad, good," John answered, puzzled himself. "Before was like run. Tight. Now, not much like it."
"So, it feels a little better?" Roy asked, wanting to make sure he understood.
Nodding as eagerly as he could without setting off another blinding headache, Johnny smiled.
"That's great! And that is exactly what we want to happen in physical therapy." Davis told him. "Each time, we will have you do more stretches and pretty soon, we can get you strong again."
"Good," John grinned up at them.
I just want to go home! he thought before a darker thought entered his mind. But where is home?
Before he could dwell on that topic, the physical therapist was showing him how to stretch his arm out slowly so as not to bump the IV. The exercises for the arms were harder, a bit more complicated and painful Johnny quickly found out from the stitches he had gotten on various parts of his body. Still, fearful of what would happen if he complained, he just grasped his bottom lip between his teeth, determined not to let on. However, both Dr. Davis and Roy were watching closely to see how John reacted and both could the pain shining through his eyes. Nodding at one another, Davis ceased with that part of the therapy early.
"Alright, that looks like it is a bit more painful, huh Johnny?" Roy asked John, hoping to get an honest answer out of him.
"No," was the whispered replied.
Sighing inwardly, Roy turned his chair to face John better while Doctor Davis backed off a bit.
"I, we," he corrected. "Could see that it hurt. Your eyes gave it away. It is fine to let us know you are hurting. It is perfectly normal to hurt after what happened."
Unsure whether telling Johnny that if he didn't let anyone know he was in pain, especially during therapy sessions, could mean a delay in how long until he was well enough to leave, Roy was grateful when Davis explained it to him.
"Punished?" Johnny looked up to both men after being told.
"No, you will never get punished for saying you are hurt," Roy forcefully said. "You will also never get punished like you did at that ranch."
Unsure what was being talked about, Davis wisely said nothing. Watching, he saw a silent promise being communicated to Johnny and just as he began thinking should speak up, he saw that Johnny silently accepted that promise while in return, promised to try to remember that.
Amazing! I know I was told the two of them have had a special bond since they first met, but quite honestly, after being told the severity of the head injury John had, I didn't think it could survive. I guess this is what it is meant that some people are meant to be in your life in one form or another, Davis pondered. At least now I know why this person is fighting so hard for him. I wonder if Roy's whole family has that bond. Somehow, I wouldn't doubt it.
"Promise to let us know if something hurts so we can help?" Davis returned to the topic at hand.
"Yes," John promised, chastened.
"It's okay, this is not easy." the doctor assured him. "How about we get on with the rest so you can rest before lunch if you'd like?"
"Okay."
"These are weights that can be strapped around an ankle or wrist," Davis held up a long, rectangle type of sandbag with fastening straps on each end. As he put it around the uncasted ankle, he went on to explain, "This weighs about a pound and I'll help you do some more exercises with this on. It will help strengthen your muscles even further. Ready?"
A bit scared looking, Johnny nodded.
Smiling at him, Dr. Davis started helping Johnny bend and lift first his leg, than each arm to strength them. Once he could see that his patient was reaching the point where the pain was getting too much, Davis stopped.
"How is the pain?" he questioned, looking straight at his patient.
"Little bad," John said truthfully.
"Like, owww, my arms and leg are going to fall off?" he exaggerated, shaking his arm and twisting his face into a comical expression of pain.
Laughing, John shook his head no.
"So, more like, I tried lifting too much?"
Thinking about that, Johnny agreed, "Yes."
"That is good," the physical therapist cheerfully said. Seeing the look he was given, he grinned and explained, "It may not seem good, but once your muscles and body get used to moving, it will get a lot easier. Tonight still may be hard, but tomorrow when I come, shouldn't be as difficult. If the pain gets any worse, tell someone."
"More?" John exclaimed, than slapped his hand on his mouth.
Suppressing his grin, Davis said, "Yes, your Uncle Roy will be helping you tonight after supper."
Scrunching up his face, Johnny slumped down a bit.
"Sorry, Junior," Roy said. "But you do want out of this bed, don't you?"
"Yeah…"
"Then this is something that has to be done," he patiently explained.
"Do you two have any questions before I leave?" Davis asked as he sensed that a deeper topic might be around the corner and decided ending the session a bit early would be better.
"No, I don't think so," Roy answered slowly after looking towards Johnny.
"Okay, page me if you need anything. I am on until seven tonight," he said and with a wave, was gone.
"No place home," John stated, seemingly oblivious to the short conversation between his physical therapist and Roy.
Trying to determine how to answer the question, Roy knew Johnny valued honesty over lies.
Heck, we even got into arguments a couple times cause of the subject, Roy remembered, thinking back on times when the two of them debated when was being honest with a patient better than not telling the whole truth or lying. He always stuck as close to the truth as much as possible. Never to the point that it harmed anyone, but it is something he had greatly valued. In this case, how much will the truth hurt or help?
Figuring that Karl Druthers could help sort out any blunders, as Johnny was getting more agitated by the minute, Roy jumped in with both feet.
"You are partly right, you don't have a home. At least not with your parents," Roy quickly pointed out. "And you were put into what we, meaning my family and the people in this hospital, was similar to an orphanage after they passed away. However, your aunt did ask us my wife and I to look after you since she wouldn't. We are more than happy to do so. Our kids already love you, as do the two of us. We think of you as part of our family. We would be happy to have you make our home yours as well. But home is not just a place, it is also a feeling.
"We know that and will do what we can to help you. None of us want you to forget about your mom or dad, or about where you come from. That is too much of a part of who you are and to lose that would be to lose a huge part of who you are. My family, friends and those here are willing to help you learn how to get back the skills you need to be the kid you were and learn to trust us. Trust that we do want what is best for you, that we care about you. We are not perfect. We will make mistakes, we may yell sometimes, or get upset, but we won't leave you. Just like we would never willingly leave Chris or Jenny."
Letting Johnny have some time and space to think things over, Roy patted his arm and stole out of his room quietly. Turning out of the door, he jumped back in shock as he nearly ran into Dr. Druthers.
"You about gave me a heart attack, doc!"
"Well, at least we're in a great hospital," he wisecracked. "Probably the best place to have one."
"I thought your session with Johnny wasn't until after occupation therapy," Roy wondered as he rolled his eyes.
"It isn't, but Doctor Davis told me he had a feeling it might be a good idea for me to come down. Said something along the lines of having a feeling I might be needed. Sounds like he was wrong though. You handled that fairly well. Not that I'm surprised," Doctor Druthers added.
"Oh," Roy blushed a deep red.
"It's nothing to be embarrassed about. How about we go check in and see how Johnny is doing?" he suggested, guiding Roy back into the room.
"Hi, Johnny," Karl greeted. "I had a bit of extra time this morning and thought I'd stop by and see how you are."
"Don't know," came the short and confused sounding reply.
"Why is that?" Dr. Druthers asked, sitting across from Roy's usual chair.
"Uncle Roy family like me," Johnny explained. "Do not recall. Bad don't?"
"Is it bad that you don't?" Karl rephrased, then seeing the nod, went on. "No, it's okay that you can't remember them. You might not remember them at all. All anyone asks is for you to give them a chance."
"Can I see head?" asked John, his curiosity over what happened too much to take.
"It's wrapped up in bandages right now," Roy hedged, clearly uncomfortable at the idea of John seeing a thirty-year old man and not a seven year old boy in the mirror.
Karl, on the other hand, realized that soon or later, it would have to take place. Although this wasn't exactly planned, the doctor figured at least John was still being monitored closely for a couple more days, which would help give everyone a frame of reference of how he was taking the news. It might also give him an inside into the mind set of Johnny. Nodding to himself, Karl went to the bedside table and flipped the mirror part over.
"Alright, I will show you, but try to remain calm as possible, okay?" Doctor Druthers asked.
Looking at Roy, he made sure that he was ready to help restrain Johnny if needed. Bringing the mirror closer until John could see himself, the two men waited with baited breath. After a few minutes, John slowly reached out to touch the mirror before leaping back a bit. Roy placed his hand on Johnny's arm in reassurance and finding the courage, John touched his face along his jawline before reaching for the mirror again. Scanning the mirror, he blinked rapidly.
"Hair moved!" Johnny laughed in awe.
"What do you mean?" Roy asked, clearly bewildered.
"Top hair gone, went here," John pointed to his jawline. "Light skin. Fat."
"You think you have light skin and are fatter?" Roy was now thoroughly confused. Yes, he could see how Johnny would think his skin was more washed out, after being in the hospital so long, his skin did lose its normal coloring. But fat? "I hate to say this, but…"
Seeing Doctor Druthers cut him off with a harsh, quick hand gesture, Roy fell silent.
"What makes you think you have lighter skin?" Dr. Druthers asked.
"Don't know," Johnny admitted.
"It's okay, usually if people are in the hospital for a while, their skin lightens," Karl assured him. "So, what do you think you are fat?"
"Not fat," scrunching his face, Johnny tried thinking of the allusive word. "Like I eat more."
"Ahh, so you look like you are eating more food, better food?"
"Yes," John said. "Mom, Dad did well as can. Hard."
"It's understandable. Things are not the same here as they are there. I know your parents loved you very much. It shows in the person you are," the doctor praised.
"Thank," Johnny's brown eyes sparkled.
Putting away the mirror, Karl prodded a bit more, "So, did this help you at all?"
"See true self. Not just feelings. Cannot trust them," Johnny yawned.
"Was this part of why you didn't trust Uncle Roy and his family?"
"Not sure," John admitted sleepily. "Think all things too big and scary. By seeing truth, see self and who hands to put self in."
"Do you think it may be easier to trust them now?" he pressed.
"Yes, saw he protect me. Like that," Johnny smile. "You act like dad."
"Well, I can't help it," Roy confessed. "You're family."
"Glad," Johnny said as he gave into sleep.
As soon as both Roy and Karl were certain John wouldn't wake, the two headed to the nurses lounge to talk over coffee.
"I think he is making excellent progress," Doctor Druthers told Roy. "And the biggest hurdle, him seeing himself in the mirror for the first time, went a lot better than I anticipated. When the bandages are all finally removed in another week, we'll try it again. Well, unless he asks."
"Yeah, one thing that hasn't changed is his curiosity," Roy ruefully said. "I had to admit, I was prepared for him not being able to deal at all."
"It helps having a safety net of family always with him, even though he can't recall anything about your family and still has trust issues because of his situation," Karl casually mentioned. "I think we keep going how we have been, and be prepared for things becoming a lot more difficult just in case. I figure this plan seems to be working well so far, so why change it."
"Thanks," Roy stood up and shook the doctor's hand. "Jo and I can't tell you how much we appreciate this."
"No problem," Druthers waved him off. "I'll see you guys for your sessions later. I figure Johnny can have the afternoon off, although if you need me, page or come up."
"Will do," Roy acknowledged as he sank back into his seat. Prepared for the first therapy session going horribly wrong, he felt almost at loose ends and unsure what to do with himself. Seeing that it was over an hour till Joanne would be there with lunch and knowing John would sleep until then, Roy headed downstairs to the ER with no concrete plan in mind.