Page 20 of Teaching the Kot'oll Coach

But there are too many cables on me and I don’t want to accidentally yank something important. Then the doctors and nurses will run in thinking I’m dead or something.

I have to...

There’s a knock on the door. I open my mouth, but my throat is a bit too dry that making a noise hurts. The knock stops. Maybe whoever knocking can’t hear me.

There’s a red button on a remote hanging over the fence of the bed. I suppose I can push that for help, but the one knocking may not be a staff. So...

I take a breath and try to talk again, but the door opens before I say a word.

A head peeks into the room.

It’s Winnie! She can help me for sure.

She comes in and watches me. “Oh, you’re up. I thought you were still sleeping.”

“I...” I clear my throat, but it still hurts. She hurries to my bedside drawers and gives me a cup of water. I’m about to take it when she puts it to the side and presses something behind me, which I can’t see.

The bed squeaks and shudders, lifting me until I’m sitting up halfway. She takes the cup again and lifts it to my lips. I sip on the water as she tries to help me to it.

She lets out a breath. “You have no idea how much I worried about you.”

I swallow the water. It is cool and it is amazing. I don’t remember having anything remotely this great. Maybe it has to do with her feeding me the water, but whatever, I’m happy. Maybe I’m a simple male after all.

I take a breath after finishing the water. “I’m good.”

She sighs again. She eyes me up and down. I stare at myself too. I look mostly intact, and I can talk, so that’s good too.

“Telke... You’re crazy.”

“I’m just trying to do...”

There are tears in her eyes. It pains me.

Is she that worried about me?

I want to hug her and tell her that I’m fine, but what if she doesn’t want my hug?

“Winnie... Did you see the accident?”

“Yeah...” She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. “I did. It scared me. I called the medics to pick your half-dead ass up.”

“I’m sorry. I... But I’m fine now.”

She shakes her head.

My blood almost freezes. Does she know about something that I don’t?

I swallow... It will suck if only my arms are fine, which are all I can see. “So... What else is wrong with me? Oh, right... Will you check whether my toes are moving?”

“What?”

I point at the blanket, not knowing whether I want to do that or not. Do I want an answer to that? Can I survive if I only have my arms left?

“I want to see whether my legs are fine.”

“Okay...” She moved to the blanket. “I hope you’re clothed.”

Oh... I didn’t give that a single thought. I think I’m clothed. I should be, right?

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