Page 9 of March 5

"Explain how you hurt yourself."

"I was getting off my Harley. My leg gave way, and my back felt weak. It still feels weak."

"Is the pain only in your back?"

"My back doesn't hurt that bad. It feels weak, but a pain goes down my thigh when I try to move." He shifted on the bed and groaned. "Damn. It's like a fucking electrical jolt shooting down my leg."

"Okay, I'm going to try a couple of things to see if we can get you some relief." She crawled up on the bed beside him, being careful not to move the mattress and cause him any more pain. "Believe it or not, riding a motorcycle isn't good for the health of your back. I tell my dad the same thing."

He looked at her. "What's your point?"

"My point is if you continue to ride, you'll probably be plagued with lower back pain." She put her hand on his knee. "I'm going to help you lift this leg. When I do, I'm going to put your ankle on your other upturned knee. We're going to make the number four with your legs." She drew out the number on his limbs. "Don't tense up. Try to keep yourself relaxed."

As much as he tried, he kept tightening his back when she lifted his leg. She stuck out her lower lip, hating to see him in pain.

"I know." She met his gaze as she manipulated his leg. "You're going to have to trust methat soon, you'll feel better."

The second she crossed his legs and hooked his foot above his other knee, his muscles loosened without any coaxing on his part.

"What's going on?" He raised his head. "Why does that help?"

"Don't move." She put her hand on his stomach. "I'm taking pressure off your sciatica nerve. In thirty seconds, we'll uncross your legs and put your foot back on the mattress. Make sure you don't stretch your leg out and undo what I'm doing."

"Let's leave it there." He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. "This is good."

She laughed softly. "Don't worry. We're going to do this several times. With this exercise, we're flossing the compressed nerve between a narrow opening, desensitizing it. Eventually, the inflammation will go down and move smoothly in all the tight spaces in your spinal column."

She put his foot down and watched his breathing. He still held his breath when she moved him.

"Let's do it again." She helped him get into position.

He worked with her in silence. After each set, his hip became looser. He wasn't holding himself stiff anymore, and most importantly, he was breathing.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Better. Not as weak." He propped himself up on his elbows. "Never had it feel like my back was going to break in two before."

"Don't move." She put his foot down on the bed. "If you quit now, it'll return to how it wasearlier." She slowly crawled off the bed. "I'll massage your lumbar and see if we can further get the pressure off your nerve. Have you ever gone to the chiropractor?"

He grunted. "I've never hurt my back before."

"Well, it might be something to think about if this happens again." She wasn't going to worry him about herniated discs, permanent numbness, and numerous other things that were harder to fix.

She wasn't a doctor or a chiropractor. But in the last year of her training to become a physical therapist, she learned that many sciatica problems originated in the spinal cord, even though the symptoms radiated down the leg and even the foot.

A massage would temporarily make him more comfortable, which he needed tonight. If he was lucky, he'd feel better in a week and be able to go back to riding.

"I have my table in the car but moving you from the bed to the table would hurt your back more." She moved closer and stood at the side of him. "I'm going to help you roll over until you're on your stomach."

"I can do it."

"Probably, but I want you to remain relaxed. Don't tense up and undo the progress I've made, okay?" She glanced at his lower half. "Can you unbuckle your belt and undo your jeans? That way I can pull them down to work on your lower back."

She moved away and picked up her bag, using the time he got ready for her to find the lotion she would need. Her hands shook. While she tried to remain professional, she couldn't ignore that it wasDio she'd be touching.

How many times had she dreamed about putting her hands on him?

Not once had she been nervous about touching a client. The people who hired her needed her help, and she had a job to do.

---