Page 22 of Wild For You
“No.”
“Want me to leave?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, wonderful. You can say a different word. Unfortunately, I can’t leave you just yet. I need to get you dressed so we can head to the local clinic and make sure you’re ready to start the new exercises today.”
“Great,” I moaned.
“I am so excited for you!” she exclaimed as she bounced up and down on her toes while clapping her hands. “This is the next step in getting you better. I’ll have you back on the farm in no time.”
“Right,” I said sarcastically as I leaned over, ignoring the twinge in my back, and flicked on the lamp resting on the nightstand. I winced when it illuminated the room.
As I sat back up, I noticed Kelsey’s eyes trained on my chest, though she tried to look away once she was caught.
“Want me to help you to the bathroom?”
Instead of answering, I stared at her blankly. Like I had any other options?
Thankfully, she remained quiet as I relieved myself and while she helped me get dressed. But the second my shirt was in place, she started yapping again.
“You know, you should be excited about today. If the appointment goes well and the doctor thinks the bruising on your spine has lessened, he may give you crutches. No more nurse-assisted bathroom trips. Yay!”
“Hooray,” I added in a monotone voice.
“And I noticed those dumbbells in the corner of the living room. The doctor may approve you to work out your upper body again too.”
“Anything else?” I asked sardonically, because the woman knew I had no choice but to go to the checkup, but she was trying her damnedest to get me excited about it. News flash—that wasn’t going to happen.
“Yep. I saved the best for last.”
“All right, hit me with it.”
“He may allow you to start putting weight on your other foot. So that means you could walk short distances.”
Fuck, thatwasgood news, meaning her endeavor to make me excited about the appointment worked a smidgen… but I didn’t let her know that.
Instead, I used her help to sit on a bar stool at the kitchen counter and watched as she heated up a breakfast casserole that one of my neighbors dropped off. It was more of a lean than a full sit, since I needed to keep my leg straight.
“Here you go.” Kelsey plated a hunk of the meal and handed it to me with a fork.
“Thanks,” I mumbled as I accepted the dish and dove in, and Kelsey did the same. The only sound in the room was our forks clinking against the plates, and the quiet was a nice reprieve from the discouraging thoughts running through my head.
“Your appointment is at eight. Is there anything you want to do before then?”
I used the counter to support myself as I made my way over to the sink and set my plate into it. “No.”
“Perfect. I can go grab a coffee if you want to hang out here, or you could come with me.”
“I’ll stay.”
Kelsey’s smile slipped slightly, then it moved back into place as she grabbed her keys. “All right. Don’t do anything to hurt yourself. I shouldn’t be long.”
After she left, I used the wall to hobble myself over to the couch, where I’d wait until she returned.
And it was then I realized… I missed the sound of her nonstop chatter.
Fuck me.
