Page 32 of Stand: Part One
Unfortunately, Darren’s aptitude for the role of nursemaid was quickly overshadowed by the smug cloud of arrogance he exhumed each time I had to surrender my dependence to him. It seemed he enjoyed being my sole provider of every need I could not acquire or handle for myself.
He preferred to carry me rather than let me use the wheelchair. He’d taken a liking to hand-feeding me whenever he could, which was annoying as fuck. And he was the only one allowed to bathe me, something he strived for nearly every day.
And while he thrived in practice, the actions haunted me from another time I preferred to forget entirely. The nightmares of my time in the basement had finally begun to wane, allowing me some moments of peace when I was able to sleep. But the longer Darren continued to be my sole caretaker, the more I feared I’d fall back into that dark abyss with zero control.
Given that it had been about two and a half months now, my bones had healed. Most of my pain had dissipated two weeks ago, and the only discomfort I had was due to the developing muscle atrophy. Which was another reason I needed to get the fuck up and start moving.
But Darren refused to let me do anything until I had the X-rays to prove without a doubt that my bones were healed. And according to Sid, the X-ray machine had conveniently been “inoperable” for the past week.
So after spending days and days annoying the absolute fuck out of Darren to get it fixed, it was finally magically working again this morning. I practically jumped out of Darren’s arms when Sid confirmed what we all knew weeks ago.
I was so damn relieved at the prospect of beginning occupational and physical therapy to get my ass walking again. But for some bullshit reason, I was forced to wait another week to start. And it pissed me off.
I begged Darren for days and got nowhere. Literally. I was seriously about to start fist-fighting the motherfucker in bed, my legs be damned. I still had working arms.
I warned him that if he didn’t give the green light soon, I would do it on my own without medical assistance. He threatened to tie me to the bed if I ever tried. So naturally, I just … snapped.
I screamed at him until my voice was hoarse, the cuss words flowing from my mouth like another language. I told him there would be no bed to tie me to if I destroyed the fucking thing before he could even find the restraints.
I expected a full reprimand for the rainbow of colorful language I’d unleashed on him, but all he did was smirk and leave the bedroom. I was so angry I threw all the pillows from the bed across the room, not giving a shit if they knocked anything over.
Camaro attacked and chewed up the pillows like they were some kind of threat. She was so confused. I ended up ripping the top sheet to shreds until my arms and hands ached.
Clive and Owen gave me a standing ovation when I finally finished raging. I warned them the bedside lamps would be aimed at their heads next if they didn’t immediately fuck right off.
I was so damn eager to get back on my feet, to break my reliance on others, especially Darren. And I didn’t understand why he was so reluctant to let me.
It was visibly noticeable the better I got at completing my exercises in bed, the grumpier he would get. But he needed to get the fuck over it. Once I could walk again, he wouldn’t be able to treat me like a fucking newborn anymore.
But today, he finally, finally relented. I was so relieved to see Sid and his medical team enter the room like they were my damn saviors. I knew Sid wouldn’t try to hinder my progress. He was the backup I needed against my unreasonable tyrant.
Even as Darren watched me eagerly pull my legs out from under the covers and drape them over the side of the bed, his gaze hardened. I ignored his broodiness in favor of the fact that the soles of my feet were actually touching the floor.
Today was the day I would finally get to stand for the first time. That was all Darren would allow. And I was fucking elated. It wasn’t much, but it was something.
“How do you feel, Mrs. Davis?” Sid asked as he stood next to me.
It was such an odd sensation. My legs felt so heavy, like they weighed hundreds of pounds, like if I moved them, they would drag me down to the floor like two anchors. But the prospect of using them to hold me up was suddenly terrifying.
What if I wasn’t strong enough, and they gave out? What if they didn’t work at all? What if I was permanently fucked?
“Nervous,” I answered, my heart fluttering in my chest as I looked down at the floor. Why did it feel like I was so high up?
“That’s understandable, but you have nothing to worry about. I promise you’ll be okay.”
“I know,” I affirmed with a nod.
I glanced up at Darren who remained a dark, brooding statue in front of me. His eyes were fierce and his body was rigid as he stared down at me in a sharp all-black suit.
I could tell he was in the midst of reconsidering all of this, on the verge of telling everyone to pack it up and come back tomorrow.
Bastard.
I let the full force of my sadness glisten in my gaze, practically begging him to let me do this. I was literally on the brink of insanity and didn’t think I could handle one more second of delay, let alone another entire day.
Catching my plea, his jaw ticked as his mouth tightened into an expression of annoyance.
Finally relenting, Darren unfolded his arms, removed his jacket, and started rolling up his sleeves to his elbows, revealing the beautiful tattoos on each of his forearms. He then stepped up to me and leaned down to hold out both of his hands, silently waiting for me to take them.
