Deception

By Ed Carlson

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This story is purely fictitious. The names used herein are for character

identification and should not be construed as real people, alive or dead.

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CHAPTER 1

“John, don’t drive so fast,” Donna scolded. “What are you trying to do, kill me?”

“I wouldn’t want to do that darling,” John snapped back in a surly tone of voice. “I’ve heard that you’re writing me out of your will.”

“Where did you hear that?” Donna quizzed.

“I have my sources,” John replied coyly. “Is my source correct?”

“Could be,” Donna answered.

“May I ask why?” John asked.

“You know damn well why!” Donna said angrily. “I know all about that little mistress of yours.”

“What little mistress?” John replied, playing dumb.

“The one the private detective saw you with on several occasions. I believe her name is Sandra Brown,” Donna said. “If anything happens to me, you’ll be penniless. By the way, I’m filing for a divorce on Monday at the same time I’m signing that new will.”

John was silent as he sped even faster on the wet road. Soon they were in a winding part of the road in the canyon. The canyon’s walls were cut from sheer rock and very steep. They hit a patch of oil on the rain slickened roadway, and the car slid sideways, slamming the passenger side sharply against the rock wall of the canyon.

John heard the sounds of sirens approaching. Aided by the lights of the oncoming traffic, he looked over at Donna. The raindrops running down the window appeared to make her move and distort her appearance as she lay there motionless. He felt her head and could feel blood on his hand.

“We’ll have you out in a minute,” a voice said as John heard the driver’s side door open. “Are you hurt?”

“No. I think I’m OK,” John replied. “I think my wife is hurt badly though. She isn’t moving, and her head is bleeding.”

“OK,” the voice said. “We’ll get you out first and then take her out when we have you out of the way.”

The rescue crew quickly had John on a backboard and loaded him in the back of the ambulance. One of the EMTs stayed with him as the rest of the crew concentrated on getting Donna out of the mangled vehicle. She was still unconscious and unresponsive as they loaded her in the ambulance.

The ride to the hospital emergency room was a short one. Soon they were both in separate trauma rooms undergoing examination. John had only received a couple of scrapes and bruises, but Donna’s injuries were much more serious. She remained comatose, and her vital signs continued to deteriorate.

John was allowed to go into the room to see her. In front of the doctors and nurses, he gave her a tender kiss on the forehead. He left the room and went to a phone booth and dialed a familiar number.

“Sandra, I’ve been in an accident,” John said, cupping his hands around the telephone handset.

“Are you badly hurt?” Sandra asked from the other end of the line.

“No, I’m fine. But Donna’s unconscious, and her vital signs don’t look good.”

“Does she know about us?”

“Ya. That was a tail that we spotted. She got pissed and wrote me out of her will.”

“What?”

“Donna had me written out of her will,” John repeated.

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. She hasn’t signed it yet.”

“Let’s hope she won’t be able to,” Sandra said. “Are we still on for the other little project?”

“I don’t know. Things are pretty much up in the air with this.”

“Look John. This is the perfect alibi. You could pretend to be in the hospital with her and sneak out and do it like we planned, then slip back into the hospital, and no one would ever know.”

“I don’t know Sandra. What if she wakes up?”

“She’s not going to wake up. You told me her vital signs were slipping and that she might not make it. You can make it work. I know you can.”

“OK. I’ll wait until they have her in a room, then I can sneak out.”

“Good. I’ll leave the alarm disarmed. He’ll be here after midnight.”

“I promise I won’t hit you too hard.”

“Be sure to make it look good.”

“See you later then,” John said as he hung up.

John walked back out into the hallway and down to the waiting room. ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ he thought to himself as he sat down and picked up a badly outdated magazine. He was soon joined by a doctor who introduced himself. The doctor asked him to follow him to his office. John obliged and soon found himself sitting in the doctor’s office with the door closed and locked.

“I’ve been able to sense some frustration on your part,” the doctor said.

“What do you mean?” John asked.

“I overheard part of your phone conversation, and you don’t sound like a man terribly concerned about his wife.”

“She’s written me out of her will and wants a divorce. I’ll be penniless again. She had all the money. If she lives or dies, I’ll be broke.”

“That was kinda of my guess by the way you’ve acted.”

“That obvious, huh?”

“Only if you’re looking for it,” the doctor replied. “Because your wife is still alive, I don’t exactly know how to say this.”

“Say what?”

“Well, we have a program that sells body parts. Fresh body parts. From people who have just died or are about to die.”

“What does that have to do with me?” John quizzed.

“We know your wife probably won’t make it. We have an order, and I was hoping that we could use her to fill it.”

“You mean chop her up before she’s dead?”

“Kinda,” the doctor replied. “Because she’s comatose, she won’t know what has happened. We’d perform the operations and sew her back up again.”

“What parts do you need?”

“We have an order for two woman’s arms for transplant,” the doctor said. “We’ve checked, and she’s a perfect tissue match.”

“So how does this work?”

“We do the operation. Send her arms off to be transplanted. We wait for her to die. Then you have a closed casket funeral or cremation. No one’s the wiser.”

“Won’t the medical examiner know?” John asked.

“He knows about it, and he’s in on our little scheme. In fact, he’s my largest supplier. Don’t worry about him.”

“What if she lives?”

“She probably won’t. But if she does, we tell her she lost her arms in the car wreck.”

“I don’t know.”

“It’ll be well worth your while,” the doctor said.

“How much?”

“I’d say you’ll clear about a half million.”

“Wow. That’s a lot of money.”

“Especially to someone who’s about to be cut off at the pockets. What do you say?”

It didn’t take John too long to say, “OK. Let’s do it.”

“I’ll make the call. This is a cash business. You’ll be paid when the courier picks up our little package.”

“When will you do it?” John asked.

“Probably after midnight,” the doctor replied. “It’ll take about three hours.”

With that, the doctor stood up and John followed his lead. The doctor unlocked the door, and they both walked out into the hallway. They walked down to the room that Donna had been moved to and looked in on her. She was still unconscious, and her vital signs continued to drop. John sat in the chair beside her bed, and the doctor made a call on the room phone. John looked at his watch. It was ten-thirty.

The doctor hung up the phone and said: “The deal’s all set. They met our price.”

John didn’t say anything, just nodded his head in approval. The doctor left the room, and John thought about the money he was about to receive.

At about a quarter to twelve, an orderly came for Donna. She was loaded on a gurney and wheeled toward the operating room. John walked beside her and got in the elevator. The elevator stopped at the floor that contained the operating rooms. Donna’s gurney was wheeled out of the elevator, and John announced to the orderly that he was going to the cafeteria.

When the orderly was out of sight, John tiptoed over to the stair tower and quietly left the building. Luckily for John, Sandra’s place was only about six blocks from the hospital. He quickly walked the distance, making sure that he wasn’t followed.

When John made it to Sandra’s place, the light in the upstairs bedroom was still on. John walked around the back of the house and peered into the garage window. He could make out Howard’s car in the dimly lit garage and put on his gloves. John walked around to the utility room entrance and noticed the upstairs light go off. The door was unlocked as planned. He quietly opened the door and tiptoed over to the cabinet. The gun was in the back of the drawer like she said it would be, and he quickly checked to be sure it was loaded.

John tiptoed up the stairs and took a deep breath before he opened the door into the bedroom. When he opened the door, the bedroom light came on. John was startled as he stood there pointing the gun at Howard who was sitting up in bed. John raised the gun and took careful aim. The sounds of the shots were deafening.

Sandra screamed and then turned so that John could hit her over the head. He delivered the blow, and she crumpled to the floor. John checked her pulse to be sure that he had not hit her too hard.

On the way out of the house, John gathered up the silverware and a few other valuables and put them in a pillow case. He went out the utility room door and hid the valuables under some bushes in the far corner of the backyard.

John’s walk back to the hospital seemed to take him forever. He went in the back entrance and slipped into the back of the cafeteria and sat at a table. He made a little noise so as to be noticed as he went to get a cup of coffee. With his coffee in hand, he sat back at the table in the corner and waited.

John looked at his watch when the doctor came into the room and poured himself a cup of coffee. It was a quarter to three. The doctor walked over and sat at the table with John.

“Well. How did it go?” John asked.

“Just as I said it would,” the doctor replied.

“How’s Donna doing?”

“Surprising, her vitals are improving. I didn’t think she’d make it through the operation. We might have to resort to something else.”

“Like what?” John quizzed in a hushed voice.

“An overdose or maybe a pillow over her face.”

“You mean kill her?”

“Let’s say eliminate a potential problem.”

“I can’t do that. She’s my wife for Pete’s sake!”

“Are you going to let her wake up and tell her that you had her arms cut off for a fistful of cash?”

“No. I thought we were going to tell her that it happened during the accident.”

“OK. We’ll let it ride for now. We might have to take action later. I can just give her a shot in her IV if you want. I have access to something that is undetectable and will give her a heart attack, and in her weakened condition, it would be all over in seconds. The CIA uses it all the time.”

“Let me think about this.”

“OK. I need to check in on her. She’s probably about out of recovery. Let’s stop by my office first. I have an envelope for you.”

They got up and left the cafeteria together. They didn’t talk in the elevator or walking down the hall to the doctor’s office. Once inside, the doctor opened a safe in his desk and took out a bulging envelope. He handed it to John, and John opened the flap just enough to see that it was full of cash. He looked at the doctor and smiled a sinister little smile as he tucked the envelope into an inner pocket of his jacket. They walked together to the recovery room. Donna was lying there still unconscious. She was covered by only a sheet. Anyone could tell at a glance that both of her arms had been removed.

“Any change?” the doctor asked the attending nurse.

“Her vitals are improving, and she stirred a moment ago,” she replied.

“She might be coming out of the coma,” the doctor said. “Let’s move her back up to the ICU and see if she wakes up.”

The nurse left to get an orderly. John looked at the doctor.

“I think she’s going to come around. Would you like to see what she looks like now?”

“Sure,” John replied.

The doctor lifted the sheet, and John peered at Donna, now completely armless, lying there on the bed. Only light bandages covered her armless shoulders. The bandages had crimson patches of blood soaking through in several places. John had a shocked look on his face.

“It’s not what I expected,” he mumbled. “You didn’t even leave any stumps.”

“We couldn’t,” the doctor said. “The order was for complete arms. We had to disarticulate her upper arm bones at the shoulder sockets in order to meet the specifications.”

“Wow. I just never thought that she’d look like that.”

“She won’t look like that for long,” the doctor said as he put the sheet back in place. “I’ll see to it.”

“We need to talk about that. I don’t think we should kill her.”

They walked out of the room together and met an orderly with a gurney and the nurse coming in to move Donna to her room in the ICU. They walked toward the ICU and passed the emergency room in the process. John saw Sandra waiting for treatment. John excused himself and walked over to Sandra.

“What happened to you?” he quizzed.

“Oh John, it was terrible,” Sandra sobbed. “Someone broke in and killed Howard!”

“Oh my God!” John interrupted.

“I screamed when I saw what happened,” Sandra continued. “He hit me and knocked me out. The neighbor heard the scream and called the police. The police called an ambulance for me.”

“Are you going to be all right?”

“It’s just a little bump on the head, but I sure do have a headache,” Sandra replied. “By the way, what are you doing here?”

“We were in an accident,” John said. “Donna’s in really bad shape. She might not make it. They had to amputate both of her arms.”

“Oh my God. That poor thing,” Sandra said. “I hope she makes it.”

“So do I,” John said. “I’m not sure how she’s going to cope without any arms though.”

About that time, a policeman walked up to them and said, “Mrs. Catkins, I need to talk to you if you feel up to it.”

John excused himself and walked to the ICU and Donna’s room.

“Do you know him?” the policeman quizzed.

“Why yes I do. Why do you ask?” Sandra said.

“Oh nothing,” he replied. “Just that a man was seen walking down your street wearing a jacket with that dark red color right about the time we received the 911 call. Probably nothing.”

“He and his wife were in a bad accident. She isn’t expected to live. I doubt if John would have left her side.”

They both watched as John continued down the hall to Donna’s room. As John opened the door to the room, he saw the doctor with a large hypodermic syringe about to insert it into the IV line.

“What are you doing?” John yelled.

“You know damn well what I’m doing,” the doctor replied.

John reached up and grabbed the doctor’s hand holding the syringe. They began struggling, knocking things over and creating quite a disturbance. As they struggled, John managed to get the doctor’s hand holding the syringe away from the IV bottle. John forced the needle into the doctor’s thigh, and in the struggle, the contents of the syringe were emptied into the doctor’s leg. The struggle was over quickly.

“OH SHIT” were the doctor’s last words before he crumpled lifelessly to the floor, dead.

A nurse came running into the room and screamed. She was quickly joined by other staff and the police officer. John was detained by the police for questioning, and when the large amount of cash was discovered in his pocket, he was taken to the precinct station for questioning.

The chief of staff took over Donna’s case and quickly changed her medication. Slowly, very slowly, she was beginning to show signs of regaining consciousness.

CHAPTER 2

It was late afternoon when Donna awoke from her coma. She looked around the room not knowing where she was. The only person she saw was the young nurse who had been assigned to be with her.

“Where am I?” Donna asked groggily.

“You are at General Hospital,” the young nurse replied. “You were in a very serious car accident and have been in a coma for twenty days now.”

“I’d like a drink of water,” Donna said.

“Let me get it for you,” the young nurse replied as she poured a glass of water and held it to Donna’s lips for her to drink.

“Why are my arms fastened down to my sides? Were they both hurt in the accident?” she asked.

“Let me ring for Doctor Headcheese.”

The young nurse picked up the phone and quickly pressed several numbers on the phone. She spoke briefly with the operator, and soon the doctor was being paged.

“He’ll be here in a minute,” the young nurse said. “He’s right down the hall.”

The young nurse had no sooner put down the phone when Doctor Headcheese walked through the door. “Good, you’re awake.”

“Who are you?” Donna asked.

“My name is Doctor Headcheese,” he replied. “I’m chief of staff here at the hospital. I’ve taken over your case at the request of the hospital’s attorney.”

“She said that I’d been in a coma for twenty days. Is that true?”

“Yes, you’ve been in a deep catatonic state ever since you’ve been here. You’ve been showing signs of waking up for the last few days. I’m pleased you’re finally awake.”

“I’m still a little groggy. What’s the hospital’s attorney got to do with a car wreck?”

“Well, something happened here at the hospital that shouldn’t have.”

“Tell me that in a minute,” Donna said. “But first tell me why my arms are being restrained. Were they hurt in the wreck?”

“It’s all one in the same. I don’t know how to tell you this tactfully, but you were the victim of an organ transplant ring, part of which was operating out of this hospital.”

“I don’t understand. What’s that got to do with me?”

“Your arms aren’t restrained at your sides,” he said. “Both of your arms were removed and sold so that they could be transplanted onto someone else.”

Donna kicked the covers and exposed her upper body, then gasped, “My God, I don’t have any arms! They’re gone!”

“They were both amputated,” Doctor Headcheese said. “Amputated unnecessarily and sold for transplant.”

“I can’t believe it. This can’t be happening to me,” she said, leaning back on the pillow and closing her eyes. “John. What happened to John?”

“He apparently had only a couple of scrapes and bruises. He’s now under arrest.”

“For what? Trying to kill me with the car?”

“No. He’s been a bad boy while you were asleep,” the doctor told her. “He apparently had a girlfriend with a husband.”

“I knew about the girlfriend. I was about to kick him out because of it.”

“From what I’ve been told, this is what the investigators have pieced together. While you were in the operating room having your arms removed, he apparently went over to his girlfriend’s house and shot her husband. He then hit her to make it look like a botched robbery, then came back here to the hospital and met the doctor who had done the operation. His comings and goings were caught on the hospital security cameras. The cameras caught the two of them leaving the cafeteria and going to the doctor’s office. When they were coming out of his office, the cameras caught John putting a large envelope under his coat. He and the doctor went into your room. They exchanged harsh words, and John went to count his money. The doctor was about to put a lethal injection of poison in the IV drip when John caught him by surprise. They struggled and John, being a much more powerful man, wrestled the syringe away, and in the process, it was stuck in the doctor’s leg. In a few seconds, it was all over for the doctor.”

“Oh my gosh,” Donna gasped. “I’ve only been married to John for five years, but I’ve never thought him capable of cold-blooded murder. We were fighting when he crashed the car. I’m sure what happened to me isn’t what he planned to do on purpose. In fact, it sounds like he eventually saved my life.”

“Well, he sure took advantage of you.”

“He sure did,” she replied, looking at her bandaged shoulders. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do now. I’m not sure I can function like this.”

“We’ll have to get you into rehab as soon as possible,” he said. “It will do you good to be up and moving around. They should be able to help you learn to do things without any arms.”

“You know Doctor, that’s the strange thing; my arms still feel like they’re there.”

“That’s a thing called phantom pain. Your brain still thinks you have arms like you had before. It hasn’t quite figured out that they’re gone. Hopefully in a few days, it will be gone, but if it doesn’t disappear, we’ll have to call in our neurosurgeon to look into it. OK?”

“OK.”

“I know you’ve been asleep for twenty days, but I want you to get a little more rest. If you’re hungry, we’ll have the nurse rustle you up some food,” he said. “You rest now, and I’ll call on you in the morning to get you up and walking. In the meantime, I’ll have the nurses get rid of some of the tubes and wires sticking out of you.”

“Fine, I do feel sleepy.”

Donna lay back, and the doctor left the room. Soon she drifted off to sleep.

Donna awakened to the smell of food in her room. The young nurse who had been with her when she awoke from the coma was in the room with her.

“Hi there,” she said cheerfully. “How about some dinner?”

“I guess I am hungry,” Donna replied, still waking up from her sleep.

“Let me feed you a little something and then we can get you unplugged.”

Donna nodded approval, and the nurse raised the head of the bed to a sitting position. With the bed tray table positioned over the bed, the young nurse began to feed her. She was very attentive to Donna’s needs as she helped Donna with her meal.

When the meal was complete, the nurse removed Donna’s IV and the monitor leads. The only thing remaining was the urine catheter tube connected to a bag on the side of the bed.

“The doctor wants that to stay until you can get up and make it to the bathroom,” the nurse told her.

The nurse took the tray out of the room, and when she returned, she saw Donna looking down at the empty sleeves of her hospital gown.

“I always thought that bandages over an amputation were large and bulky,” Donna said.

“They were,” the nurse replied. “While you were in the coma, you were also healing. The drainage has stopped, and those light bandages are all that is necessary to protect your wounds now.”

“I keep forgetting that I’ve lost twenty days. Could you turn on the TV please? Maybe I can catch up on what’s going on in the world.”

The nurse turned on the TV and found a twenty-four hour news station. Donna watched several repeats of the same news and drifted off to sleep.

CHAPTER 3

Breakfast and baths were finished by the time the doctor arrived. “So what’s happening this morning?” he asked with a chipper voice.

“Just waiting,” she replied. “I think I’m ready to try standing up.”

“Let’s get you up then. Just remember, we want to take it slow. You haven’t been on your feet for three weeks.”

The doctor pulled back the covers and helped Donna sit on the edge of the bed. She let her feet dangle for a moment. She looked down at the empty sleeves of her hospital gown. He helped her to her feet and waited while a small amount of dizziness passed. He prepared her bladder catheter bag for movement by removing it from the hanger on the side of the bed.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“As ready as I’m going to be. Just don’t let me fall. I don’t think I can catch myself.”

He helped her to her feet and stood beside her as she stood for the first time in a long time. Her color was good, and she quickly was able to stand by herself.

“Would you like to look in the mirror?” he asked. “I’ll be glad to help keep you from falling.”

“I’d like that.”

They walked slowly over to the mirror beside the dresser. Donna examined herself in the mirror, concentrating on her armless shoulders and the empty sleeves of her hospital gown. She asked the doctor to remove the gown, and she examined her shoulders again. When she was finished, he put the gown back on her and helped her to make her way slowly back to her hospital bed.

She was exhausted when she returned to her bed and said, “I guess I won’t be running any marathons this week.”

“No. But we’ll get you up several more times today,” he said. “I have a question to ask if you don’t mind.”

“What is it?”

“I’m surprised at your reaction when I told you your arms had been removed yesterday. Most people would have gone to pieces. You shed a few tears, but not that many. Today, it doesn’t look like you’ve been crying either.”

“This is ironic that this has happened to me,” Donna said with a smile. “I’ve never told a soul about this. I’ve had a fantasy since I was a young child that my arms would be removed.”

“What? You wanted to be like this?”

“I fantasized about it, yes. Ten years ago I even went so far as to check out a place in Mexico that would do the operation for me. I was going to leave myself some short stumps though. I was about ready to go through with it when I met John. I, of course, changed my mind and married him. Still, as I think back about my decision, I don’t think that I would have had the courage or drive to go through with it even if I hadn’t met John.”

“This is amazing,” he said.

“I’ve tried feeding myself using my toes, but that’s going to take a little more work. I’ve about got it down though,” Donna said. “If you want a demonstration, I’ll show you how well I can write my name using my toes if you get me some paper and a pen.”

“Let’s wait on that until we get rid of your bladder catheter. Do you think you can make it over to that bathroom on your own?”

“Just pull that damn thing out, and I’ll show you how fast I can make it,” Donna said positively.

“I believe you,” he said. “I’ll send a nurse in to do it, and I’ll bring back some paper this afternoon. But, you need to be thinking about a couple of things: going home and prosthetics.”

“Going home? It seems like I just got here.”

“Three weeks ago,” he replied. “Your incisions are about healed, and there’s no sign of infection. There is really no reason to keep you here if you can function.”

“I’ll work on the going home business,” Donna replied. “We’ll talk prosthetics this afternoon.”

With that, the doctor left. Donna was watching TV when the young nurse came into the room carrying a pan of water. Her eyes were red and puffy.

“The doctor says your catheter comes out,” she said, trying to act cheerful. “Let me take it out and then it’s bath time.”

The young nurse put on latex gloves and began releasing the little balloon that was holding the catheter in Donna’s bladder. While she worked, Donna inquired: “I couldn’t help but notice your red and puffy eyes. It’s my guess that you’ve been crying. Do you want to share it with me?”

“No, not really,” she said. “It’s my problem, and I need to deal with it.”

“OK,” Donna said. “But if you want to talk, I’m a good listener. I didn’t catch your name.”

“Roxanne. Roxanne Miner,” she replied.

Nurse Roxanne finished removing Donna’s catheter and gave Donna her bath. When she had helped Donna into a clean hospital gown, she helped her get to her feet again and then to the side chair. Taking advantage of the empty bed, Roxanne removed the sheets and put clean ones on in their place. Roxanne was crying again when she making the bed.

“Roxanne, are you sure you don’t want to tell me what’s wrong?” Donna probed.

“Well, they’ve had to make some budget cuts,” Roxanne blurted. “Since I’m one of the latest hires, I’m going to be one of the first to have to go.”

“I wish that I had some profound words of wisdom, but I don’t,” Donna said. “I’m sure you’ll find something else.”

“Mayfield is not a very big town,” Roxanne said. “I’ve busted my butt to become an RN, and in my first job out of school, I get laid off. It doesn’t seem fair.”

“I know it doesn’t,” Donna said, trying to comfort her. “I’m sure what the hospital administration is looking at is the bottom line. They have a budget to live with and need to adjust the staffing expenses to make it work. The problem is that while the adjustment looks good on paper, the paper is not the individuals and the disruption of their lives.”

“You sound like you know about management,” Roxanne replied.

“I own an insurance company,” she said. “I’ve had to make those hard cuts from time to time. I’ve hated to do it, but I didn’t have a choice. There was a major economic downturn, and I had to do it to keep the company afloat and maintain a job for the people I could save.”

Roxanne finished making the bed and helped Donna back into bed. She adjusted the TV for Donna, and started to leave the room. When she was at door, she asked, “Do you need anything?”

“I’ll be fine, but I would like to talk to the floor nurse when she’s available.”

Roxanne had a worried look on her face when she left. Donna settled back and began to watch a soap opera. Fifteen minutes later, the floor nurse walked into the room. She was gruff and looked like she could be a drill sergeant.

“You wanted to see me?” she snapped.

“Yes, come in and close the door,” Donna said. “I need to talk to you about Roxanne.”

The floor nurse shut the door and walked over to Donna’s bed. “What’s the matter with Roxanne?”

“She told me she was being laid off because of budget cuts.”

“Yes, I’m afraid so,” the nurse said. “She’s one of the last nurses hired, so she’s one of the first to go. From what I hear, there will probably be a second round of cuts too.”

“What can you tell me about her?”

“Well, she’s a hard worker, probably the best on the floor. She’s bright and articulate. She catches on quickly and never complains, no matter what I ask her to do. To be honest, I would rather lose most of the others on this floor and be able to keep her.”

“Can’t you?” Donna quizzed.

“No, we have union rules. It’s set up on seniority and tenure rather than performance.”

“What about her personal life? Is she married?”

“No. She’s single and doesn’t have a boyfriend that I know of. Both of her parents died in a car crash out on the interstate about three years ago. She worked two jobs to put herself through school. She doesn’t like working Sundays because she misses church,” the nurse said. “Why are you asking?”

“Well I like her, and now that I don’t have any arms, I’m going to need some permanent help,” Donna said. “I’m considering offering her a job as a live-in caregiver. Do you think she would be interested?”

“I’m sure she would,” the nurse said with a radiant smile on her face. “She likes you a lot. She’s always asked to be able to take care of you.”

“OK. That’s settled,” Donna said. “I’ll hire her as soon as I get to leave. If she gets laid off before I go, I’ll cover her salary to keep her here.”

“That’s very generous,” she replied. “Do you want me to send her back in?”

“Sure, let me talk to her now.”

The nurse turned and started to leave, then turned back. “Thank you Mrs. Caruthers. I’m so relieved that she is being taken care of.”

“It looks like a win-win situation to me,” Donna said. “She takes care of me, and I take care of her.”

Donna was left alone collecting her thoughts. She used her toes to turn off the TV set. She got out of bed and was sitting in the side chair when Roxanne came back in the room. The young nurse had a look of uncertainty on her face.

“You wanted to see me?” she asked tentatively as she walked toward Donna.

“Yes,” Donna said. “Pull up the other chair, and let’s talk.”

“What’s this about? Did I do something wrong?” she said. “You spent a long time talking with my supervisor.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Donna said, reassuring her. “Quite the contrary. I talked to her about a recommendation.”

Roxanne looked puzzled.

“I’m going to be released soon, and now that I’m armless, I’m going to need some help,” Donna said. “I’d like to offer you a job as a live-in caregiver for me.”

Roxanne’s mouth dropped open. “You want me to come and live with you?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m asking. Your supervisor said I couldn’t get anyone better,” Donna said. “You’d have your own bath just across the hall from my room. It’s a very large house. We’ll have plenty of room. Your rooms have a living room, bed room, small kitchen, and a generous bath.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Roxanne mumbled.

“Just say yes, you’ll do it,” Donna said. “ When you start, I’ll pay you ten dollars an hour more than you’re making now. We’ll talk raise when the time is right.”

Roxanne’s face began to glow brighter, then after a pause, she said: “OK. Yes, I’ll do it.”

“Good. I’m not sure when I’m going to be discharged. You’ll probably know before I do.”

“I’m guessing two days,” Roxanne said. “You have no sign of infection. You have no fever. Once you get back on solid foods and your intestinal functions are verified, there’s really no need for you to be here. If the doctor knows I’m going to be monitoring you, he won’t have a problem springing you.”

CHAPTER 4

(Two days later)

“That looks like about everything,” Roxanne told her.

“Good. I’m anxious to get home,” Donna replied as she looked in the mirror. “I really like the way you’ve done my hair and makeup. My hair has grown a lot in the month I’ve been here. Do you think I need a trim? It’s a lot longer than I usually wear it.”

“I like it long like that.”

“So do I. But you’re the one who’s going to have to take care of it,” Donna told her.

“I don’t mind as long as it makes you look good and you’re happy with it,” Roxanne remarked.

“We’re going to get along just fine,” Donna said. “Oh hi Dr. Headcheese.”

“Good morning girls,” he said. “It looks like you’re trying to escape. I like your outfit. The empty three-quarter sleeves on that white silk blouse are very striking.”

“Thanks. Roxanne picked it out for me. We were trying to decide whether to wear the sleeves folded inside or let them dangle empty.”

“Definitely go for the empty sleeve look,” he told her. “It keeps them guessing as to how your stumps might look. If you tuck them in, it looks almost like we have you tied up. Anyway, that’s what I thought when you had them tucked into your hospital gown.”

“Have you two been out in the hall ganging up on me? That’s what Roxanne told me too.”

“No, that’s only my free advice, for whatever that’s worth,” he said. “I bet you want to get on the road, don’t you?”

“Yes. I’m anxious to get home,” Donna said. “And I think Roxanne’s anxious to get settled in.”

“I am looking forward to it,” Roxanne added.

“Roxanne, we’re going to miss you around here,” he told her. “I know you won’t need it right now, but I’ve written a letter of recommendation for you for your use in the future. Pick it up on the way out.”

“Thank you sir,” she said. “I appreciate it.”

“You’ve earned it,” he said, looking at Donna’s chart and making some notes. “Donna, consider yourself free to go. I’ve got you all signed out. Just stop by Bookkeeping downstairs to finish out your paperwork. Like I told you before, considering the circumstances, your stay here has been absorbed by the hospital.”

“Thank you for everything,” Donna told him.

“OK,” he said, giving her a little hug. “Don’t be a stranger.”

He left the room, and Roxanne retrieved a wheelchair from the hallway.

“Do I really have to?” Donna asked.

“Hospital rules. They don’t want you falling and suing the hospital.”

“Sue for a fall after what I’ve been through?”

“Well, you are a special case, but sit down and shut up,” Roxanne told her with a huge grin on her face.

Donna reluctantly sat in the wheelchair, and Roxanne pushed her out into the corridor. They said goodbye to the staff on that floor who suddenly seemed to be gathered around the nurses’ station. They finally made it to the elevator and to the ground floor. Roxanne pushed Donna into the bookkeeper’s office and left her to get her letter. When she returned, Donna was signing her name to the paperwork by holding the pen in her toes.

“Not too bad,” Roxanne said, leaning over her shoulder.

“I’m getting better,” Donna told her.

“We’ll keep working on it,” Roxanne replied. “The rest of your things are down in the cab out front.”

Roxanne wheeled her out the front door of the hospital. The fresh spring air felt good to Donna as Roxanne helped her into the cab.

It was only a twenty minute drive to Donna’s home. Donna whispered the keypad code to Roxanne and had her get out and unlock the gate. When she entered the numbers, the two huge iron gates swung open, the cabby pulled through, and waited for Roxanne to get in. As they pulled up the long driveway toward the house, the gates closed.

“The gates will open automatically from the inside,” Donna told the cabby.

They pulled up to the front door of a large mansion-style house. A woman dressed in a maid’s uniform came rushing out to meet them and opened the cab door.

“Oh Miss Donna, it’s so good to have you back home,” the maid said.

“Thank you Clara,” Donna replied. “I appreciate you visiting me in the hospital and for bringing all the things that I asked for. You remember Roxanne?”

“Oh yes,” Clara responded. “Welcome. I have your room all made up for you.”

“Thank you,” Roxanne replied she picked up Donna’s suitcase.

They walked inside to a huge entry hall with a marble tile floor. A large curving stairway led to a large balcony. Donna looked up at the stairway and started to climb it. Roxanne followed carrying her suitcase. As Donna reached the top step, she stumbled and fell forward onto the thickly carpeted balcony floor. Without arms to break her fall, she landed hard on her front. Donna put down the suitcase and rushed over to her.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes. Just winded,” Donna said. “I’m glad I’ve got big boobs. Now they’re useful for braking falls.”

Roxanne helped her to her feet.

“Falling and not being able to catch myself has worried me,” Donna said. “For a while at least, I’d like you to hold on to me when I go down those stairs.”

“That sounds like a plan to me,” Roxanne replied.

They continued on down the hallway. Roxanne opened the door to Donna’s room for her. She put down the suitcase.

“Do you want me to put your things away?” Roxanne asked.

“No, I’ll have Clara do it,” Donna told her. “Let’s go across the hall, and I’ll show you your rooms.”

Roxanne followed as she led her across the hall. Roxanne opened the door, and they both went in.

“I hope this will be all right for you,” Donna said.

“This is wonderful,” Roxanne exclaimed as she looked around. “This is larger than my apartment was.”

“We’re in your living room area now of course,” Donna began. “The bedroom is through that door, and your bath connects off of it. There’s a powder room bath through this door. You have a small kitchen for whenever you need a snack. The door out of your bedroom opens onto a balcony and a private stairway to the backyard.”

Roxanne walked around the apartment. She looked in the Pullman kitchen first and then at the bedroom. She opened the door to the large walk-in closet and then the door to a generous size bath with both a shower and whirlpool soaking tub. She walked out onto the private balcony and looked into the backyard. Donna came up behind her.

“Oh Donna, this is fabulous. It’s the kind of place I’ve always dreamed of living in.”

“I’m pleased you like it. You can park your car in one of the stalls in the garage over there,” she said, pointing with an armless shoulder.

“I don’t have a car,” Roxanne admitted. “I never have been able to afford one.”

“Then use any of the ones you find in there. There should be five or six left after John totaled the last one and started me down my life of armlessness,” Donna told her. “Speaking of John, I need to call my attorney. Could you come into my room and dial the phone for me please?”

Roxanne followed her back into her bedroom. She dialed the number that was in Donna’s address book and held the phone up to Donna’s ear while Donna set up a meeting with the attorney.

“He’ll be over this afternoon,” Donna announced when the conversation was over. “It’ll take a couple of hours; maybe you can use that time to get some of your things.”

“I’ve been packing for a couple of days. I don’t have that much, and I can probably do it in two trips,” Roxanne replied.

“We have a pickup and an SUV down there if that will work for you.”

“Everything is boxed, so the pickup will probably be the best.”

“Take Willie the gardener with you. He can help you with the lifting,” Donna offered.

“Oh thank you,” Roxanne said, giving her a little hug. “You are so kind.”

“I only wish I could hug you back,” Donna lamented. “I’m really tired. I think I want to lie down for a while. Why don’t you look around and make yourself at home?”

Roxanne removed Donna’s blouse and hung it in the walk-in closet. Donna kicked off her shoes and lay down on the bed. Roxanne covered her with a light blanket, then walked out of the room leaving the door slightly ajar and began exploring her new home.

CHAPTER 5

Donna blinked a few times when she awoke from her nap. When she unconsciously tried to reach down to move the blanket and nothing happened, she remembered that she was now armless. She kicked the blanket off and stood up slowly. She walked into the bathroom to use the facilities and, as she walked by the mirror, looked at her armless shoulders.

‘How are you going to get your skirt and panties off?’ she thought to herself.

She walked back out into the bedroom and used her foot to open the door that Roxanne had left slightly ajar. Roxanne’s door was open so she poked her head inside.

“Roxanne, are you in here?”

“I’ll be right there,” Roxanne replied from her bathroom.

Roxanne appeared quickly from her bathroom. She had changed clothes and was now wearing a tight tank top and denim shorts. The outfit removed any doubt that Roxanne possessed a knockout figure.

“I need to use the facilities,” Donna told her.

They walked back into Donna’s bathroom. Roxanne undid Donna’s skirt and pulled down her panties for her, then left her to her privacy. Roxanne wiped her when she had finished and helped her get the panties back on.

“I thought I had nice legs,” Donna remarked as they stood in front of the mirror. “You certainly outdo me. I’m jealous. That tank top doesn’t leave much to the imagination either.”

“I can change if you’d like,” Roxanne quickly offered.

“Heavens no,” Donna replied. “I was just saying that I hadn’t noticed your knockout figure before. You’ve always been dressed in those loose fitting nurse’s clothes.”

“You’re making me blush,” Roxanne said. “I think you have a very nice figure yourself. Your legs are almost as long as mine and very well proportioned. If you ever put on a T-shirt like this, you’d fill it up too.”

“I’d be worried about the straps slipping down over my shoulders and my boobs falling out if I were to wear one of those,” she remarked. “George would like to meet you.”

“Oh, I’d never want to meet your attorney dressed like this. I was going to change back before he got here. I just slipped this on to settle in with,” Donna told her. “While you were asleep, I took the SUV over and got a few small things. Willie and I are going back for the rest of it with the pickup while you are in your meeting like you told me to do.”

“Nonsense,” Donna told her. “It’ll be good for him to see you like that. It’ll get his blood pumping again.”

“What are you going to want to wear?” Roxanne asked Donna when they’d walked back into her bedroom.

“I’ll think I’ll wear some khaki walking shorts and a white short sleeve blouse. You’ll find them in the closet over there.”

Roxanne went into the closet and returned with shorts and a blouse all neatly done on hangers.

“Are these the ones?” she asked.

“Those are what I had in mind,” Donna said. “No, wait a minute. I think I want a sleeveless blouse. We’re going after John for what he did to me, and that’ll help get George focused. If I wore a tank top like yours, I wouldn’t be able to get him to concentrate.”

Roxanne walked back into the closet and returned with a white sleeveless blouse to Donna’s liking. Roxanne dressed Donna, and they went into the bathroom. Roxanne combed out Donna’s hair and redid her makeup for her.

“You look pretty damn hot,” Roxanne told her. “You’ll get his blood pumping as you put it—especially if he’s in to armless women.”

“What do you mean in to armless women?” Donna quizzed.

“Remember you confided in me that you had thought about having an arm amputated. Well, there’s a group out there that feels the same way,” Roxanne said. “They are attracted to amputees. There’s a medical term for it that I can’t think of now.”

“I thought I was alone in my feelings,” Donna replied.

“No, you’re not alone,” Roxanne answered. “I don’t have a real strong attraction, but I find myself being attracted to amputees.”

“You mean in a sexual sense? Like you and I get it on,” Donna asked.

“No, not at all. I’m straight,” Roxanne said. “I’m not gay at all.”

“Whew,” Donna remarked. “I’m not gay either. The thought of it turns me off.”

“Good,” Roxanne replied. “We never talked about it before, and I didn’t want to give you the wrong impression.”

“The only thing is that I can’t touch myself anymore, if you know what I mean,” Donna said. “Would you be available to help me relieve, shall we say, built up emotions?”

“Yes,” Roxanne replied. “I thought it might be part of the job. It’s strictly a release for you though. My satisfaction comes from knowing that your needs have been met a little bit.”

“Fine. Maybe tonight then,” Donna said. “It’s been a while.”

Roxanne smiled and nodded approval as they walked back into the bedroom. Donna walked into the closet and came out wearing slip-on sandals. They walked to the top of the stairs and looked down. Roxanne positioned herself between Donna and the handrail. She put her arm around Donna and firmly grasped the handrail, and they started slowly down.

“I wish there was some way that I could get you up and down in that dumbwaiter at the end of the hall,” Roxanne said. “I really worry about you falling on these stairs.”

“So do I,” Donna agreed. “Let’s look into having an elevator put in there. I think there’s plenty of room.”

“Elevators are pretty expensive, aren’t they?” Roxanne.

“So is a broken neck,” Donna replied. “I’m really not in to falling down stairs. Hell, it’s just money.”

About that time, the doorbell rang.

“That’s probably George now,” Donna said. “Could you catch the door please?”

Roxanne opened the door to see a tall, good-looking man in a three-piece suit standing there. He was impeccably dressed and extremely neat.

“Come on in George,” Donna said. “I’d like you to meet Roxanne. She lives here with me now to take care of me.”

“Nice to meet you,” he said, extending a hand to her.

“Nice to meet you too,” Roxanne replied, accepting his firm handshake.

The three of them walked toward the library.

“If George is here to be with you, why don’t I take the opportunity to go get my last load of things?” Roxanne said.

“That will be fine,” Donna replied. “George and I will be huddling for at least an hour. You and Willie go on and take the pickup.”

“Nice to meet you George. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again,” Roxanne told him.

“Oh, I’m sure you will,” he told her. “That is, unless Donna fires me.”

“Not much chance of that,” Donna said.

Roxanne smiled and walked down the hall toward the kitchen. Donna and George watched her go, then went into the library.

“You sure know to how to pick ’em,” George remarked as they sat down. “She’s got to be one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met, present company excepted.”

“I told her she’d get your blood pumping again,” Donna told him.

“I guess you know me pretty well,” he remarked. “You know, you look pretty provocative yourself. That sleeveless blouse certainly doesn’t leave any question if you have any arms left.”

“Do you like the look?”

“Hell, you’d look good in a flower sack. You don’t have to have arms to look good,” he said. “Just look at the statue of Venus. She hasn’t had arms for years.”

“At least she has one stump. They didn’t leave me anything. Just a couple of depressions where they took the bones out of the sockets.”

“They did a good job on the plastic surgery they did while you were still in the coma. I have pictures in the file of what you looked like before they started. The scars were really ugly,” he said, lightly touching one of her fading scars on her shoulder. “That scar should almost completely fade away before too long.”

“That felt interesting,” Donna told him. “It felt like the palm of my hand was itching when you touched that scar.”

“Sorry,” he said, moving his hand away.

“No problem. I like to be touched by you. The way you used to put your hand on my forearm always felt good,” she remarked. “Now let’s get down to business. Where are we?”

“OK,” he began. “The divorce has been filled. The only kicker is that we have the waiting period in this state. He’s not contesting it, and I have a no protest affidavit from him all signed. When we go for the final hearing, I want you to wear that blouse and we’ll drive the final nail in his coffin.”

“Fine,” Donna said. “What about the will?”

“It’s done,” he said. “We need to get your signature and witnesses. Let’s do it on Monday. I’ll leave it here for you to read it over. I’ve set up the trust fund like you instructed with the entire estate.”

“Monday sounds good. At your office?” she asked.

“That will be best,” he told her. “We can use some of my staff for witnesses.”

“I’ll give you a letter on how I want some the funds distributed. I want to be sure that Clara and Willie are taken care of. I also want to be sure that Roxanne is remembered. She’s been really good to me and for me.”

“Piece of cake,” he remarked. “I’ll be glad to help you put something together.”

“Now what’s happening to John?” Donna asked.

“During questioning, the scheme was discovered. Both John and Sandra are awaiting trial for Howard’s death,” he said. “I don’t know for sure, but I’ve heard that Sandra has plea-bargained a complete confession for a lesser sentence for herself. I’m pretty sure they’re going for murder one on him and asking for the chair. If we can get the whole story admitted, even if he doesn’t get the chair, he’ll become a permanent resident of the crossbar hotel.”

“Let me know what I can do,” she said.

“Nothing for now. Even if you’re not put on the stand, just having you there in the front row near the jury will help. Especially if you wear that blouse that shows off what he had done to you.”

“That should be no problem,” Donna told him.

Clara came rushing into the room. “I’m sorry to interrupt you ma’am, but Willie just called. There’s been an accident, and Roxanne is hurt.”

“Did he say how bad she was hurt?” Donna asked.

“No. But he was really shaken, and I could barely hear him over the sirens.”

“Can you drive me?” Donna asked George.

CHAPTER 6

The police had the street closed about a half a block from the accident scene. George parked the car and helped Donna get out. The police officer let them past when Donna explained that she was Roxanne’s employer. When they got closer, they could see the back of the pickup against the building. Roxanne was standing behind it wedged against the brick wall supported by a fireman on each side of her. A large truck had backed squarely into the pickup forcing it backward.

George knew the police captain and went off to talk to him. Willie spotted Donna and came running over to her.

“Oh Miss Donna, it’s her legs,” he began all out of breath. “I was just coming out of the building when it happened. Miss Roxanne was standing behind the pickup putting in a box when the truck hit the pickup and drove it back into the brick wall. The tailgate was down and her legs are smashed against the bricks. I called 911, then I called the house.”

“Why don’t they just drive the truck away?” Donna asked.

“I tried,” Willie said. “The guy who was driving took off running and took the key with him. And the truck is pretty tangled up in your pickup, which is too damaged to drive either. They need to get a wrecker now.”

“So her legs are trapped between the tailgate and that brick wall?”

“Yes ma’am,” he said. “The truck hit really hard, and she’s stuck pretty tight.”

George walked up and put his arm around Donna then said: “The police captain told me that it doesn’t look good for her. The medics told him that both of her legs are badly crushed and she’ll most likely lose them both.”

One of the firemen came over to them and said, “Excuse me Miss Caruthers, she’s asking for you.”

Donna followed the fireman over to the side of the pickup. Two firemen were in the back of the pickup supporting either side of Roxanne. There were also three medical personnel. One was holding two IV bags.

Roxanne began crying when she saw Donna and sniffed: “Oh Donna, I’m sorry. I would have been OK if I hadn’t had Willie park the pickup next to the building. Now they’re going to amputate my legs.”

“No, they won’t,” Donna said. “Things are going to be fine.”

“No, they won’t be fine!” she sobbed. “My legs are crushed. I can’t feel them now. I’ve already given them permission to field amputate both of them. I need to get to the hospital, and it’s the only way they can get me out from here quickly.”

Donna began crying too.

CHAPTER 7

“Hey, how are you doing today?” Donna asked as she walked into Roxanne’s hospital room. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to get by for a couple of days. You’re looking good.”

“I’m doing great,” Roxanne replied. “Look, no more tubes. I got rid of the morphine drip two days ago. I’m weaned off of that and able to think clearly again. I’m able to transfer into the wheelchair and use the bathroom. They changed my bandages this morning, and things are looking fine. My stumps are still really tender, but there’s no sign of infection. The pain I’m feeling is the healing pain. Now I just have to wait around to heal up a little.”

She reached up and pulled herself up using the triangle suspended on the track above her bed. The sheet slid down, and Donna could clearly see Roxanne’s tightly bound stumps. They were both the same length and were both above mid thigh, only about eight inches long. Donna could tell Roxanne was uncomfortable as she moved her stumps.

“Hey, I like your new wheelchair,” Donna said. “That blue color is cool.”

“I had my choice of color. I almost got a red one,” Roxanne replied. “It’s designed for people without legs. The center of gravity is moved forward so it won’t do wheelies as easily or accidentally. There’s no footrest so I can get close to cabinets.”

“It looks sporty and also utilitarian,” Donna observed.

“It’s lightweight and folds easily. I should be able to get it in a car by myself—if I can ever get a car with hand controls,” Roxanne said. “How’s Beth working out?”

“Terrible. I’m about ready to let her go,” Donna replied. “She just doesn’t seem interested and doesn’t anticipate what I want. You were always on top of things, almost like you were reading my mind. I can hardly wait for you to get back to work.”

“I’ve been lying here thinking about that,” Roxanne told her. “I don’t know if I can take care of you now. There’s a lot that I’m not going to be able to do stuck in that wheelchair.”

“Nonsense!” Donna replied quickly. “I want you for my caregiver.”

“How am I going to get up and down those stairs?”

“The same way I do now,” Donna replied. “I take the new elevator. I made sure it was big enough to hold your wheelchair.”

“I won’t be able to reach things on the top shelf of your closet.”

“We won’t use the top shelf. If anything gets on it, we’ll have Clara take it down.”

“How can I help you take a shower?”

“You can wheel your chair right up to the side of the tub and help me take a bath,” Donna told her. “I’m not taking no for an answer. You’re coming back to the house.”

“I guess you don’t leave me much choice,” Roxanne said. “Besides, I need a job to pay for all of this. I don’t have insurance.”

“Don’t worry about that. You were working for me when the accident happened, and you were fully covered. You’re still covered. The coverage will even pay for your prosthetic legs when it’s time for them.”

“It’s going to be a few weeks, can you manage?”

“I can put up with Beth if I know you’re coming back,” Donna said. “Besides, Mark is around now.”

“I guess I haven’t met him,” Roxanne told her. “OK, I’ll be back as soon as I can. I might be able to do rehab on an outpatient basis.”

“If you need gym equipment, we could set it up in the old ballroom. The room hasn’t been used for years, and I could use a good leg machine.”

“I won’t be needing one of those—at least for muscles that move my feet, ankles, and knees. But I will be needing to work on upper body strength in order to be able to drag myself around,” Roxanne said. “We can talk to Robert in the physical therapy department; he’ll know what we should get.”

“Mark will know too, I’ll ask him as well. I’m glad I was able to talk you into coming back,” Donna told her. “I think you’ll like the changes I’ve had done to the house. I’ve added grab rails in your bathroom and a new vanity that you can roll under. You also now have a roll-in shower and a tub with grab-bars. I had the back regraded and a ramp built out the back door at the end of the hall. While I had a crew there, they fully equipped the house with lever-handle door hardware that I can run with my foot or my butt.”

“How are you doing using your feet?” Roxanne quizzed.

“My penmanship is almost readable. I’m working on holding a fork with my toes and have managed to eat a couple of bites that way,” Donna said. “I need you to encourage me the way you do. Beth just sits there.”

Dr. Headcheese walked in and said, “Hey, how are my two favorite patients doing today?”

“I’m doing fine,” Donna remarked. “She hasn’t complained, but I think Roxanne’s stumps are still a little sore.”

“Is that right?” he asked, picking up her chart.

“Marjorie just changed the pressure bandages. My stumps have stopped weeping, and the old dressing was clear this time, and the last time too. The pain is just a healing pain. I’ve never had any phantom pain.”

“You’re not running a fever, and I’d like to minimize the risk of infection. I think we ought to get you out of here just as soon as we can. Do you have a place to go?” he asked.

“Yes. I’ll be going back to Donna’s to live, and when I’m able, I’ll begin taking care of her again,” Roxanne told him.

“I’ll be glad to have her in her room. I need the company in that big house,” Donna said. “We both need some physical training. I’m going to set up my old ballroom with gym equipment. We’ll have plenty of room.”

“You don’t have a fever, and you’re an RN. You can go this afternoon too,” he said. “I don’t want you catching something that may be drifting around the hospital.”

He picked up the phone and called the physical therapist department and gave Robert some instructions that included visiting Roxanne at Donna’s home. He said his goodbyes and excused himself, then left the room.

“I wonder if I would have gotten that kind of service if they hadn’t cut your arms off?” Roxanne asked when he was gone.

“Probably not,” Donna replied. “Sometimes it is good to have a little clout. I need to get going now. I have a board meeting to run in an hour, then my day is clear. I’ll see you this afternoon about three.”

When Donna and everyone had gone and it was quiet, Roxanne looked down at her wheelchair. Next, she looked down at the bandaged stumps that had been her beautiful legs only a few days ago. As the tears began to flow, she lay back for another good cry.

CHAPTER 8

Roxanne was sitting in her new wheelchair when Donna came into her hospital room. She was followed by a very handsome young man dressed in a dark suit and tie.

Roxanne was wearing the same clothes she had been wearing at the time of the accident, a freshly laundered tank top and denim shorts. The gleaming white bandages on her short leg stumps protruded a few inches beyond the cuff of her shorts and created a stark contrast against the deep blue color of the wheelchair seat.

“Roxanne, I don’t believe that you’ve met Mark,” Donna said.

“No, I haven’t had the pleasure,” Roxanne said, offering him her hand. “Roxanne Miner.”

“Mark Wilson,” he said firmly, returning her handshake. “Nice to meet you.”

“Mark was with me for a while before as my driver when I needed one. I need him all the time now so he’s moved into the apartment above the garage,” Donna said. “He’s kind of a handy guy to have around.”

“I bet he is,” Roxanne replied, smiling broadly looking deep into his steel blue eyes and still holding his hand.

“You’re embarrassing me,” he said, relaxing his grip but returning the deep gaze.

“Are you ready to go?” Donna asked.

“All that I have here is in that small bag and the plant that the nurses brought me,” Roxanne told them. “I’d like to stop by the nurses’ station and say goodbye. Barbara from Accounting was here about a half hour ago, and I’ve done all the signing. Thank you for taking care of the bill.”

“Thank the insurance company. Owning the company does have its benefits,” Donna said casually. “Armless or not, no one argues with me.”

Mark picked up the small suitcase and the plant. Roxanne wheeled her way down to the nurses’ station. After goodbye hugs and a few tears, Roxanne led the way, pushing herself to the elevator doors. The empty elevator door opened just as they got there. She wheeled in and skillfully positioned herself adjacent to the controls. When Donna and Mark were in, she pushed the button for the first floor.

“You really handle that wheelchair well,” Mark observed.

“Thanks,” Roxanne replied. “When I was in training, I did a stint in physical therapy showing people how to run these things. We used to race these in the hall sometimes during graveyard shift when everyone was sleeping. I just never thought I’d end up stuck in one with my legs chopped off.”

The door opened at the main floor. Donna led the way, followed by Roxanne and Mark beside her. When they got to the door, Mark offered to get the car while they waited inside.

“Wow,” said Roxanne as she watched him go through the sliding door air lock and down the sidewalk carrying the small case and the flowers. “Where did he come from? He’s about the most handsome guy I’ve ever seen.”

“He’s worked on and off for me for a couple of years,” Donna replied. “I used to hire him when I didn’t feel like putting up with traffic and wanted to pamper myself. Now it’s almost a matter of necessity.”

“Is he married?” Roxanne quizzed.

“No. He was engaged for a while but broke it off when he found her cheating on him with his best friend.”

“I’d never cheat on a guy like that,” Roxanne replied. “Besides, I’d never get a chance with a guy like that. He’d never want to date a girl with no legs.”

“You never can tell,” Donna said as he pulled up in a limousine. “Don’t sell yourself short.”

“I am short now,” Roxanne quipped as they started through the sliding glass doors.

Mark was holding the door open as they approached. Donna got in first and slid across the seat to the other side. Roxanne positioned her wheelchair squarely in front of the car seat and locked the brakes. She lifted herself forward to the front of the wheelchair and, with one hand on the wheelchair and the other on the car seat, slid herself into the car. She used her hands to lift herself and move around into position on the seat. Before she fastened her seatbelt, she fastened Donna’s while Mark folded the lightweight wheelchair and placed it in the trunk.

“You did that well,” Donna said. “You made it look easy.”

“I just used some of the techniques we taught in rehab,” Roxanne replied. “I’ve got it easy. I don’t have any useless legs dangling and getting in the way.”

“How are you doing?” Donna asked.

“I’m doing fine. My stumps are a little sore, but they’re getting better every day,” Roxanne replied.

Mark got into the driver’s seat, and Donna instructed him to drive them straight home. As he pulled up to the gate, he touched the transmitter button on the visor and the large steel gates opened. He pulled the limousine around by the back door on a freshly paved driveway and stopped near the back door. Roxanne unfastened her seatbelt and then released Donna from the grasp of hers as well.

Mark opened the car door and asked, “How would you like the wheelchair placed?”

“Put it right beside the seat here facing me and move it in as close as you can get it,” Roxanne told him. “That’s great. Thanks.”

She slid herself off of the car seat and transferred onto her wheelchair without any difficulty. She released the wheel brakes and backed away. Mark walked around the other side and helped Donna out of the car. Roxanne wheeled her way toward the door. She was pleased that the grade had been changed and the approach to the door was practically level. As she reached the door, Clara opened it from the inside.

Clara bent down and gave her a little hug and, with tears in her eyes, said, “Welcome back.”

“Thanks Clara,” Roxanne said, choking back tears.

“Willie and I have been praying for you every day,” Clara told her.

“Thank you. It must have helped. Here I am.”

Donna walked up and Clara said, “She looks good, doesn’t she?”

“You bet,” Donna replied. “It’s good to have her back.”

They all went inside. The new elevator opened onto the hall near the back door where the dumb waiter had been.

“Let me try this thing out,” Roxanne said. “I need to lie down for a while. I’m exhausted.”

“I took the liberty of unpacking some of your things,” Clara told her. “I hope you didn’t mind, but I wanted you to have something familiar around when you got here.”

“Thank you Clara. I appreciate that. Are the rest of my things still over at my old apartment?”

“No. Willie and I finished moving your things. Everything else is boxed up in the bedroom next door to your room. Your hanging clothes are in your closet.”

“Thank you. I don’t know if I have the strength to go back to that place.”

“We didn’t want you to have to go back. Poor Willie, he feels so bad about what happened,” Clara told her.

“It wasn’t Willie’s fault,” Roxanne said emphatically. “He parked exactly where I told him. I just got him too close. I was about to have him move the pickup forward when the guy crashed into us.”

“I keep telling him that.”

“I’ll talk to him later,” Roxanne said. “I need to lie down now.”

She pushed her way into the elevator cab and went to the second floor. She wheeled down the hallway to her room. It was almost like she left it. The queen size bed in the bedroom looked huge to her now. Roxanne pushed her wheelchair over to the bed and transferred onto it. She wished that she had the trapeze to help her move around. She lifted herself with her hands to get into position and then lay back.

She heard someone in the living room and lifted herself up on her elbows. She saw Mark putting the flowers on the table along with the small case. He looked her way and saw her watching him. He smiled, and she returned the smile. He walked over to the door.

“Are you doing OK?” he quizzed.

“Sure, just tired,” she replied. “I’ve been lying around waiting for these things to heal up. Now I don’t have my stamina back.”

“Can I get you anything?” he asked.

“No, I’m fine. I’ll just rest for while and then tackle the boxes in the other room.”

“I’ll be glad to help you if you want, or I can just sit around and keep you company,” he offered.

“Mark, that’s really nice. How do I get a hold of you?”

“Just pick up the phone and dial three-seven.”

“OK. I’ll call you.”

“Don’t forget. We don’t want you overdoing,” he cautioned.

He smiled again and then was gone. Roxanne returned the smile, lay back down, and closed her eyes with the smile still on her face.

When Roxanne awoke, it took her a moment to realize where she was. She looked at her watch and estimated that her nap had lasted about a half hour. She scooted across the bed until she was adjacent to her waiting wheelchair and transferred into it. She wheeled to the nightstand and dialed Mark’s number. He answered on the second ring.

“I’m back among the living,” she announced, unconsciously touching the bandages on her legs.

“Let me finish changing clothes, and I’ll be right there,” he told her.

She said goodbye and hung up the phone. She backed up far enough to turn her wheelchair around and wheeled into the living room part of her group of rooms. She retrieved the small case and put it on her abbreviated lap and wheeled into the bathroom. She opened the case and put some of the contents in one of the vanity drawers. She pushed her way into the closet and found, much to her surprise, her clothes that had been hanging in the closet at her old apartment hanging on a closet rod that had been lowered to a height she could reach. She put the remaining contents of the small case in one of the drawers. She put the small case in one corner of the closet and wheeled back into the living room. There was a light tap on her door. She wheeled over and opened it.

“Come on in,” she said to Mark.

He followed her into the room. His more formal attire had been shed, and he was now wearing tennis shoes, long blue jeans, and a T-shirt that was two sizes too small. The wording on the T-shirt read, “Joe’s Gym,” and by the way he filled it, Roxanne knew he was a regular at the gym.

“Are you ready to move some boxes?” she asked.

“I think I’m up to it,” he told her.

“Were you in on the packing?” Roxanne asked.

“No, I was still on my little vacation when Clara and Willie packed the boxes. I got back just in time to help move them into the next bedroom,” Mark said.

They went to the room that contained her things. Most things were neatly boxed, but her TV was not.

“I wonder what I should do with my TV set? My place already has two of the new high definition sets,” Roxanne asked.

“There is a storeroom down in the basement. I’m sure that Donna won’t mind if you put it down there. You can probably store your old bed that we brought over here down there too. I’m sure that there’s room,” he replied. “Why don’t we start with some of the boxes and see what’s left?”

“OK. Give me that smaller one marked kitchen and you bring that larger one. It has some things that go in the linen closet.”

He gave her the small box, which she set on her shortened lap, and he took the larger one. They took them back to her rooms. She went into the kitchen, and he took the larger box into the bathroom. Roxanne began finding places for her favorite cooking utensils. When Mark came back into the kitchen, Roxanne asked him to get the other box marked ‘kitchen.’ She had emptied the contents of the first box when he came back with the second one.

“This one has dishes,” he said as he put it on the counter.

“I usually keep them in the upper cabinets, but that’s not going to work now. I’m suddenly a lot shorter than I was,” she said. “Let’s put them in the lower cabinet next to the table. If you unpack them, I’ll put them away.”

He opened the box and began handing her the dishes. She put the dishes away in the lower cabinet in a way that was easy for her to reach them.

“So exactly what did happen back at your old apartment,” he asked. “I was called away shortly after Donna came out of her comma. Clara told me that you had been caring for her before I left.”

“Donna hired me to look after her after the bizarre happenings in the hospital,” Roxanne began. “I brought her home, and she lay down. I took the SUV over to my place and picked up a few bathroom things and came back. She was just waking up, so I got her ready for meeting with her attorney. I helped her get downstairs and met George. She told me to have Willie take me over to get the rest of my things in the pickup, which we did. I had Willie back up into the loading zone right next to the door. I had him back in too far and the pickup was almost up against the brick wall. We went in to get the first load. I was carrying that box of dishes, and Willie was carrying the box of pots and pans. I reached over the tailgate and put the box in the bed of the pickup. I walked between the pickup and the wall and was backed up against the wall lowering the tailgate. There was only about a foot of room between the tailgate and the wall with it down. I was in that space facing the back of the pickup with my butt against the brick wall. I heard an engine rev up and looked up just in time to see this large delivery truck coming at the front of the pickup. I didn’t have time to get out of the way before the tailgate of the pickup was slammed up against the brick wall. My legs were crushed, and I heard both of my femur bones break. Things got a little fuzzy after that. I do remember leaning on the bed of the pickup holding myself up and screaming at Willie to call 911.”

“Wow,” Mark commented.

“The fire department and the police came. The guy who had been driving the truck ran away and took the keys with him. They had to get a wrecker to move it and the pickup. Someone told me the engine of the pickup was in the seat. I had given them permission to field amputate my legs just about the time Donna and George got there. The medics had me rigged with an IV, and then I went to sleep. They field amputated, and then took me to the operating room to do it right. I woke up in the hospital that night like this.”

“That’s quite a story,” he said. “Now I feel bad.”

“Why would you feel bad? It was an accident. I’m the one who had Willie park there, and I’m the one who got myself in that position.”

“I feel bad because I should have been driving. That’s my job. If I’d have been here, maybe things would have been different and you would still have your legs,” he replied.

“The only one who’s at fault is the idiot who was driving the delivery truck,” Roxanne said, “and no one knows where he went.”

“I guess you haven’t heard,” Mark told her. “Apparently, after he ran from the crash, he ran out onto the freeway and was killed.”

“I sort of remember hearing something about that on TV. They had me pretty doped up on morphine, and my memories from about that time are pretty foggy.”

“I don’t know for sure, but I heard that’s what happened. I was out of the country when it all went down.”

“Where were you?” she asked as she finished putting away the pots and pans.

“I’m not allowed to say an exact spot. Let’s just say Central America,” he told her.

“I don’t understand?” she said, backing her wheelchair out and squarely facing him.

“I work for these guys from time to time who have a government contract. I use some of the skills I learned in the Navy,” he said.

“OK. What did you do in the Navy?” she asked.

“I was a Navy SEAL,” he said. “Demolition was my specialty.”

“So you were somewhere in Central America blowing things up,” she deduced.

“You said it. I didn’t,” he replied.

“So how long were you in the Navy?” Roxanne asked.

“Five years,” Mark told her.

“That’s a strange enlistment period. I thought that Navy enlistments were for multiples of four,” she said.

“They are, but I was given a medical discharge,” he said.

“You look pretty darn healthy to me,” she said. “What happened?”

“I got caught in some machine gun fire,” he said. “I got shortened up too.”

“I don’t understand?”

“Both of my legs were amputated below the knees,” he said. “I’m wearing my prosthetic legs.”

“You’re kidding me,” she said. “I’m an RN, and I didn’t spot it in your walk.”

“Come on, I’ll show you,” he said.

He walked into the living room, and Roxanne wheeled in behind him. He sat down on the couch and pulled up both pant legs exposing his below-the-knee prosthetic legs.

“My stumps are about this long,” he said pointing at a spot about eight inches below his knees. “The reason you didn’t spot the walk is the new ankle joint. It allows my foot to move in a pretty natural motion.”

“I’ll be damned” was all she could say.

“The thing is, I know what you’re going through emotionally. When this first happened, I thought my life had come to an end and that it was all over,” he said. “Once I moved beyond that, things began to improve.”

“Boy, do I know that feeling. I didn’t think that I could come back here to take care of Donna from this wheelchair. She had to talk me in to it and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Sure, there are some things you’re not going to be able to do, but that’s why she keeps the rest of us around,” he said. “You’ll be surprised as to how much you can do. You’ll improvise just like Donna and I do; you’ll just have to do things a little differently than you did before.”

“I still find this hard to believe,” she told him. “Walk around for me a little bit.”

He pulled his pant legs down and got up. He walked away from her and then back. Then he walked so that she could see him from the side.

“So did I pass?” he asked.

“With flying colors,” she said as he sat down on the couch by her—only closer this time. “I knew it, and I still couldn’t see any difference in your walk.”

“So what are your plans?” he asked.

“Well for now, Donna needs me. I’ll stick here and work for her for as long as I’m needed or until I get kicked out,” she replied. “I really haven’t thought much beyond that. I can’t do nursing from a wheelchair so maybe I can get a job doing some medical research. I liked chemistry and got good grades.”

“What about getting married and having kids?” he asked.

“If the right guy were to come along, I’d be willing to change course,” she said. “The only problem is, who’d want a wife with no legs.”

“A lot of guys. I wouldn’t have a problem with it,” he said. “I could picture us sitting around massaging each other’s stumps.”

“That’s a strange picture,” she said, smiling broadly at him. “But I guess a guy who goes around blowing things up is kind of a strange guy anyway. What are your plans?”

“To stay around here and court you,” he said, returning her smile.

“Come on, seriously.”

“I am serious. I think you’re a pretty cool lady,” he told her. “I’ll continue to work for Donna and the other contractor. She’s good to me and understands that when they need me, they need me, and I have to go. I guess my long-term plan would be to maybe own a car repair garage. I’m pretty good at keeping things running and enjoy doing that kind of work.”

“What do you like to do outside of work?” he asked.

“I used to like to dance, but I think that’s changed. The drawback to that was the bar scene, and I didn’t like that,” she said. “Outdoors, I like camping and hiking. I guess that’s going to be limited to easy trails now. I enjoy being by a lake or a stream and just listening to the sounds of nature. What about you?”

“I like good music. I hate rap,” he began. “I can dance, but it’s not my passion. I enjoy an occasional cocktail, but one is my limit, and I don’t like to get drunk. Outdoors, I like to camp and hike too. I’ve taken up rock climbing, and I’m having a good time with that. I do enjoy swimming.”

“I like to swim too,” she said. “Rock climbing is not for me. I don’t like heights. Besides, now you’d have to pull me up with a rope.”

“I think that once you get your upper body strength up that you might find an easy rock wall fun to climb.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Roxanne told him. “Right now, I have more boxes to unload.”

He got up and gave her a quick kiss and then walked out of the room. Roxanne was a little startled at his actions but certainly did not argue, in fact, she enjoyed it.

“Where does this one go?” he asked, carrying a box back into the living room.

“I think it’s pictures and stuff. Just set it here on the coffee table, and let’s open it.”

He set the box on the coffee table, and she opened it. Her suspicions were correct. The box contained several framed pictures of family. Her most precious one was a family portrait taken when she graduated from high school before her parents were killed. She explained the significance to Mark.

Donna appeared at the door. “Hey what are you guys up to?”

“Boxes of stuff,” Roxanne replied. “Mark said it might be OK to put some of the stuff that I’m not going to be using for a while in the storeroom in the basement. Just things like my TV and my old bed.”

“Sure. This is your home too now. Put it anywhere you want,” she said. “You can leave it right there in the bedroom if you want. No one will be using it.”

“Do you need help with anything?” Roxanne asked.

“No, not until I get home,” Donna replied. “George has invited me out to dinner tonight. He said he’d take care of feeding me.”

“That’s cool,” Roxanne said. “I can help you get ready if you want me to.”

“Would you please. If you feel up to it,” she replied. “I don’t like the way Beth does my hair and makeup.”

“I feel great after my little power nap. No problem,” Roxanne replied. “Mark has been helping me move boxes.”

“I’ll just bet he has,” she said, grinning ear to ear.

“Really. He is a big help,” Roxanne offered.

“Are you two hassling me?” he asked.

“Us?” Donna said. “No way.”

“Well, OK then,” he said.

“About forty-five minutes?” Donna asked.

“I’ll be there,” Roxanne told her.

Donna left the two of them in Roxanne’s rooms, and Roxanne continued to empty the box with the pictures. Mark retrieved the last box; it was a small one tied with a pink ribbon.

“What’s in this one?” he asked.

“Just some memories,” she told him. “Just set it on the bed, and I’ll put it away later.”

Mark did as she asked and then sat down on the couch near where Roxanne was sitting in her wheelchair.

“I think it’s just you and I tonight,” Mark said.

“What do you mean?” Roxanne asked.

“We have to fend for ourselves for dinner tonight,” he told her. “Clara and Willie have the night off, and I haven’t seen what’s her name, you know, the other nurse . . .”

“Beth,” she said.

“I haven’t seen Beth around since you’ve been here,” he said. “I think she got the idea that she wasn’t needed and decided not to show again. Yesterday was payday.”

“So what do you have in mind?” she quizzed.

“I thought a romantic dinner under the stars down at the pier would be nice for our first date,” he said. “How does that sound?”

“More than I think I’m up to,” she said. “Why don’t we order a pizza, and I’ll find a candle for the table. We can stay right here. It might not be as romantic, but we can try.”

“I knew there was a reason I liked you. You’re a cheap date,” he said. “The pizza sounds fine with me. You do like pepperoni.”

“It’s the only kind I eat,” she replied. “Now I’ve got something I like about you. The only problem is, you have to buy; I haven’t worked enough to get paid yet. I only put in a half a day, and then had the little accident.”

“Got it covered,” he said. “You’ve got to go to work, and I should wash the car. What do you like to drink?”

“I’ll just stick to diet coke for now,” she said. “I’m still popping a pain pill now and then.”

He slid over close to her and put his hand on one of her stumps. “Are they still really tender?”

“Yes, I’m afraid they are. More than I’d like to admit,” she said. “I think the wraps might be doing it. I’ve been thinking about unwrapping them and seeing if that helps.”

“I can unwrap them for you if you like,” he offered. “I’ve done it before a time or two.”

“I can handle the unwrapping with no problem. I’ll let you rewrap them before I go to bed tonight if I haven’t scared you off.”

“I’ve got one more thing to do before I go,” he said, moving closer.

“What’s that?” she said, their lips almost touching.

This time she put her arms around him, and he put his arms around her for a very passionate and protracted kiss.

“Now will you bring me food?” she asked.

“If you keep kissing me like that, I’ll grow it myself,” he quipped.

“Get out of here. I’ve got to go to work,” she told him. “Just come back with food.”

“I knew it,” he said, standing up. “You only want me for my pizza expertise.”

“That’s not all I want you for,” Roxanne said. “Just wait until I get all healed up.”

He bent down and kissed her again and then left. Roxanne looked at the clock and determined that she had enough time to unwrap her stumps. She wheeled into her bedroom and transferred to the bed. She unfastened her denim shorts and managed to get them off. She removed the right pressure bandage first. Her stump felt instantly better. She had the same relief when she removed the bandage from her left stump. She looked at the dressing on both legs, and they were unstained and dry. She decided to leave them off and allow the air to get at the nicely healing incisions.

Roxanne wiggled her way back into her denim shorts and got them zipped. She transferred back into her wheelchair and pushed herself to Donna’s door. She knocked lightly on the door and went on in when Donna acknowledged her.

“How’s it going?” Roxanne asked.

“Good,” Donna replied. “Things are looking up.”

“I’m glad,” she replied. “Anything specific?”

“Sure. You’re back for starters. You’re good for me. You challenge me and know when to get in and help me,” Donna told her. “I’ve been able to get rid of Beth. You and Mark seem to be hitting it off, and I have a real date.”

“Did I hear you say your date was with George the attorney?” Roxanne quizzed.

“One in the same,” she replied. “We’ve always hit it off before, and there was always some chemistry between us. You were right; some guys go for amputees. That blouse I wore when we got together on the day you got hurt did the trick. We’ve become very, shall we say, chummy. If you know what I mean.”

“How soon before your divorce with John is final?” Roxanne asked.

“Another two weeks,” Donna said.

“And what are the grounds?” she pressed.

“First is infidelity to me, and then making me like this” was her reply.

“If you were to ask my advice, which you haven’t, I wouldn’t give John any kind of excuse for a counter claim,” Roxanne told her.

“That is a good point and thanks for the unsolicited advice,” Donna relented dejectedly. “I just hate to ruin what has all the makings of a nice dinner out in a secluded restaurant.”

“You don’t have to ruin the evening. Just don’t get carried away in public. I’d suggest that he take along a writing portfolio and have him make a few notes in it over the evening,” Roxanne offered. “That way if anyone is watching you, they’ll think that you’re doing business.”

“Good point,” Donna said. “We’ll do that. You certainly are cunning.”

“No. I got to watch a lot of TV waiting for you to wake up,” Roxanne replied.

“Hey, you have your stumps unwrapped,” Donna noticed.

“They were hurting, and I thought maybe the pressure bandages were doing it,” Roxanne replied. “They felt better when I took them off. It’ll give the incisions a little air too.”

“Can I take a close look?” Donna asked, sitting down on the bed. “I see the way they did the skin flap.”

“They bring it up over the top like that so that I won’t be normally sitting on the scar,” Roxanne said. “It’s also the reason that my stumps are pretty short. At the hospital, they had to cut off more bone than was broken off in the accident and cut off during the field amputation in order to get the flap up and around and to smooth the ends of the bone. This part here that’s discolored is where the tailgate was pushing up against the bricks. The plastic surgeon told me that the surgery scar will all but disappear when it’s healed, but that the skin might stay discolored.”

“They did a good job,” Donna remarked. “It’s just too bad it happened in the first place.”

“Well, what’s done is done. Now it’s water under the bridge,” Roxanne told her. “Have you picked out what you want to wear?”

“Let’s look.”

Donna led the way to the closet and picked out a black dress that could best be described as short and revealing. She also picked out some shoes and a lightweight three-quarter length black jacket. Roxanne took the clothes into the bedroom and helped Donna strip down. They discussed the wearing of pantyhose and decided that she shouldn’t. Going without would make it easier to go the restroom and would also make her toes fully available should the need arise to show off some of her newly mastered eating skills. They went into the bathroom, and Roxanne had Donna sit on the makeup table stool. That made her just the right height for Roxanne to conveniently reach her from her wheelchair. Roxanne did her hair and makeup, then they went into the bedroom and Roxanne dressed her. They went back into the bathroom, and jewelry in the form of a diamond necklace and diamond earrings was added. A final touch-up on her makeup and hair and Donna was ready. She stood up and looked in the full length mirror.

“You look pretty good,” Roxanne said.

“Hell, I look stunning,” Donna said. “I’ve never been able to get my hair to look like that or my makeup to look so good. Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” Roxanne said. “After all you’ve done for me, it’s the least I could do.”

“What are you going to do all alone in this big place tonight?” Donna asked.

“Mark said everyone was gone so we decided that he would get a pizza and we’d have it in my room,” she replied. “After that, watch TV and wait for you to come home so I can tuck you in.”

“You and Mark seem to be really hitting it off,” Donna observed. “Was it love at first sight?”

“I don’t believe in love at first sight, but I do believe in instant mutual attraction,” Roxanne told her.

“I know, I saw it in action at the hospital. I didn’t think he’d ever quit shaking your hand.”

“That was kind of a special moment, wasn’t it?” Roxanne said.

“You know he has another job other than here,” Donna said. “Sometimes he has to take off for weeks at a time.”

“He told me he did demolition work for a company that had government contacts outside of the U.S.,” she replied. “That’s why he wasn’t here when I got hurt. He said he was in Central America.”

“Don’t press him for any more information than that. He can’t tell you because it’s usually classified top secret,” Donna said.

“How do you know that?” Roxanne asked.

“I was at a fund raiser in Washington DC and one of the presidential aids took me aside and into a private meeting room. The president and the head of the CIA were there. They asked my cooperation in letting him go anytime they needed him for, shall we say, special work,” Donna told her. “I, of course, said yes. Now I don’t want you saying anything else about it again and please don’t quiz him. Promise?”

“My lips are sealed,” Roxanne said. “If he says anything to me, it will have to be of his choosing. I promise I won’t ask.”

“I knew I could count on you,” Donna said. “Will you escort me down to the main floor?”

Roxanne led the way out of her bedroom and closed the door behind them. Then Donna walked beside Roxanne in her wheelchair to the elevator. Roxanne pushed the oversize call button. The elevator arrived at the second floor, and the door opened. Donna got in first and squeezed into the corner to make room for the wheelchair. Roxanne pushed the button.

“Can you handle these buttons OK?” Roxanne asked.

“They’re large enough for me to operate with my sandals on. If I slip them off, it’s no problem using my toes. I might even be able to do it with these heels.”

They reached the main floor in time to see some car lights shining through the opaque windows alongside the front door. Roxanne waited for the bell to ring before she opened it to greet George.

“Good to see you back,” he said, offering her his hand.

“You have no idea how good it is to be back,” Roxanne replied. “Donna is ready and in the library.”

She rolled out of the way, and he made his way toward the library. By the sounds of the voices she overheard, Roxanne was reassured that Donna’s outfit was being well received. They came out into the hall and started for the door.

“Just come on into my room when you get home,” Roxanne said.

“Yes mother,” Donna said with a big smile.

“I won’t keep your daughter out too late,” George said, getting in on the banter.

“Just you two go and have a good time. Remember what I told you,” Roxanne said.

“I’ve already told George, and he agrees. Thanks,” Donna said.

“See you later,” George said.

They walked to the car, and he opened the door for Donna.

Meanwhile, Roxanne wheeled back to the elevator and made her way back to her room. When she got there, she transferred to the couch and lay back and closed her eyes.

“Roxanne seems to be adjusting to her new situation,” George said as they drove away.

“Yes, I think so. But I still worry about her,” Donna said. “She seems really taken with Mark. Those two hit it off instantly.”

“That’s good. I like Mark,” George said. “Does she know that he’s an amputee too?”

“She didn’t say,” Donna replied. “He did tell her about his other job though.”

“Not everything I hope,” George responded. “He could get into a lot of trouble for that.”

“He told her that he worked for a company with government contracts. I told her as much as I could and asked her not to press him for more information,” Donna told him. “She promised me that she wouldn’t ask him anything else.”

They pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, and George unfastened her seatbelt. After a short kiss, he got out and opened Donna’s door. He helped her out and retrieved a writing portfolio from the back seat before they walked to the restaurant door. They went to the head waiter who greeted them warmly and immediately seated them in a secluded booth.

“Can I start you off with a cocktail?” their waiter asked.

“I’ll have a Tom Collins,” Donna said. “Be sure it has a straw.”

“I’ll have a martini,” George said to him, opening his portfolio. “Do you want to talk a little business first to keep this on the up and up?”

“OK. What do we talk about?” she asked.

“The offshore accounts are all set up like you asked,” he said. “I’ve been talking to their insurance company. They don’t want to go to trial. Your insurance company will be reimbursed, and she’ll get five million deposited to the account.”

“How’d you get them to five million?” she asked. “They were only at a hundred thousand.”

“The guy was stoned,” he replied. “I have the autopsy. They knew if she was wheeled into the courtroom and the jury saw her sitting pathetically in her wheelchair and with the autopsy entered into evidence, that they’d go nuts.”

The waiter brought them their drinks, then left them alone.

“Do you think she’ll go for it?” he asked. “It’s the best I can do without going to court and run the risk of bad jury.”

“I understand the risks. I want to be sure she gets the most out of them that she can get,” Donna told him. “She’s the one who will have to spend the rest of her life without legs.”

“Should I present it to her?” he asked.

“In the morning,” she said, taking a sip of her drink. “She needs a good night’s sleep. Poor thing, I think she’s exhausted.”

The waiter brought them menus. He held it out to Donna, and she had him just put it on the table. She slipped off her shoe and opened it with her toes. The waiter was embarrassed and left them to decide.

“Why don’t you slip my jacket off, and let’s see his reaction to an armless woman,” she said.

“I don’t mind that at all,” he said, removing her jacket and placing it on the booth seat beside him. “I get to enjoy the view too.”

“Do you really like seeing me like this?” she quizzed. “Is it a turn on?”

“Hell yes,” he replied. “You’ve always turned me on, and now that you’re armless, you turn me on that much more.”

“Any idea why?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe I see you as more helpless now, and it’s my chance to be Sir Galahad.”

“You can come to my rescue anytime you want,” she told him.

“That’s my intention” was his reply.

The waiter returned and managed to get in several glances at Donna’s empty shoulders as he took their order. He gathered the menus and left.

“You are a real tease, aren’t you?” George said.

“Me? What do you mean?” Donna replied in a faked surprise.

“You know damn well what I mean,” he told her. “The way you used your shoulder to point at the menu and give him a good cleavage shot in the process.”

“Here, let me bend over and give you one too,” she said, purposely leaning toward George.

“You keep that up, and I’m going to grab those things,” he said.

“Promises, promises,” she replied. “I wish you would grab me there and other parts too.”

“Later my dear. Later . . .”

Roxanne didn’t answer when Mark tapped lightly on the door. She didn’t respond on the second knock either so he quietly opened the door. Roxanne was sound asleep on the couch. Mark put the pizza on the coffee table, then stood and admired her sleeping so peacefully. He knelt down beside the couch and gently kissed her lips. She stirred and, realizing who it was, put her arm around him and pulled him to her for a very passionate kiss.

“Power nap again?” he asked when he could speak.

“I guess that’s what you call it,” she replied. “I was beat and had to lie down.”

“You’re probably overdoing it,” he said. “Why are your stumps unwrapped?”

“They were hurting so I took off the pressure bandages. They felt better then,” she said.

“Let me take a look,” he said, walking down by her stumps on his knees. “I haven’t seen them unwrapped before, but I think you have some swelling. Is this tender?”

“OH Yes!” she exclaimed.

“Your day is done my dear,” he said. “We’ll eat some pizza, and then it’s to bed with you.”

“I’ll be fine,” she objected. “I’m just tired.”

“No, you’re just overdoing it,” he said.

He opened the pizza box and a bottle of pop for her. She pushed herself up on the arm of the couch and leaned against it. He held out the box, and she took a piece and a napkin. He put the pop where she could reach it and opened one for himself before he sat on the couch beside her.

“Did Donna get going all right?” he quizzed.

“Yes. She looked ravishing. She’s really pretty, and when she gets made up, she’s beautiful,” Roxanne replied. “She was wearing a short back dress and a short black jacket. I did her hair down, and she was wearing heels.”

“I bet old George could hardly control himself,” Mark remarked.

“I think if I hadn’t been there, he would have jumped her there in the library,” she replied.

They continued their small talk and devoured the pizza. They had consumed most of it when Mark’s cell phone rang. He answered it.

“Yes sir . . . Thank you . . . It went well, just a minute,” he said and then got up and went out into the hall closing the door behind him.

Roxanne had another piece of pizza and waited for him. After about five minutes, he walked back into the room.

“My other boss,” he said. “He had some questions about the last job.”

“He called you on a cell phone that the whole world can hear?” she asked.

“No. This isn’t a normal cell phone,” he said. “It has a scramble mode.”

“Do you want some more pizza?” she asked as he sat down beside her.

“I’m full,” he said. “How are you doing?”

“I’m stuffed too,” she said as she finished her pop.

He put his arm on the back of the couch, and Roxanne snuggled up against his chest. Before too long, they were kissing. Gently at first, then passionately, extremely passionately. They explored each other’s body with their hands. She winced in pain when he touched a part of one of her newly amputated legs.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Both of my stumps are really tender now,” she said.

Mark gently felt her legs and examined them. When his touch neared the scar, she jumped and pulled his hand away.

“That really hurts,” she said.

“I think we should get you loaded up on pain pills and those wraps back on,” he told her.

“I hate taking those pain pills; my mouth ends up tasting like cotton,” she protested.

“Those pain pills are for when you overdo,” he said. “And you’ve over done. Where are they?”

“In the right hand drawer of the bathroom vanity,” she replied.

He got up and walked into the bathroom and came back with her pain pill bottle. He read the label before he gave them to her.

“You’re supposed to be taking one of these every two hours. When did you have the last one?”

“This morning in the hospital,” she admitted.

“Take two now,” he told her. “We’ll let them work a little, and then I’ll rewrap your stumps.”

He brought her a glass of water and gave her two of the pills. She took the pills, and he returned the pills to the drawer in the bathroom.

“I wish I had more strength,” she told him when he had sat down beside her and put his arm around her. “I’m absolutely wasted.”

“It’s your body telling you to slow down,” he said as she nestled next to him. “Tomorrow, we’ll hang out at the pool and do nothing.”

“That’s not what I’m being paid to do,” she protested. “I need to take care of Donna.”

“All you really need to do is get her bathed and dressed in the morning,” he said. “She’s getting more self-sufficient all the time. She’s still just scared about the future with the extent of her handicap.”

“Did you two ever talk about amputation?” she asked.

“She asked me what it was like, and I tried to tell her,” he said. “She wondered what it would be like to lose an arm. I told her about the frustration my buddy had when he lost his arm. I kind of thought she might want to become a voluntary amputee.”

“I have heard of people like that. I can’t imagine someone wanting to have an arm or a leg amputated on purpose,” Roxanne said, “especially after all the pain and mental anguish I’ve gone through these past couple of weeks.”

“So how did you feel when you found out that your legs were gone?” he asked.

“I knew they were gone right away when I was pinned against the wall. At that point in time, I just wanted them to get me out of there,” she told him. “But that night when I was alone, I thought my world had come to an end. How did you feel?”

“My situation was different. I was in combat and trying to save my life and the lives of two of my buddies when my legs were blown away,” he said. “I guess I thought the same thing once I woke up in the field hospital and realized what had happened to me. My world had come to an end.”

“How did you get over it? I keep sitting here looking at these stumps and thinking that maybe I don’t want to go on. I don’t relish the idea of sitting in that wheelchair and wearing stilts with shoes on them for the rest of my life.”

“Don’t talk like that,” he admonished her. “When it comes right down to it, the only major thing that has changed is that you don’t get around the way that you used to and you have some limitations. Sure, you’ll need to use the chair or stilts, as you put it, but you are still you. You are the same person, beautiful on the inside and beautiful on the outside, that you were before. You still have your looks and smarts and your compassion to help people. That hasn’t changed.”

“I just feel so damn helpless though,” she said as she started to cry. “I’m not good for anybody this way.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself,” he said, pulling her close to him. “Part of you is gone, but the rest of you and who you are is snuggled up next to me. And I enjoy holding you like this.”

“I’m glad. I sure do need it right now,” she said. “My life is one big doubt.”

“First off, you need to relax. Go with the flow. Lighten up,” he said. “You were badly injured. It takes time to heal, both physically and emotionally.”

He could taste the saltiness of her tears as they began a very passionate kiss. Their hands began exploring each other’s body again. The heavy petting lasted for a long time.

“Thank you,” she whispered when they came up for air. “You have no idea how badly I needed that.”

“You’re not alone,” he whispered back. “I needed that too, and I need you.”

“Do you believe in love at first sight?” she whispered.

“Not until today,” he replied, lightly kissing her. “Do you?”

“I’ve always believed in instant attraction. I didn’t think love at first sight was possible,” she replied. “I think I might have been wrong. If it isn’t love, I don’t know what I’m feeling. I don’t know about you, but I feel giddy and all tingly inside.”

“I have this feeling of contentment that I’ve never been experienced with anyone else. I usually want to run from a situation like this,” he told her. “Being with you is different, I don’t want to leave. I could just hold you like this forever.”

“Forever is a long time,” Roxanne said. “Do you really mean that or are you just playing with my emotions in my confused state?”

“I’m not toying with you,” Mark replied. “I don’t fool with people’s emotions like that. Especially yours. You are so special.”

The kissing and heavy petting began again—this time even more intense. When they came up for air, neither said anything, they just held each other.

“I hate to ruin the moment, but the pain in my stumps has subsided. I should rewrap them now,” Roxanne told him.

“OK. Let’s get you taken care of,” Mark said, standing up.

He scooped her up in his muscular arms. She protested at first, telling him she wanted her wheelchair. He kept on going and laid her gently on her bed. She propped herself up on her elbows.

“Lie back and let me do this,” he said while he re-rolled one of the elastic bandages. “I’ve had experience with these things.”

She lay back, and he re-rolled the other bandage. He unbuttoned her shorts and unzipped them. He worked them down and off of her, exposing her light-blue bikini panties. His eyes fixed momentarily on her mound.

“Do you like what you see?” she asked.

“Oh yes,” he replied. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s unused too,” she told him.

“You mean you’re . . . ,” he stammered.

“Yes. I’m a virgin,” Roxanne told him. “The right guy has never come along. That is, until now.”

“Are you telling me that you’d give up something as precious as your virginity for me?” he asked.

“When the time is right,” she said. “I was saving it for my wedding night, but that just might change.”

“That’s something very special. We shouldn’t go rushing into something we’d both be sorry for later. I can wait for our wedding night,” he said. “I’m ready to do your right leg first.”

“Go ahead. I’m ready,” she told him.

He put the dressing over the scars and began slowly and systematically wrapping her right leg stump with the elastic bandage.

“How’s that feel?” he asked when he had finished the right stump.

“Just about right,” she said. “Maybe just a tad tighter than it had been, but it’ll be fine. Ready to do my left stump?”

“I’m ready if you are,” he replied and began repeating the process for her left leg stump.

“How does that one feel now?” he quizzed.

“They both feel better, but those pain pills are knocking me out. I can hardly keep my eyes open,” she said. “I’m fading fast.”

“Let’s get you under the covers,” he said. “Do you want me to take off your top?”

“I’m not ready for that quite yet,” she replied as he helped her get under the covers. “If you put the long T-shirt that’s in the top drawer on the bed, I’ll put it on.”

Mark went into the other room and moved her wheelchair in beside the bed where she could easily reach it as he delivered her T-shirt. He left the door to the bedroom ajar as he went back into her living room. She removed her top and bra, then put on the T-shirt that she used as a nightgown. When Roxanne put her head on the pillow, she was almost instantly asleep. Meanwhile Mark opened the door to the hallway, then lay down on the couch awaiting Donna’s return.

“Are you still here?” Donna asked as she came in the room. “Where’s Roxanne?”

“Roxanne is out for the night. She overdid it, and I had to put her to bed,” Mark told her. “I’ve been waiting for you to get home and tuck you in.”

“Oh no you don’t,” she replied. “You’ve tucked me in before. I don’t think we want to do that kind of tucking in anymore.”

“You’re right, we don’t,” he said, standing up. “I think my fooling around days are over.”

“Her?” Donna asked, pointing in the direction of Roxanne’s bedroom with a nod of her head. “You two have been thick as fleas from the time you laid eyes on one another.”

“She’s definitely the one,” Mark said, escorting Donna out into the hall and closing the door behind them. “I’ve never felt so strongly about anyone I’ve ever met before.”

“Wow, that sounds terminal,” she said as he opened up the door to her bedroom. “It looks like you may be turning over a new leaf, or are you just feeling sorry for her lying there with no legs?”

“No, it’s just not the no legs thing with her,” he told her as he closed the door behind them. “It’s just that she’s such a genuine nice person. She’s wholesome and innocent.”

“Killer looks and a nice set of knockers too,” she commented. “Do those little leg stumps turn you on too?”

“Shit, you know that they do,” he replied as she stepped out of her shoes. “Just like those armless shoulders do.”

He removed her jacket and hung it up in the closet. Donna walked into the bathroom, and Mark followed. He removed her necklace and earrings. He unzipped her dress and pulled it down. She was able to slip out of it and was now wearing only her bra.

“No panties?” he asked. “Are they still in George’s car?”

“No,” she replied. “I didn’t wear any. It was Roxanne’s idea. Without panties in the way, I was able to work the dress up enough to use the restroom by myself.”

Mark picked the dress up off the floor and returned it into the bedroom closet. When he returned, she was sitting on the toilet. He left the room until he heard the toilet flush and then came back in to wipe her.

“I feel funny having you do that,” Donna said.

“I don’t know why you should,” he countered. “You used to like it when I played with it when we were in bed.”

“That was before we both found who we really wanted to be with,” she said as he unfastened her bra and put it on the vanity beside the jewelry.

“So you don’t want me crawling in bed with you anymore—like I did when John was on those so-called business trips?” he said, running his fingers around her nipples.

“No, I don’t. That was then, and this is now,” she said. “I thought you made a commitment to Roxanne? Now quit it! Leave me alone!”

“So what are you going to do about it? Slap my face?” he teased, still teasing her nipples.

“You know good and well that I can’t do that without arms. Quit it! Damn it, I’ll fire you,” she fumed.

“You know better than to threaten me like that. You need my political connections. By the way, ‘the man’ called tonight. He said to say hi and thanks for your cooperation,” he snapped back. “Then there’s the little matter of the insider trading. Remember the great stock tip to sell quick. I bet some prosecutor would go after that one. Then when you’re convicted, some of those women in prison would like an armless girlfriend. So don’t threaten to fire me.”

“OK. You’ve undressed me, now just let me go to bed in peace,” Donna pleaded. “Please.”

“As long as you’ve used the magic word,” he said, stepping aside and allowing her to get by him.

She walked into the bedroom. He followed her and pulled back the covers on her king-size bed. Completely nude, she slid into it, and he pulled the covers up around her.

“Are you set?” he asked.

“Yes. Just leave. Please,” she told him.

“Just remember our little secrets,” he told her as he kissed her forehead, then walked toward the door. “Don’t do anything to screw up a good deal for both of us.”

He turned off the light and closed the door leaving Donna alone in the dark. A tear ran down her cheek.

Mark opened the door into Roxanne’s living room silently and slipped through the doorway, closing it behind him. He went into Roxanne’s bedroom to check on her. She was still sleeping soundly. He gently kissed her forehead to do a rough fever check. It was cool to the touch, and he was satisfied that she would be OK. He lay down on the couch in the living room with the door to her bedroom still ajar and drifted off into a light sleep.

Roxanne’s blood curdling scream brought him straight up off of the couch. He flung open the door and turned on the light. The room was flooded with bright light, and he had to blink several times while his eyes adjusted to the light as the screams continued. Roxanne was screaming, but she wasn’t on the bed. He found her rolling around on the floor still screaming in agony and rushed to her side.

“Roxanne, what happened?” Mark asked as he tried to comfort her.

“It hurts! I forgot!” she screamed and sobbed. “I forgot they cut my legs off. I tried to stand up, and I fell on my stumps. It hurts so bad! I can’t stand the pain!”

“Just try to relax and take deep breaths,” he told her as he sat down on the floor and cradled her in his arms.

She took several deep breaths and then said, “Oh No! I’m going to be sick!”

Mark was able to reach the wastebasket beside the bed in time. Roxanne convulsed until she had the dry heaves.

“I still have to use the bathroom, can you help me?” she asked.

Mark picked her up and set her on the toilet seat. He stepped out of the bathroom as she pulled down her panties and then relieved herself. She called to him when she had finished and her panties were back on but still was on the toilet seat.

“You done?” he quizzed.

“I could use a drink of water please,” she asked.

“Are you feeling better?” he asked as he handed her a glass of water.

“Yes. Whatever better is,” she replied. “I feel better than I did when I was on the floor screaming, but my stumps still hurt like hell. Could you please help me back into bed?”

He took the water glass, then scooped her up in his arms. When she had her arms around him, she kissed him. He carried her back to the big queen size bed and laid her gently down on the sheets.

“Do you want another pain pill?” Mark asked.

“Heavens No!” Roxanne exclaimed. “Those things knock me out and give me crazy dreams. I’ll tough it out.”

“I have some aspirin with codeine at my place. I can get you a couple of those,” he said. “They’ll take the edge off the pain without knocking you out. Shall I get you some?”

“Maybe tomorrow,” she replied. “Were you sleeping on the couch?”

“Yes,” he admitted. “I wanted to be here if you needed anything.”

“Well, I do want something,” she told him. “I want you to get into bed with me and just hold me.”

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” he quizzed.

“Yes,” Roxanne replied. “I don’t want to have sex. I just want to be able to cuddle up with you and for you to keep me company.”

“If you’re sure that’s what you want,” Mark told her.

Roxanne only nodded, and Mark began to undress—including removing his below-the-knee prosthetic legs. He slid in beside her, and she cuddled close to him. The good night kiss was extremely passionate.

CHAPTER 9

“You look really pretty Mom,” Markie said as Roxanne crutched toward her son.

“Why thank you Markie,” Roxanne replied. “You look pretty spiffy yourself. It’s not that often that we get all dressed up like this.”

“I know,” he replied. “I’m not used to seeing you wearing your legs—especially the ones with high heels.”

“These legs and dressy crutches are just for special occasions where I get dressed up and don’t have to walk a lot. All of my artificial legs are uncomfortable for me to wear, and my leg stumps hurt if I have to walk very far,” she told him. “Most times it’s easiest if Mom just uses her wheelchair.”

“Did Dad ever use a wheelchair?” he asked.

“He probably had to for a while. But that was before I met him,” she replied. “He always wore his legs after we met.”

“Will Aunt Donna and Uncle George be there?” Markie asked.

“Yes, Aunt Donna called and told me that they’d be there,” she said. “She told me that Sally was going to be there too so you’d have someone to play with after the service.”

“How come Sally has arms and Aunt Donna doesn’t?” he quizzed.

“Some bad men cut them off to make money,” Roxanne told him.

“Did bad men cut your legs off?” he continued to press.

“The doctors had to cut my legs off after a serious accident,” she said. “I was standing beside a building when a truck hit me and crushed my legs.”

“I bet that hurt a lot,” he observed.

“It hurt a lot then, and it hurt for a long time afterward,” she responded. “Are you about ready to go?”

“Why did Dad climb up on those rocks?” he asked.

“Your Dad liked to do dangerous things like that,” she said.

“Mom, what’s a memorial service?” Markie asked.

“It’s a special time when we all get together to say goodbye to people we love. Today we’ll get to say goodbye to your Dad,” Roxanne told him. “We’ll all have a chance to say what we remember about him. What are you going to tell?”

“I want to tell how he used to play football with me and what a great Dad he was and how much he loved us,” he said. “Will we ever see him again?”

“Yes. We’ll all see him someday when we get to heaven just like they tell you at Sunday School,” Roxanne replied. “I’m the lucky one though. I get to see him every time I look at you.”

E N D