JUDY AT THE CABIN

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 being real people, alive or dead.

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The alarm jangled Judy awake. She had already pushed the snooze button three times.

‘Shit, I’m going to be late. I hate Fridays. Why can’t it be Saturday today?’ she thought. ‘If I don’t get going, I’m going to miss my bus.’

She sat up in bed and, using her hands, scooted her butt around and backed up to her wheelchair. The chair was positioned with the footrests under the bed. She placed each hand on the armrests of her sporty style wheelchair and scooted her butt back on the seat. She released the wheel locks and backed the chair away from the bed with her lifeless legs still on it. She stopped just before her feet, which pointed away from her, dropped to the floor. She put her hands under the place where her calf muscle once had been. She gently squeezed her flaccid leg and could feel both lower leg bones through her flesh and now just a little fatty tissue—very little fatty tissue. She had always had long slim legs, but ten years of non-use had completely atrophied the muscles of both useless legs. She lifted her left leg and put it on the footrest, then the other leg.

She glanced at the clock and thought, ‘No breakfast this morning. I don’t even think I have time to put on my damn braces.’

She quickly wheeled into the bathroom and transferred to the toilet. She thought how lucky she was to have found an apartment that was designed to be completely wheelchair accessible. She didn’t feel the urge for a bowel movement so she left the panties on and just slid them aside to expose the tube that was connected to her catheter. She aimed the tube down into the toilet, released the little clamp, and pushed down on her bladder. Immediately, her very full bladder began to empty. She could feel the relief as it ran into the toilet. She thought how strange it was that she could feel inside her there but couldn’t relax her urethra sphincter muscles to let the urine out. She was glad to have a similar situation with her bowels. Her body gave her some sense of when a bowel movement was needed, and her spinal cord injury bowel program made it possible for her to have a bowel movement when she was ready for it. She reached over and picked up a hairbrush from the vanity and brushed her hair while she waited for her bladder to drain. When she had finished brushing her hair, her bladder draining was done. She laid the brush back on the vanity and reclamped the tube, then slid it back in her panties. She transferred back to her wheelchair and lifted her legs onto the leg rest.

She wheeled herself into the walk-in closet where her clothes were all hung neatly. What else would a crippled girl have to do on the long lonely evenings? After all, who would want to go out with a girl who either used braces and crutches, or a wheelchair, to get around?

Judy picked a white blouse and a short denim skirt, also some penny loafer flats and a ball of white socks. She picked a bra out of the drawer that would nicely support her ‘D cup’ breasts. The rest of her was slim, but Judy’s breasts weren’t.

She rolled into the bedroom and put on the bra and blouse. Next, she put the skirt over her head and pulled it down as far as she could. She lifted herself with both hands until her butt was well off the seat of the wheelchair. She leaned sideways to the right and, with her left hand, pulled the skirt down on the left side. She let herself down and used the same procedure on the right side. She lowered herself to the wheelchair seat, then buttoned and zipped the back of the skirt. The skirt was long enough to cover her upper legs down to mid thigh.

‘Boy, my legs have really shrunk,’ she thought.

She guessed her thigh to be less than three inches in diameter.

Judy lifted her right leg by where her calf muscle had been and crossed her legs. She unrolled the ball of socks and put one on her right foot, then slipped on the penny loafer. She repositioned her right foot on the footrest, then she lifted her left leg and laid it across her right. When she had completed putting on the shoe and sock, she returned her foot to the footrest. She moved both feet back until they were touching the support behind the footrest.

With both of her feet positioned, she slid back in the seat of the wheelchair and wheeled herself back into the walk-in closet. She picked a tank top T-shirt, sports bra, sweatshirt, a pair of sweat shorts, and low-cut gym shoes out of the drawer. She looked at her watch as she hurriedly stuffed her gym clothes in her gym bag. She put the bag on her lap, then turned, and rapidly pushed herself into the kitchen. She picked up her purse and decided not to take a jacket. She wheeled herself to the front door and released the deadbolt. She opened the door and pushed her way over the threshold. She pulled the door closed behind her and then locked the deadbolt lock again.

The bus was one stop away when she wheeled herself up to the curb. She looked at her watch. It was exactly five-fifteen. The bus was right on time—as always. Tim was never late. The bus stopped in front of her. It let out a great hiss as it lowered itself to the curb and the wheelchair platform slid out. Judy wheeled herself onto the ramp, and the ramp lifted her inside.

“Good morning Tim,” she said as she handed him the fare.

“Morning Judy,” Tim the bus driver replied. “That’s a new look for you. I can’t ever remember you in a wheelchair.”

“I overslept,” Judy replied. “I didn’t think that I had time to put on my braces. By my timing, I think my hunch was right. You would have gone off without me.”

“I would have waited, or gone in to see what was keeping you,” he replied.

“Tim, you’re a sweety,” she teased a little as she wheeled to the wheel lock position.

“I bet you didn’t get any breakfast. Here, take a couple of doughnuts,” he said as he passed the box of doughnuts to her.

“Thanks, you’re a lifesaver,” she replied as Tim began driving the route.

Because it was early, Judy and Tim were the only ones on the bus for about a half mile. Then passengers began filling the bus. Finally, they arrived at the office complex where Judy worked. Tim stopped the bus at the stop and lowered the lift.

“See you Monday,” she said as the lift lowered her to the ground. “Thanks for the doughnuts.”

“See you,” he replied as Judy wheeled off the lift.

The bus pulled away, and Judy began pushing her wheelchair toward the main entrance of the tall office building. She was not used to this much wheeling as she always used her braces and crutches at work, and her arms were getting tired. Her upper body was well muscled, but pushing her wheelchair used different muscles.

She pushed the button that opened the handicapped door to the building. The door opened, and she wheeled in and up to the watchman’s desk.

“Good morning Judy,” the night watchman said, looking startled to see her in a wheelchair.

“Good morning Bill. How’s it going?” she replied as she took the clipboard and signed in as she did every morning. She noticed that she was the first one in, as it should be.

She handed him back the clipboard and wheeled across the lobby to the elevator. The door was open as it was every morning, and she wheeled inside. She pushed the button and rode down one floor to the basement where she worked. When the door opened, she wheeled to the entrance door of the computer room. She already had taken her magnetic door key card from her purse and swiped it through the reader. The door buzzed, and she pushed it open, then wheeled through. She turned on the light as the door closed behind her.

The place was quiet as usual as Judy wheeled over to the fireproof cabinet and unlocked it. She removed the backup tape with today’s date on it and wheeled over to the server. She inserted the tape and logged on. The screen came alive. She quickly typed the commands that would start the daily backup. She could have used the mouse, but because she was an extremely fast typist, it was quicker for her to just type in the commands. She entered the day’s date and the time, exactly five forty-five, the time she should be doing the backup. She studied the screen briefly. The backup was proceeding as it should. She relaxed and watched the progress until the screen saver came on.

The floating stars seemed to have a hypnotic effect on Judy this morning. Maybe it was because she was sitting relaxed in her wheelchair rather than dealing with her crutches and braces. Whatever the reason, it got her remembering back to before the incident that cost her the use of her legs and confined her to a lifetime of needing some type of mechanical assistance to be mobile.

She remembered her first boyfriend, Robert. It was friendship at first, then first love. He was two years older than her and he was a junior in high school and she was a freshman. He had asked her to the first dance of the year. They clicked, and before too long, they were going steady. They never had sex, just a lot of heavy petting and fooling around. One night though, while she was napping on the floor, he decided to try a little internal finger exploration of her private parts. She awoke and went screaming out of the room. Though they still went together, she could never completely relax around him after that. Still, she had been devastated when he went off to college and wanted to break up.

She hadn’t seen Robert for three years when one day she met him as she was crutching her way down the street. She could tell that he was uncomfortable with her standing there supported by her crutches and her legs encased in heavy metal braces. He had asked as to her status romantically. She told him she wasn’t seeing anyone. She had wanted him to ask her for a date, but he just looked down at her legs and changed the subject. Soon the conversation was over, and he was gone. She never saw him again. She had heard later that he had been killed in a car wreck.

She remembered back to the first time that she had sex. She had been to a beach party with Mike, one of Robert’s best friends. They had gone out a few times after the breakup with Robert and had fooled around a little, but nothing that serious. The music was loud, and the liquor flowed freely. She and Mike went down the beach a little way from the party. They could still see the fire as they nestled down in the driftwood. Her inhibitions had been removed by the drink, and her sex drive heightened, as was Mike’s. She remembered how it hurt inside of her as her virginity vanished and how excited they both were, for it was the first time for both of them. Excited and scared at the same time. Because he hadn’t used a condom, she hoped he pulled it out in time.

Her thoughts went to the next weekend. They were standing outside of a theater waiting for the box office to open. A group of girls came by. She tried to ignore them and turned the other way. She heard a small ‘pop’ and then fell to the ground. She tried to stand back up, but she couldn’t move or even feel her legs. She remembered lying there screaming and looking up at the girl who had shot her. The girl had the gun in her hand and was looking blindly around. Then one of the other girls put the thickest pair of glasses on the girl with the gun that Judy had ever seen. The girl’s face and look were indelibly etched in Judy’s mind. The girl had called for the other girls to come back and help her as they ran away. She just stood there and watched Judy lying on the ground for the longest time before she turned and slowly walked away. She stopped and looked back before she disappeared down the alley.

The shot had broken Judy’s back, and her spinal chord was badly damaged—with many of the spinal nerves to her leg muscles completely severed. She would not move or feel her legs ever again. And without any nerve connections even to a severed spinal chord, her leg muscles couldn’t maintain any muscle tone like other spinal chord injury victims she had met in rehab. Fortunately, her urethra and bowel sphincter muscles still hooked up to her spinal chord, and that kept them tight. She would always need to work to open them. The standard spinal chord injury bowel management suppository and digital stimulation program had worked well for her. For her bladder, she had always opted for the balloon catheter so she didn’t have to thread a catheter up into her bladder every time she needed to go.

Judy thought of her time in the hospital and her operation to repair her broken back. It was the opportunity for the surgeons to find out just how badly her spinal chord and nearby spinal nerves had been damaged. The news sounded terrible, and they told her she would never walk unaided again. She remembered lying there trying to move her lifeless legs—something she would try at least once a day ever since. Her legs looked perfectly healthy then. Now, after ten years of flaccid paralysis, they had badly atrophied.

She remembered her time in rehab and how difficult it was learning how to walk a second time on legs that she couldn’t feel. She thought of the time she spent on the parallel bars and the upper body strengthening that she required to even be able to start on the road to what was to become her normal way of living.

She was thinking about her mom and dad and the car wreck that took their lives when the sound of the door opening jarred her back to the present.

“Good morning,” Brian said as he walked into the office that they shared.

“Morning Brian,” Judy replied. “How’s it going?”

“What kind of new look do we have here?” he remarked.

“I thought that I’d show off my beautiful legs today,” she said, backing out and turning around to face him. “Well, what do you think? Are you turned on?”

Brian just stood there blankly staring at her atrophied legs sitting in front of him in her wheelchair. Because of her wheelchair design, her knees were folded up a little more than when she normally sat in her office chair wearing her braces.

She and Brian had worked almost alone together for six months now. He was running DP by himself when they hired Judy. Because of their isolation from the rest of the company, they had become good friends. Each could try to get at the other and joke around. They could also be open and frank with one another without the worry of sexual harassment.

“Well, not exactly turned on. Well, maybe a little. But my curiosity has been answered,” he replied. “I’ve always wondered what your legs looked like. I’ve never seen you in a skirt before. You usually wear blue jeans.”

“Well, I didn’t think anyone would be turned on by these legs. You’re off the hook,” Judy replied. “Brian, if you were curious, why didn’t you ask?”

“Embarrassed I guess,” he said, sitting down and facing her.

“I thought we were good enough friends not to be embarrassed about things like that.”

“We are good friends,” he replied. “I knew that you would show me your legs if you really wanted me to see them.”

“I guess I really didn’t want to show these ugly things off in public,” she said.

“They’re not ugly,” he protested.

“If they’re not ugly, what are they?” she asked.

“They’re yours,” he replied. “Each one of us are individuals. Your legs just happen to be a lot thinner than most.”

“Thin isn’t the word for it,” she said, bending over and picking up her right leg with her hands and depositing it on his lap. “Hell, my legs are bones with skin around them and a little fatty tissue for padding.”

“OK, you have very skinny legs,” he said. “Can I touch one?”

“Feel them up all you want. I sure as hell can’t,” Judy replied.

“You mean you can’t feel your legs at all?” Brian asked as he began to feel her leg.

“That’s right. I can’t feel anything from here down,” she said, pointing at her pelvis.

“You know, we’ve never talked about your legs,” he remarked. “I’ve always assumed you were paralyzed or something that required you to use crutches and wear braces.”

“Well, to make a long story short, when I was fourteen, we were waiting to go into a theater. A gang of girls came along. One shot me in the back. I fell to the pavement unable to move or feel my legs and to never walk again without braces and crutches. When they went in to repair my smashed spine, they found that my spine was badly damaged and many of the nearby nerves were severed. It’s not the kind of injury that can get better. Since my nerves to my legs are mostly gone, I don’t have any spinal cord reflexes that keep a lot of spinal cord injury victim’s paralyzed muscles in shape.”

“Have you ever tried to move your legs?” he asked.

“I try every damn day,” she replied. “I’m trying to move the leg that’s on your lap now. Can you feel anything?”

“No, nothing. It feels like you don’t even have any muscle in your calf,” he said as he felt the underside of her lower leg. “I can feel both of your lower leg bones all the way up to your knee.”

“Tell me Brian, do you like feeling my leg?” she asked seductively.

“It’s OK. I could take it or leave it. I’d like to feel your boobs better though,” he said, letting go of her leg and cupping his hands toward her breasts. “Now those aren’t skinny.”

“Well, we’re not going there today,” she said. “I thought they had stopped growing before the accident. Then after the accident, they started getting bigger again.”

Judy lifted her leg from on top of his and put her foot back on the footrest. He bent down and straightened it out.

“Thanks, you can straighten my legs any time,” she said with a big smile on her face.

“One last question,” he said.

“Go ahead.”

“What other body functions were affected?” he asked.

“My spinal reflexes keep my bowels and bladder closed pretty well. As long as I don’t let them get too full, they stay closed. I need some special techniques and a suppository to move my bowels every few days. To pee, I have a catheter in my bladder that I have to drain manually. It’s just a little tube with a small clamp. Sometimes when I use my braces and crutches, I stand up and go just like the guys,” she replied. “I still have my period and can get pregnant. Did you want to try to get me pregnant?”

“Like you said before, we won’t go there today,” he said with a big smile in his face.

“You’re just like all the other guys, turned off by my legs,” she remarked.

“Not turned off, just not turned on by them alone,” he said.

“Fair enough,” she said. “We should get to work. We’ve been gabbing for an hour. The backup has been finished for a long time. I’ll get the server back on line, and you find out what we have to fix.”

They both went their separate ways for a while. When she had the server back on line, she went into the shop to help Brian with repairs and upgrades. She worked at putting the motherboards in the company’s machines so they would be Y2K compatible. The job was not very demanding, and she became bored. Just before she broke for lunch, Brian had begun working on the daily report of Internet use and called Judy over.

“Look at this,” he said as she wheeled up to him.

“What did you find?” she asked.

“Here’s a guy you could get a date with,” he said. “I bet your legs would turn him on.”

“It looks like he’s called up several leg brace sites, doesn’t it?” she commented.

“It’s Dennis Jones on the top floor. He’s on one right now,” Brian said. “You could have some fun with him. Why don’t you deliver him a new keyboard or something? I bet the sight of you wheeling yourself in there would really turn him on.”

“I don’t think I should,” she replied bashfully. “I really don’t know him. I’ve only seen him at the fitness club working out. He’s never seen me like this.”

“Do it,” he urged. “You’ve been looking for someone who would like your legs.”

He passed her a new keyboard still in the box. She took his advice and wheeled out into the corridor and pressed the call button for the elevator. When the empty elevator arrived, she rolled in and pushed the button for the top floor. The elevator made the trip nonstop, and the door opened. She wheeled herself over to the reception desk.

“Good morning Sally. I have a new keyboard for Mr. Jones,” Judy said.

“Good morning Judy,” she replied, giving her the once-over as she sat there in her wheelchair. “Go on in. He’s by himself.”

Sally watched closely as Judy wheeled herself down the hall. Judy stopped at his door and knocked softly.

“Come in” was the response through the door.

She opened the door and wheeled in. He was turned facing the computer that sat on a credenza behind his desk and looked at her over his shoulder. He quickly changed the screen and turned toward her.

“Good morning Mr. Jones, I have a new keyboard for you,” she said, wheeling toward him.

“I . . . I . . . I didn’t order a new keyboard,” he stammered, obviously flustered by her sudden appearance.

“We routinely replace them,” she replied nonchalantly. “We try to keep you from having trouble.”

“That . . . That’s good,” he continued to stammer.

“If you give me a minute, I can install it for you,” she said. “I’ll need to get behind your desk.”

“I . . . I can do it,” he replied.

“That’s OK, it’s part of my job. I’ll check for any loose connections too,” she replied.

He didn’t take his eyes off of her as he got up from his desk and came around toward her. She wheeled past him and behind his desk. He had moved close to the other end of the desk where he could see her legs. His stare was fixed on them.

“That’s right, you have one of the full tower units,” she commented.

She removed the new keyboard from the box and set it beside his old keyboard. She fed the connector cord through the same hole as the old one ran. She pulled the computer out from the credenza about half way and tried to reach the plug.

Judy couldn’t reach the plug. She rolled back to make a little more room and then boosted herself to the front of her chair. She lifted each foot to the floor exaggerating the use of her hands. She purposely did not set the wheel locks, and when she boosted herself to let herself down to the floor, the wheelchair began to roll. Sitting on the floor, she exaggerated her reach for it.

“Are you all right?” he asked as he hurried around the other side of the desk to try and catch Judy’s wheelchair.

“I’m fine. Just a little slip,” she replied as she looked up at him with her useless legs sitting in front of her.

He watched intently as she lifted her legs with her hands to reposition them. Then she scooted on her butt a little and used her hands to reposition her nonfunctioning legs again. Actually, she repositioned them about twice as much as was necessary, but he was enjoying the show immensely as she slid around the floor in her short denim skirt.

Sitting on the floor, she slid the computer out from the credenza and unplugged the old keyboard. She quickly attached the new keyboard and looked for any loose connections.

“Have you been having trouble getting on the Internet?” she asked.

“No. Why do you ask?” he replied.

“Oh you just had a loose connection. I thought it might be causing problems,” she said as she slid the computer back into the credenza.

Dennis Jones watched intensely as Judy scooted around on her butt and repositioned her long, thin, and useless legs. She slid herself backwards to the wheelchair and set the wheel locks. She repositioned her legs again using her hands so that she could flip over onto her stomach. She boosted herself up with her hands and grabbed the upper part of the leg rest support. She boosted herself up until her breasts were on the seat and her chin was on top of the backrest. One at a time she repositioned her hands to the armrests, then continued to push herself up until her arms were fully extended. She relaxed one arm just a little, and her hip rested on the seat. She switched hands on the armrest and repositioned her butt on the seat of the wheelchair. She lifted each foot by lifting them by the back of her lower leg to the legrest.

“That should do it Mr. Jones,” she said as she sat there in her wheelchair and repositioned her legs slightly.

“That was really something,” he replied.

“What was that?” she asked as if she didn’t know.

“The way you got back in your wheelchair,” he said.

“The trick to it is to be sure that the wheel locks are set or you can have quite a wild ride,” she replied coyly. “By the way, my name is Judy. Judy Anderson.”

“I know. I’ve seen you around here and working out at the club,” he remarked. “I’ve never seen you in a wheelchair before. Don’t you usually use crutches?”

“I need both braces and crutches to get around,” she replied. “My braces that I use for work are in the shop today. One of the knee locks needed replacing so I’ll be using my wheelchair at the club today. Maybe I’ll see you there.”

“Maybe so. I think I’m scheduled to workout today,” he replied.

She wheeled in by the computer and picked up the old keyboard. She put it in the box and put the box on her lap, then backed out.

“You shouldn’t have any problems Mr. Jones,” she said with a wink. “I want you to call me if you do.”

“Thank you Judy,” he said with a big smile. “I’ll be sure to ask for you if I have any trouble.”

“Please do,” she said, smiling back and starting to wheel herself to the door.

He walked over to the door and opened it for her. She smiled up at him and gave him a quick wink as she wheeled through the door.

“Thanks again Judy,” he called after her.

“Anytime,” she replied over her shoulder as she wheeled away.

She pushed her wheelchair out past the receptionist and turned to her. “I got Mr. Jones all fixed up,” she said to the receptionist.

“Judy, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a wheelchair before,” Sally remarked.

“My braces are in the shop Sally. I’ll have them back tomorrow,” Judy replied. “See you later.”

Judy pushed her wheelchair over to the elevator and pushed the call button. When the elevator arrived, she wheeled in and pushed the basement button. On the trip down, several more people got in. Each one smiled at her sitting there in her wheelchair. Even though she was watching the display panel, she just knew the others were looking at her legs.

All of the passengers got off at the main floor, and Judy continued on to the basement by herself. She wheeled herself over to the computer center door and swiped the magnetic entry card. The door buzzed, and she pushed it open. She wheeled into Brian’s office.

“How’d it go?” he quizzed.

“Like clockwork,” Judy replied. “I really put on a show for him.”

“Well, what did you do?” he continued to quiz.

“I told him I had to check the connections on that old clunker he has. I got out of my chair and slid around on the floor behind his desk. He did everything but stand on the desk to watch me, especially when I would pick up a leg with my hands.”

“Did he ask you out?” Brian asked.

“I think he was ready to,” she replied. “I’ll be sure to be at my workout when he is this afternoon. I’m going to wear shorts rather than sweats. The trap has been baited.”

“Look at this; he’s on a wheelchair site now,” he exclaimed. “You really must have done it to him.”

“I can give you the same show if you want,” she said coyly.

“Naw, it won’t turn me on, just make me feel sorry for you,” he replied.

“I know that’s the way it affects most people, but not Dennis Jones,” she said as she pushed herself into her own office.

It was her lunchtime so she went up to the deli and grabbed a sandwich and pop, then ate at her desk. She finished out the day doing upgrades. At quitting time, she told Brian goodbye and left for the gym with her gym bag on her lap.

The gym was only two blocks from work. She wheeled herself into the woman’s locker room. No one else was in it. She pushed her way into the handicapped toilet stall.

She undid her skirt before she used the grab bars to transfer to the toilet. She managed to hold her butt off the seat long enough to get her skirt out from under her. She put it on the seat of the wheelchair, then managed to get her panties down enough to release the catheter clamp. She took off her shirt and bra while her bladder drained. She put her hands under each breast and used her forefingers to massage her nipples a little. They became hard almost instantly. She put on her sports bra and properly positioned her firm breasts. She decided to wear only the tank top style T-shirt and not the sweatshirt. When her bladder was finished draining, she managed to get her panties back up after she closed the catheter clamp. She took her penny loafers off and set them on the seat of the wheelchair. She took her shorts out of the bag and had to lift each foot separately to get them started. She pulled them up to her knees and then struggled to get them on the rest of the way. Again, she used the grab rail to get her butt up off the toilet seat. She took her gym shoes out of the bag and put them on. She rested her breasts on her knees while she laced her shoes. When she was finished, she packed the things in her gym bag, then transferred back to her wheelchair.

Judy wheeled back into the locker area and put her gym bag in her assigned locker. She repositioned her feet on the footrests, then pushed her way up the ramp to the sign-in area. She had forgotten how difficult it was to push a wheelchair up a steep incline.

She signed in. The regular attendant wasn’t there so she didn’t have to tell her little braces at-the-shop fib. She looked over to see Mr. Jones on the bicycle doing his warm up and waved at him. Judy decided that she would warm up by pushing herself around the running track. She felt relatively winded after four times around the inside track and went inside to the deserted aerobics room. She slid out of the wheelchair after setting the wheel locks. She scooted on her butt over to the workout mat that she had laid out. Her useless legs that she dragged behind her had straightened themselves as she scooted, unlike the show she put on in Mr. Jones’s office. She began her crunches and closed her eyes to concentrate on isolating her muscle groups.

“Hello Judy. Mind if I join you?” Mr. Jones’s voice said.

Somewhat startled, she opened her eyes and saw him standing over her.

“Oh hi Mr. Jones,” she replied. “I’d love to have the company.”

He laid a mat down beside her, and together they did crunches. He was winded and quit before she did. She wasn’t winded and could have done more, but had reached the amount for maximum benefit. She struggled up onto her elbows, then pushed herself all the way up to a sitting position.

“I thought that you were supposed to bend your knees when you do crunches,” he said as he sat there looking at her legs.

“Yes. That is the style most people use,” Judy replied. “I don’t because it doesn’t matter to me. My legs can’t help me sit up. I work just my stomach muscles Mr. Jones.”

“Please call me DJ. All my friends do,” he said. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to your legs?”

“Long story or short story?” she asked.

“Well, how about the short version now and the long version over dinner?” DJ replied.

“OK. Short version. Gunshot in the back,” she replied. “What did you have in mind for dinner?”

“Probably a nice quiet Italian restaurant I know,” he replied. “We can dress up if you like.”

“The only good dress I have is pretty short. I always think my legs and braces show too much,” she said.

“That’s all right. I don’t mind,” he replied quickly. “Why don’t I pick you up at seven? Wear the short dress.”

“That will work. My lightweight braces should be back from the shop by then. I’ll wear them, and that way, we won’t have to deal with the wheelchair.”

“It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other,” he replied.

“I really prefer crutches and braces. They make me a little more mobile,” she said. “Say, while we’re warmed up, will you spot me while I do some bench presses?”

“Sure, let’s do it,” he replied as he got up off the floor.

Judy scooted over to the wheelchair and got in it much the same way as she did in DJ’s office. She led the way as they went into the almost deserted weight room. She positioned the chair adjacent to the bench. She put one hand on the bench and one on her wheelchair’s armrest. She gave a quick boost and was sitting on the bench. She moved her feet off the footrest and repositioned her butt by lifting herself with her hands. She moved one leg to the other side of the bench until she was straddling it.

JD had been standing there taking in the show.

“How much weight?” he asked.

“Let me warm up with 100,” she said. “I’ll finish with 125.”

“You press that much?” he questioned.

“I have to. It’s the way I walk,” she replied with a smile.

She lay down on the bench. The position accentuated her more than ample breasts, which DJ had seemed to notice for the first time. He took the weight from the rack; she positioned her hands on the bar and did ten reps. When she had done the reps, he took the barbell back to the rack and struggled to bring her the heavier one. She promptly did fifteen reps with it. He took the barbell back to the rack as she continued to lay prone on the workout bench.

“DJ, I need some help please,” she said.

“Sure, what do you need?” he said as she extended a hand up to him.

“Pull me up please,” she said, and he began pulling her to an upright position. “I can’t get any leverage to push myself up.”

She lifted her leg over the bench and, much like she had when she transferred to the bench, transferred back to the wheelchair. She used her hands to lift her useless legs back to the footrest.

Next, they both did an assortment of dumbbell exercises. She had completed her workout, and he still had leg exercises to do.

“Aren’t you going to do leg exercises?” he teased.

“If I got on one of those leg machines, all I’d do is sit there,” she joked back. “I’m finished with my workout.”

“OK, I’ll see you tonight then,” he said. “By the way, where do you live?”

“I live in the Uptown Arms Apartments. I’ll meet you out front at seven,” she replied.

“Seven it is.”

Judy turned and wheeled down to the locker room and picked up her gym bag, then on out the door to the bus stop. She looked at her watch. She had fifteen minutes to wait for the next bus. It was a nice spring day, and she finally had a date. She didn’t mind the wait.

The bus dropped her right in front of her apartment building. She wheeled herself up to the front door. It was hard to open, and it was difficult for her to get leverage while sitting in her wheelchair. She wheeled down the corridor to her door. She was always thankful for a ground floor unit in case of fire.

She unlocked both locks and wheeled her way into the apartment. It was just as she had left it, including last night’s dinner dishes in the sink. She quickly put the dishes in the dishwasher, then wheeled herself into the bedroom and into the walk-in closet.

She found the dress she wanted—black, short, cleavage exposing, two inch wide shoulder straps and quite tight fitting. She found her black shoes with three inch high heels. She was glad that the wider heel was in style. They had a little strap that was attached to the top of the heel—about her maximum for brace walking. The interface to her braces had been installed. She took her clothes into the bedroom and laid them on the bed.

Judy pushed herself into the bathroom and started the bath water running, then transferred to the toilet. Once there, she pulled down her sweat shorts and panties at the same time. She opened the clamp on her catheter and began draining her bladder again. While she was waiting to finish, she removed the rest of her clothes including her shoes and socks. When her bladder was empty, she closed the clamp and, holding onto the grab-rails and holding herself up with her arms, managed to get her butt on the edge of the tub. She reached over and turned off the water. She used her hands to lift her flaccid legs one at a time over the edge of the tub and into the water. With one hand on a grab-rail and the other on the edge of the tub, she lowered herself into the bath water. The warm water felt good on those parts of her body that had feeling.

She languished in her bath for about half an hour, then using the hand wand, washed her hair. She started the tub draining and then lifted herself to the edge of the tub. She used her hands to move her lifeless legs around to the floor one at a time. She reached for a towel and overextended her center of gravity. She was still slippery from being wet and began to fall from the edge of the tub. She tried to reach a grab-bar, but her fingertips just touched it as she fell sprawling onto the ceramic tile floor of the bathroom. As she fell, she bumped her head. Unconsciousness followed . . .

When she began to awake, she was dazed and unsure where she was. She unthinkingly tried to stand, but her legs refused to work. ‘Why won’t my legs work?’ she thought to herself. She sat there on the floor looking at her lifeless legs for several minutes until she realized what had happened and why her legs would not respond and why she was still wet.

With her head still aching, she managed to get over to the wall by the toilet and her wheelchair. She used the grab-bar for the toilet to pull herself up to the edge of the tub again. This time holding onto the grab-bar, she moved her wheelchair close to her. She transferred into the wheelchair. She tried to wheel forward, but her wheelchair was caught on something; her feet, which she had neglected to lift to the footrests, were wedged under the footrests. She tried to backup but ran into the bathtub. She tried pulling her feet free using her hands. One foot came free, but the other one wouldn’t budge. She tried to lean back in the chair and do a wheelie, but she lacked the room. She did the only thing left. She leaned forward as far as she could; her ample breasts were on her knees and her hands were almost touching the floor. She continued to shift her weight forward until her butt slipped off the seat, and she caught herself with her hands. She got down on the floor on her stomach and dragged herself clear of the wheelchair. She was able to roll over and reposition her useless and now troublesome legs. She moved the wheelchair and got into it much the same way she had done it in DJ’s office in the morning. This time, she lifted her legs and feet to the footrest.

Judy took a couple of aspirin, then dried herself with a large fluffy towel, then blow-dried her hair. After her hair was dried and brushed, she wheeled herself into the bedroom and in front of the dresser. She opened the middle drawer and took out a pair of black panties and a black bra. She thought about trying to wear pantyhose with braces again, but after thinking about the problems of using the bathroom and her braces slipping, she decided against them. She put on her bra and then rolled into the walk-in closet where her collection of braces were neatly hung. She chose the chrome plated ones that had the fewest bulky straps. These would work for tonight on good level ground where she did not need maximum support. She knew from several bad experiences that these braces would not work on rough and uneven ground; they just didn’t provide the support that she so desperately needed. She put her braces on her lap, pushed her way to the bed, and deposited them there.

Next, Judy rolled back into the walk-in closet where her assortment of crutches were displayed. After studying them, she chose the shiny metallic black forearms and put them on her lap. When she was back in the bedroom, she stood the forearm crutches next to the nightstand. She picked up her right brace and removed the shoe that was attached to it and replaced it with her black heel. She adjusted the length of the brace to compensate for the higher heel, then did the same to the left.

Having readied her braces, she transferred to the bed and, using her arms, dragged her butt back far enough so that her skinny useless legs were supported by the bed. She started her black panties over her feet and pulled them up her legs as far as she could, then lay back on the bed. She rocked side to side until they were pulled all the way up. Still on her back, she positioned her bladder catheter inside her panties. She lifted herself up on her elbows, then all the way up to a full sitting position.

She picked up her right brace and laid it by her side, then picked her right leg up and drew it close to her bottom. She slipped her flaccid foot into the shoe, then tied the little heel strap. She pushed her brace forward, and her foot and shoe slid toward the side of the bed until her knee was straight. She leaned over onto her left elbow and used her right hand to position the upper part of the brace under what once was her thigh muscles, now only a bone encased in very little fatty tissue. She sat up straight and fastened all the straps on the brace. Having completed her right brace, she tackled her left leg brace.

After successfully completing her bracing up, she slid herself forward a little, released her knee locks on both braces, then slid forward until her knees bent and her feet fell to the floor by gravity. She reached over and retrieved her dress. She put it over her head and pulled it down to her waist. She positioned the straps, then struggled to zip it up.

She reached for her crutches and put them on either side of her. She straightened out her right leg and locked the knee locks. She slipped her hand through the loop and held her right crutch by the handle and put her hand on the bed, then pushed herself up to a standing position. She retrieved her left crutch and slipped her hand through the loop before she held the handle. She put her upper body weight on her left crutch while she used her right hand to pull down her dress over her hips and butt. She shifted her weight to the right crutch to complete the operation.

She experimented crutching around the room. As soon as she did the first swing, she felt that things were not right. She was pitched to far forward. It was uncomfortable for her, and she felt almost out of control of herself as she crutched her way to the high bar stool and sat down. She remembered that she had not adjusted her ankles for the increased heel height, and her crutches were also too short. She quickly adjusted the crutch length. She crutched over to the kitchen table and pulled a chair out. She leaned on the table and one crutch while she released one knee lock and sat down. She released her other knee lock and pulled both feet toward her until her lower legs were vertical by holding onto her lower leg braces. She looked down at her feet to see if the toes of her shoes were off the ground. She adjusted her ankle locks and got her shoes to sit flat on the floor.

She straightened out one leg and boosted herself up on the kitchen table and one crutch. She shifted her weight until her other leg straightened out and the knee lock engaged. She picked up her other crutch and crutched around the room. Even though she was taller now because of the heels, she felt completely in control—or at least as much control as she could have over her useless and unresponsive legs.

She crutched into the bathroom and positioned herself so that she could rest her upper legs against the vanity top and lean forward slightly for balance. She stood, propped up in that position unaided by her crutches, as she applied her makeup and finished doing her hair. She chose her earrings and put then in.

She crutched into the bedroom and took a small black handbag out of the top drawer. She crutched her way back into the bathroom with it. She put her makeup and lipstick in it and also a syringe that she used for inflating her bladder catheter, a urine bag, and her bowel care suppositories.

She looked at her watch, and it still had a half hour so she crutched her way into the living room. She turned on the TV and sat down in her special chair. The news was still on so she caught up on the events of the day.

Just before seven, she pushed the button on her special chair and it raised to almost a standing position. Once her crutches were in place, it was just a matter of leaning forward to get going. She crutched her way over to the full length mirror. She liked what she saw as she admired her nice slim body with her relatively large breasts. The metal on her braces seemed to really shine for the special occasion. Her short, tightfitting black dress seemed to accentuate them. She liked the look and hoped DJ would too. “You clean up pretty good for a country girl,” she thought to herself.

She picked up her bag and put the strap over her neck before she crutched to the door. She unlocked it and went into the corridor. She pulled the door closed and locked the dead bolt before she crutched her way to the lobby.

She had only been there less than a minute when DJ pulled up in front in a shiny black SUV. She pushed the door open and crutched her way over to him. He had gotten out of the SUV and walked around to the passenger’s side. He eyed her closely as she crutched her way over to him.

“Good evening Dennis,” Judy said as she flashed a radiant smile at him.

“Good evening Judy,” he replied with a grin that went from ear to ear. “You look absolutely ravishing tonight.”

She blushed a little and said: “Thank you, but the dress is a little too short. It shows a lot of my leg braces.”

“I think it’s perfect for you,” he said as he opened the door and held it for her.

She crutched over to the seat and turned herself around, then leaned on the seat. She leaned her crutches against the side of the SUV. Holding onto the back of the seat with one hand and the door with the other, she pushed herself up onto the seat. In doing so, her legs stuck straight out. She exaggerated this as she held up her calf with one hand and unlocked the knee lock with the other. When she had both locks released and her legs hanging down, she used her hands to lift her legs onto the floor boards. She scooted her butt around by boosting herself up, then reached for her crutches and laid them on the floor beside her.

DJ had been intensely watching the show that Judy put on for him. He asked her if she was ready before he closed her door and walked around to his side. He opened his door and got in, then started the SUV and pulled out into traffic. It was just a short ride to the restaurant that he had chosen. Because it was Friday night, the place was packed. She reached into her purse and pulled out her disabled parking permit, then reached over and hung it on the center mirror.

“Now you can park in the handicapped spot,” she said.

“I feel strange doing it,” he replied as he pulled into the open stall right next to the front door.

“I don’t need to be the driver to use the permit,” she replied.

He got out and opened the door for her. She used her hand to move her right leg toward the door and then her left. She boosted her butt around, then moved each leg into the doorway.

“If you’d please lift my legs, I can lock my knee locks,” she said with a big smile.

He was almost shaking when he held each shoe in his hand and lifted them until she could engage the knee locks on her braces. When she had them locked in place, he released his grip and stepped back. She slid forward slightly, and her stiffened brace-encased legs began to drop toward the ground. When her feet had touched the ground, she pulled down her short dress, which was now almost up to her panties, then picked up her crutches and put her arms through the upper loops. She put her weight on the handles and swung forward. He closed the door, and they walked to the front door side by side. An attendant opened the door. She followed him in toward the hostess station.

“Reservations for Jones, party of two,” he said to the hostess.

“We have about a fifteen minute wait. There is space in the bar if you’d like to wait there,” she replied.

DJ looked at Judy. She nodded yes and followed him into the bar. There was space available both at the bar and low tables.

“Where would you like to sit?” he asked.

“I can handle the tall stools easier, if you don’t mind,” she replied.

He led the way to bar. He found two stools near the end of the bar. She took the stool near the wall. She was able to hold onto the bar and release one knee lock and use her hand to lift her lifeless leg onto the stool, then slide her butt onto the seat. She released the other knee lock and lifted it to the stool. DJ watched her every move like a cat. He took the stool beside her and positioned himself so that he could see her legs.

“What’ll it be folks?” the bartender said.

DJ looked at Judy. She smiled back and shrugged. “I don’t drink much,” she said.

“I’ll have a double martini,” DJ said.

“I’ll have the same,” Judy said.

“Are you sure?” DJ questioned.

“I’ll try anything once,” she replied. “I have to watch myself though. If I have too many, I become very romantically inclined.”

They watched the bartender make their drinks. He poured the drinks and put them in front of Judy and DJ.

“Put them on my tab please,” DJ requested.

He picked up his glass and offered a toast. Judy picked up her glass too.

“To new friends,” DJ offered.

“To new friends,” Judy repeated as she took a drink. She made a little face at the first drink.

“Would you like something different?” DJ asked.

“No, this is fine. I’ve always wanted to try a martini,” she replied. “I guess they take some getting use to.”

“Martinis take an acquired taste,” he said.

“I guess if we’re going to be good friends, I should acquire the taste,” she said as she smiled coyly.

“I would like to become a good friend,” he replied.

“I think I would like that,” she said as she looked into his eyes.

They both took another drink of the martinis.

“How long have you been with The Adams Company?” Judy asked.

“I’ve been here for five years. This is the only place I’ve worked since college,” he replied.

“You’ve done well to be on the top floor already,” she observed.

“My degree is in human resources. They needed a personnel manager, and I applied. The company and I seem to fit,” he replied. “You’ve worked there six months now, haven’t you?”

“Yes, this is my second job since I graduated,” Judy replied. “I worked for BJTL before I came here.”

“Yes, I know,” he replied. “According to your personnel file, your supervisor is very pleased with your performance.”

“That’s good to know,” she said. “I really do like my job and try hard.”

“I know. You demonstrated that today in my office,” he said. “I really appreciate you fixing my computer.”

“Yours was a piece of cake,” she replied. “Sometimes we have ones that we just can’t fix. It’s really frustrating.”

“Why did you choose computer work?” he asked.

“Primarily because I find it challenging,” Judy replied. “My parents left me a good inheritance, but the job keeps me focused on something.”

“You told me that you would give me the long version of the story about your legs,” DJ said.

“Well, we’re not eating yet, but I guess being in the restaurant is close enough,” she teased. “I had just finished my sophomore year in high school when it happened. My boyfriend and I were standing in line to go to the theater when a group of girls came down the sidewalk. They were taunting one girl like it was an initiation to the gang. We tried to ignore them. I heard a loud pop, and I fell to the sidewalk. I tried to get back up, but I couldn’t move or even feel my legs. I looked up to see her standing there with the gun and staring blankly ahead like she couldn’t see. Then one of them gave her these real thick glasses. They made her eyes look like cantaloupes. She had a horrified look on her face, and then they all ran off while I lay helpless on the sidewalk. Someone called an ambulance, and they took me to the hospital. They operated to repair my back and found out that I had a bad and permanent spinal cord injury. They put a steel rod in my lower back. I spent six months in the hospital and then six months in rehab. I did my school work while I was there too. That’s when I was first fitted for braces and learned to walk using them and crutches.”

“Did you remember seeing your assailant?” he asked.

“Yes I got a really good look at her,” she said. “I was able to give the police sketch artist a description that looked exactly like her. Both with and without her glasses. Her face, especially with her cantaloupe eyes, is burned indelibly in my mind, and I know that I would recognize her in an instant.”

“Did they ever catch her?” DJ inquired.

“No. She vanished without a trace,” Judy replied. “But I’m still looking.”

The hostess came over to us and said our table was ready. They both finished their drinks. DJ stood up and Judy lifted her leg and lowered it to the floor. She held onto the bar and stood on one leg. She shifted her weight, and her other leg followed and fell to the floor. She double checked her knee lock before she put weight on both legs. As she bent over, she felt a slight dizzying effect of the martini. She put her arms in her crutches and used her swinging gait to follow the hostess. DJ followed enjoying the show from behind.

The hostess showed them to a quiet out-of-the way booth with a window that overlooked the little lake. While DJ watched, Judy leaned one crutch against the table and put one leg out so it was not supporting her. She released the knee lock on the leg she was standing on. She put one hand on the seat while she supported herself with one crutch. As she shifted her weight to her hand on the seat, her leg bent as she sat down. She released the knee lock of the other brace and lifted that leg with her hands. She scooted her butt further into the booth and then used her hands to position her thin, useless legs under the table. She put her crutches on the floor beside her.

When the show was over, DJ sat on the booth seat facing her. The table was narrow, and she thought he might be feeling her legs under the table. The waiter came by and asked them if they would like another cocktail. Judy looked at DJ and shrugged her shoulders. DJ looked back at her and smiled, then said to the waiter, “I’ll have another double martini.”

“I’ll have the same,” Judy replied, still feeling the effects of the first one.

JD looked at her and smiled again.

“How are you doing with the martinis?” he asked.

“I was a little dizzy from the first one Dennis, but I’ll try to keep up,” she replied.

“Be careful; they can sneak up on you,” he cautioned. “Please call me DJ. Dennis sounds too formal.”

“OK DJ, what do you like to do away from the office?” Judy asked.

“I like to hike and fish, and I like to hunt larger animals. I have a place in the mountains that I love to go to. There is no electricity there or phone. Cell phones don’t even work there. It’s a complete getaway. I have some of my trophies on the wall there,” he replied. “I like watching sports and mystery movies on TV. I also have some other business dealings.”

The waiter brought the cocktails. DJ ordered for both of them including wine.

“The place in the mountains seems nice. I’d like to see it sometime,” she said when the waiter had gone.

“I’d like to show it to you,” he said. “What do you do away from the office?”

“I pretty much stay to myself. I think because of my braces people tend to shy away from me,” she said. “I like movies on TV and in the theater. I like to hike easy trails and enjoy the outdoors, especially the mountains; I even have special braces that provide a lot more support than these do. I like to fish from a boat or stream bank. I’ve never tried hunting, but it appeals to me. I also like surfing the Internet.”

“It sounds like we have a lot in common,” he observed.

“It does, doesn’t it?” she replied. “I also like being invited out for dinner.”

“I’ve enjoyed taking you. I hope you’re enjoying yourself,” he said.

“I really am,” she said. “What attracted you to me?”

“I like your smile, your personality, and your good looks,” he replied.

“What about my legs?” she questioned. “They’re so ugly that they turn most people off.”

“I don’t mind them. In fact, I’m quite intrigued by the way you are able to get around,” he said.

The waiter brought their food. The conversation quieted while they ate.

“Tell me more about where you grew up,” he said between bites.

“Well,” she began when her mouth was empty, “it was a small town on the coast where everyone knew everyone else and their business. It was a friendly place where you waved at people driving down the road. I guess I miss that part but not the small townness, if you know what I mean.”

“I sure do. I grew up in a small town in the Midwest. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. I really like living here,” he said. “After the shooting, how did you cope?”

“It was a full year later that I got out of the hospital and rehab. I had done all my schoolwork for my junior year in the hospital. I hadn’t been home a week when both of my parents were killed in a freak accident. I thought my world had really come to and end. Here I was, all alone, and now a cripple myself with legs that wouldn’t work. I went to live with my grandparents on their ranch. I tried riding a horse, promptly fell off, and decided that horseback riding was not my forte. I rode the school bus every day to a new school for me.”

“How did the kids in the new school accept you?” he asked.

“Pretty well,” she said. “Sometimes they would tease me. The thing I hated most is when the kids would take my crutches and fool around with them. I don’t think they realized how serious my paralysis is. One day, they propped me up against the wall and then hid my crutches. They spread my legs out so that I couldn’t move sideways or even fall. I must have been stuck there for a half hour until two of my girlfriends came along and helped me.”

 They finished the main course and the wine. They passed on dessert but ordered an after-dinner drink.

“So what are you going to do for the rest of the weekend?” he asked.

“I just picked up a new Grisham book,” she said. “Nothing as fun as going to the mountains. What are you doing?”

“I was thinking about going up to the cabin,” he replied. “I know this seems awfully forward, but would you like to join me?”

“I don’t know if I should,” she said before she sat and thought about it. “What the hell. Let’s do it. I didn’t bring any other clothes though if we’re going tonight.”

“It’s not that late,” he replied. “We could stop by your place and get some of your necessities. I have stuff already up there for me.”

They finished their drinks and decided to go. Judy slid her butt sideways toward the edge of the booth and turned herself part way around. She used her hands to move her useless legs around the end. She scooted her butt almost to the edge, then used her hands to straighten out both legs and engage her knee locks. She picked up her crutches and leaned them against the table.

“Pull me up,” she asked DJ as he stood there watching her every move.

She put her hands in his, and he simply pulled her to an upright position. It was much less complex than her struggling to get up by herself. She felt really dizzy as she stood there.

“I think the drinks are getting to me,” she said as he steadied her.

He handed her the crutches, and she slipped her arms though the loops and grasped the handles, then crutched her way to the front door. She stood there while DJ paid the bill. He held the door while she crutched through and on to the SUV. He opened the door for her, and she backed up to the seat. She leaned her crutches against the side of the SUV. This time, as she boosted herself up to the seat, he picked up her legs and held them horizontally. She smiled at him as she released her knee locks.

“That worked pretty well,” she said as he gently lowered her useless legs.

She used her hands to swing her brace-encased legs onto the floorboard of the SUV, then repositioned her butt. She needed to reposition her legs one more time. He closed her door and took her crutches this time and placed them on the back seat before he got into the driver’s seat. Not having her crutches within reach bothered Judy, but she didn’t say anything.

The drive back to her place was quicker now that the traffic had thinned out. They parked in the handicapped space near the door. She had the door open when he got there with her crutches. She repositioned her legs partway around with her hands before she boosted herself and moved her butt around. Just as she was ready to reposition her legs, DJ reached in and grabbed her ankles and swung them around before he lifted them to a horizontal position. His action surprised Judy as she wasn’t used to anyone else touching her useless legs, but she liked the attention he was paying to her.

She secured her knee locks, and he helped her as she scooted forward. He steadied her as her legs dropped to the pavement. She pushed herself vertical, put her arms through the loops of her shiny black forearm crutches, and began to crutch her way toward the entrance. He closed the car door and followed behind her enjoying the show immensely.

He pulled the door to the building open and held it while she crutched through. She led the way down the corridor to her door. She unlocked it and pushed it open, then crutched through. He followed and closed the door behind them.

“Do you think I should change or just take some clothes with me?” she asked.

“I like you the way you are now. Don’t spoil a good thing,” he replied. “You can change up there.”

“OK. Then follow me. I have a little project for you,” she said.

DJ followed her into the bedroom and into the walk-in closet. His eyes bugged out when he saw her assortment of crutches and several pairs of braces hung neatly. She picked a pair of wooden adjustable crutches and handed them to him.

“DJ, your assignment, if you chose to accept, is to lengthen these out three inches,” she said as she handed him the crutches. “I find that if I have to walk or hike that they allow me to stop and rest my arms by just leaning on them.”

“Good idea,” he replied. “We can go for a hike tomorrow. I know just the spot.”

“Great, I’ll take my hiking boots and jeans,” she said. “Or would it be better if I took shorts?”

“I prefer the shorts. But you might want to take both in case the weather turns on us,” he replied.

He walked into the living room and sat on the couch and began adjusting the crutches. She picked up her hiking boots, which had been modified to accept her braces, and a medium size gym bag. She crutched her way into the bedroom and laid them on the bed. She put the boots in the bag, then selected the clothes she was taking and put them in the bag. Next, she gathered some essentials from the bathroom, including some diapers. She loaded them in the bag and zipped it closed. She crutched back into the walk-in closet and retrieved her heavier braces that had been designed for hiking. She crutched over to the bed and laid them beside her bag.

She turned and started to crutch toward the living room. DJ was coming through the door with the crutches. She stopped and started taking one arm out of her crutch and leaned it on the bed. He stepped close and pulled her close to her. She dropped her other crutch to the floor as she put her arms around his neck. The first kiss was a mutual thing and quite passionate.

“I’ve wanted to do that all day,” he whispered.

“I’ve wanted you to,” she replied as she smiled at him.

She took the crutches from him and asked him to take the bag and braces. He picked up the crutch on the floor and put it on the bed by the other one before he picked up her bag and the braces. She led the way toward the front door. He opened the door, and she crutched through. He pulled the door closed, and she locked the dead bolt. She led the way to the front door. He held it open while she crutched through and toward the SUV.

When they got to the SUV, he opened the door and she backed up to the seat. He lifted her legs as she scooted back on the seat. He held her ankles as she released the knee locks; he lowered her legs part way onto the floor boards. They kissed quickly again. She used her hands to complete the adjustment after she had scooted her butt around. He took her crutches, bag, and braces, then put them in the back through the tail gate. Having her crutches that far from her reach almost panicked Judy. She had flashbacks of the taunting and crutch borrowing she had experienced in high school.

DJ got in the driver’s seat and backed out of the parking spot. He drove to a service station convenience store and pulled up to the gas pumps. He got out and pumped the gas, then went inside. Judy felt somewhat out of control of the situation as she sat there with her crutches unavailable to her.

When DJ came back, he had a six pack of wine coolers. He opened one and handed it to Judy, then opened one for himself. She took a drink.

“This is good,” she remarked before she took another drink.

They were soon out of town on the road to the mountains. About halfway up the mountain, he turned off to the right down an access road. They came to a gate, and he pushed a button on the dash of the SUV. The gate opened, and they drove through. Judy looked back to see the gate closing as they drove on down the narrow access road. After about five miles, they came to little clearing with a small lake. On the other side of the very remote lake was a large cabin. He drove around the lake and stopped by the cabin front door.

“This setting is beautiful,” Judy remarked.

“I thought you’d like it,” DJ replied as he got out of the SUV.

He walked round and opened Judy’s door. She moved sideways a little and then picked up her legs and moved them part way around. She scooted her butt around more and then lifted each leg so that they were positioned in the door. She used her hand to lift her leg to a position where she could lock her knee lock. With the left one done, she did the same to the right one. Now both legs stuck straight out as she sat on the seat. She scooted her butt toward the door until her legs began to drop by gravity to the ground. She continued to slide forward until they were both firmly on the ground, and then she continued on, holding onto the door with her right hand and the seat with her left, until she was fully upright.

“I need my crutches please,” Judy asked.

“They’re in the back. I’d like you to try to walk back and get them yourself,” he replied.

“I can’t walk without crutches,” she said.

“Try,” he urged.

She gave him a look, then leaned to the right until her left foot was off the ground and tried to swing her hip to make her leg move. It moved ahead about six inches. She leaned to the left and tried the same technique, only her uncontrollable right leg moved further this time, about sixteen inches. Again she tried the left one, and it moved even further, about twenty-four inches. By this time, she had managed to move herself far enough away from the SUV to be able only to hold onto the door. The open door began to move, and she lost her balance. She desperately grabbed for the seat but missed as she continued to fall. She missed and began to fall. DJ caught her just before she was on the ground.

Luckily, falling properly is one of the first lessons taught in rehab. Judy was unhurt by the fall. DJ had watched her every move and was excited as she tried to walk without the aid of her crutches. It excited him even more when she fell. He lifted her by the armpits to help her stand again and helped her to lean against the seat.

“I told you that I didn’t think that I could do it,” Judy said as she leaned against the seat, right where she had started. DJ didn’t say anything as he retrieved her crutches from the rear, but not her bag or braces. She dusted herself off and then put her weight on her crutches as they started for the cabin. Out of habit, he hit the button on his key ring and locked the SUV. He walked up the three steps onto the porch, then turned and watched as she struggled to get up the stairs. When she was on the porch, DJ unlocked the door and went in first, then held the door for her.

Judy crutched her way into the darkened room. She looked around as he lit the oil lamps. “This is beautiful,” Judy exclaimed as she crutched her way into the cabin. She could see a kitchen in one side of the living area and also see into the bedroom. Stairs led to a loft, and a large stone fireplace was on one side of the room. He led her into the living room and gestured toward the couch. She crutched her way over to it and eased down by holding on to the arm and one crutch. She unlocked both knee locks and then scooted her butt back on the couch. When she was situated, she laid her crutches beside her and, using her hands, moved each one of her lifeless legs to a normal sitting position. The position of her legs didn’t matter to her, she couldn’t feel then anyway, it was a learned social thing.

“This place is beautiful,” she said. “Don’t you worry about someone breaking in?”

“No, not at all,” he replied. “This place is built like a fort. Because of some of my other business dealings, I had bulletproof glass installed everywhere in the house and even in the SUV.”

“What other kinds of business dealings?” she questioned.

“Let’s just say that my partner and I do a little importing on the side,” he replied.

It was obvious to Judy that DJ did not want to discuss it any further. He lit several other oil lamps and fixed her another drink. That would be six for tonight, four over her limit. He handed her the drink.

She commented on the romantic mood the lamps made. He sat on the couch next to her. He started the conversation again.

“You don’t mind if I ask you more about your physical condition, do you?”

“Oh no, DJ. What would you like to know?” she answered.

“Can you move your legs at all?” he inquired.

“No, not a bit,” she said. “I have flaccid paralysis of my leg muscles. No reflex contractions of those muscles—the result, no muscle tone. Those muscles are just fatty tissue now. They have completely atrophied.”

“Did the shooting affect any other of your body functions?” he asked.

“I no longer have a spleen. My broken and repaired back is a bit stiff. My bowels and bladder sphincters still have reflex contractions and stay tight, and I have to use some special techniques and stuff to get them to open,” she explained. “In fact, my bladder itself is sometimes a little too tight as well and doesn’t hold much urine. If I don’t use my catheter frequently, I sometimes leak. I sleep with a urine bag at night if I have been drinking a lot before I go to bed. ”

“Can I touch your legs?” he asked.

“Sure, if you want to,” she replied. “I can’t feel them. I have no feeling at all in either leg.”

He touched her left leg on the knee and said: “Judy, I like the way your legs look. I’d like to see your legs again without your braces. Would you take them off for me please?”

“I really feel uncomfortable doing it in front of you,” she said. “Are you sure you want to look at my ugly legs?”

“I don’t think they’re ugly,” he coaxed. “I’d like to see how you take your braces off.”

“I will if you want, but I can’t stand up without them. Like you saw outside, I need my crutches to walk as well,” she replied.

She pulled the short dress higher to expose the straps across her shrunken thighs. She looked up to him and saw his eyes sparkle as he was looking at her legs. The way he looked excited her a little too.

She unbuckled the two straps on her right thigh and leaned over to unfasten the buckles on the knee pad. Judy lifted her foot and unbuckled the strap around her right ankle. Unbuckling her right shoe, she slipped her foot out of the shoe. Her foot dangled limply as she held her slim atrophied leg at her shin. She leaned to her left and pulled the brace from under her leg. Laying the brace to the side, she let the leg back down to the floor. Her toes curled under as her foot, hanging loosely, contacted the floor.

Still bending over, she unbuckled the heel strap on her left shoe and unbuckled the straps on the other brace. She lifted her left foot and leg from this brace. She laid the brace with the shoe still attached beside the other one—her left foot dangling loosely as her right had done.

DJ bent over and picked up the braces with the shoes still attached. He stood up and walked over to the fireplace and hung them on the gun rack high over the mantle like a trophy on display, well above Judy’s reach.

“DJ, NO! Don’t take my braces! I need them!” Judy pleaded and suddenly feeling very vulnerable. “Please bring my braces back DJ.”

“I want you to try and stand without your braces Judy,” he requested quickly.

“Please, I can’t, DJ. I’ve tried, but I can’t. The nerves to my spine are completely severed; my leg muscles don’t work at all. My legs won’t stay straight no matter how hard I try. I can’t even stand using only my crutches. Please give me my braces back. You said you only wanted to look at my legs. DJ, please. Don’t do this to me.”

“Come on, I want you to try,” he coaxed.

She took a last drink from her glass, emptying it, and looked at him. “You want me to try to stand up?”

“Yeah,” he said.

“Well shit, here it goes,” she mumbled as she took her crutch and moved to the front edge of the couch. Holding onto one crutch and the arm of the couch, she started to stand. Immediately, her feet rolled inward at her ankles under her weight. Her knees began to buckle as she tried to let her weight down.

She was nearly standing but had most of her weight on the arm of the chair and one crutch. Her legs, bending at the knees, were not supporting any of her weight.

“See, my knees won’t stay straight DJ. I can’t stand up even with my crutches unless I have my braces. Please give them back right now.”

“I’m going to help you,” he said as he moved around behind her and put his arms around her just under her breasts. “I’ve got you. Get your other crutch.”

She was able to grab her other crutch and get it into position under her arm. She was just about vertical when he released his grasp. Judy was able to barely keep her balance as she was holding most of her body weight on her crutches. He moved around in front of her as she balanced precariously.

“OK, just walk over to me,” he said.

“I can’t DJ. I’m going to fall,” she yelled.

Her teetering balance pitched her forward. She fell forward and caught herself before she crashed to the floor. She began to cry as she lay there.

DJ picked her up and put her back on the couch. “That was a gallant try,” he said. “I just know you can stand.”

“No, I can’t. I want to so bad, but I can’t,” she sobbed. “Damn it, don’t you understand. My back was broken, my spinal chord was badly damaged, and the nerves to my legs were severed. I can’t even feel my legs, let alone move them. Please give me my braces, please.”

He fixed her another drink and gave it to her. She reluctantly took a large swallow.

“I want you to try again,” he said.

The tone of his voice was one that she figured that she shouldn’t argue with. She finished the drink and sat the glass down.

‘Hell, if I’m going to be falling down, I might as well be a falling down drunk,’ she thought to herself.

She positioned her crutch in front of the couch. Holding onto the crutch and the arm of the couch, she again gallantly tried to stand even though she knew that she couldn’t. Once again, both feet rolled inward at her ankles as she put weight on them. Her knees buckled as soon as she brought weight to bear on her useless legs. Trying gallantly, she was almost standing but had most of her weight on the arm of the chair and one crutch—her legs bending at the knees, not supporting any of her weight.

“I need some help here if you want me to do this,” she said.

Suddenly she could feel him unzipping her dress. She dropped back to the front edge of the couch.

“DJ, what do you think you’re doing?” she snapped.

“I’m just trying to help you get comfortable,” he replied as he pulled her dress down from her shoulders.

She pushed him away. He almost fell on the floor. He bent over and grabbed one of her crutches. She lurched for it and lost her balance. She rolled off the couch and fell on the floor. She lay there sobbing as he picked up the second crutch.

“DJ, don’t take my crutches too!” she sobbed as she lay there on the floor.

He got up and took the crutches over to the fireplace. He placed them in crossed fashion on the gun rack above the mantle of the huge rock fireplace. The crutches had joined the braces. He stood back and admired his trophies.

Judy dragged herself after him on her stomach about half way across the room before she stopped. Her useless legs trailed along behind offering no help or assistance.

“They look good over the fireplace, don’t they?” he bragged.

“No,” she sobbed as she lay on the floor on her stomach reaching for them. “I want them back. I feel so helpless without my braces and crutches. I need them to walk. Please give them back!”

“And if I don’t?” he asked.

His question was met by her silence. She knew that there was nothing she could do against him. He had taken her crutches and braces and placed them where she had absolutely no chance of retrieving them without his help. She just knew something bad was going to happen to her. She was totally dependent on him now and didn’t like the feeling one bit.

He walked back over to her and had to fight her off as he picked her up from the middle of the floor and placed her back on the couch in a prone position. She tried to roll off the couch to get away as he straightened out her thin and flaccid legs, which offered no resistance to his moving of them. He pushed her back to the couch and knelt down close to her.

“DJ, what are you going to do to me?” she asked apprehensively between sobs and fearing the worst. “Please don’t hurt me.”

Still kneeling on the floor in front of the couch, he gently took her head in his hands and began to passionately kiss her. He tried to French kiss her. She resisted at first, but soon she began to respond back and French kissed him back. Their tongues both explored each other’s mouths. She soon had her arms around him and was drawing him down to her. The alcohol had made her extremely horny, and she wanted him in the worst way despite what he had done.

His hands began exploring her. She found his manhood and could feel the swelling in his pants as he continued to feel her body while they kissed. His hand was exploring lower all of the time. Soon he was feeling her breasts. He wanted her as bad as she wanted him.

“Why don’t you help me get comfortable?” she whispered breathlessly. “Help me sit up and take my dress off.”

He helped her up to a sitting position and moved her legs around until they were touching the floor. She reached around and finished unzipping her dress. She boosted her butt off the couch, and he pulled her dress up to her waist. She let herself back down and held her arms up in the air. He pulled the dress over her head. He gave it a toss, and it landed over the railing on the balcony, then fell off onto the balcony floor completely out of her view. She knew that she couldn’t reach it, but really didn’t care. She wanted his manhood in her badly.

They began to kiss again, his hands still exploring her body and her breasts still encased by her bra. He found the clasp and released them from their captivity. Her magnificent breasts only sagged a little with the bra removed. He felt them with his hands.

“Your breasts are very firm for breasts this large,” he said softly just above a whisper.

This time, she tossed her bra. It landed high up on the antlers of a deer head hanging high on the wall—high above her reach even if she was standing with her crutches and braces, and now proudly displayed as a trophy of the evening’s exploits.

“Working out and using crutches keep them firm,” she replied as she began to kiss him again.

Soon his hands were exploring her again. His mouth sucked on her breasts while his tongue touched her nipples sensually. Her nipples responded by becoming fully erect. When she couldn’t feel his hands touching her, she knew that he was feeling her lifeless legs. She loved the thought of him touching her there. She reached down and found his hand on her thigh. She guided it to her crotch.

“Touch me there; I can feel that,” she whispered.

His hand explored her crotch through and around the elastic of her panties. Soon his finger was touching her clitoris. She began to squirm with delight, thankful that all of her spine had not been completely severed—and she still had some feeling in her clitoris. She hoped it would be enough.

Judy was delighted when she began to feel excitement inside her—the same excitement she had last felt with Mike before losing the use and feeling of her legs, along with much of her body below her waist. She knew she wanted DJ now more than she did before.

His fingers began to move her catheter.

“That’s my bladder catheter,” she whispered to him. “We need to get rid of it if we’re going to get really serious about this.”

“Oh, I want you in the worst way,” he said to her. “I want to screw you.”

“Me too. I need to use the bathroom first,” she told him. “It’s time to empty my bladder. Can you carry me in there please?”

He got up from his knees and helped her sit up. She used her hands to move her legs around to the floor.

“Take my panties off when I lift my butt up,” she said, almost embarrassed but desperately wanting him.

She boosted her butt off the couch, and he pulled her black panties down to her knees exposing her patch of pubic hair. She let herself back down to the couch, and he continued pulling her panties down to her ankles. He knelt down on one knee and lifted one of her feet. He slipped her panties off that foot and then did the other.

He stood back up and tossed the panties at the deer antlers that already held her bra.

“They look good up there,” she said. “You should leave them there as trophies.”

“I plan on it,” he replied.

“What about my braces and crutches?” she asked as she sat there totally nude. “They look like trophies too. I do get them back, don’t I?”

Her question was unanswered as he scooped her up. He carried her into the bathroom and set her on the toilet. She released the clamp on her bladder catheter. Because it was so quiet in the cabin, both of them could hear her urine hitting water in the toilet.

He took a small white packet out and sprinkled a small pile out on the little mirror that was on the vanity. He picked up a razor blade and made several neat little rows. He picked up a short straw, put it next to the powder, then began inhaling the powder into his nose. He offered her ‘a line.’ She shook her head no.

When she finished, rather than clamping the catheter again, she removed the little plug that holds the air in the balloon. She slowly withdrew the catheter. It did not feel unpleasant, in fact, it was somewhat exciting.

DJ had been watching intently. This embarrassed Judy, and she could feel her face beginning to redden. He picked her up again, and with her useless legs dangling from his arm, he carried her back to the bed. He set her near the side of the bed.

Without taking his eyes off of her sitting nude on the bed, he began taking his clothes off and throwing them on the floor by the nightstand.

She wasn’t sure what to do. She thought, ‘If he wanted to love me, he should kiss me.’ Judy felt strange with him looking at her sitting there nude on the bed. She pulled her legs up close to her, moving her flaccid legs with her hands.

He walked over close to her, and she touched his swollen penis. She pulled herself close to him and began sucking his manhood. He stepped back just before he exploded in her mouth.

When he stepped back, Judy lost her balance and fell part way off the bed. She caught herself with her hands at arm’s length; her legs were still on the bed. She struggled to push herself back onto the bed and roll over onto her back.

This excited DJ even more. He sat on the bed beside her and again began fondling her breasts and exploring her body with his hands and eyes. He took her face in his hands and kissed her passionately.

Breaking the kiss, he whispered to her in a quivering voice: “Judy, your legs are so beautiful. I love the way you look.” His breath was coming more rapidly now. He stared at her legs as he pulled a towel from a chair next to the bed.

Placing the towel next to her as he said: “Judy, can I move your legs? I want to see them better,” He took her left leg in his hand. “I want to move them, I know you can’t, but I can. Judy, it makes me feel good to see and touch your legs.”

He was quite aroused now, and Judy realized it. She was becoming more excited by his excitement. She had never seen a man become this excited. Mike had never acted this way when they made love before the shooting.

“Lie back Judy,” he said. “Let me make you feel good.”

His eyes never left her thin flaccid legs. He pushed her shoulders back so she would lie back onto the pillows. When she was prone, he lower his face to her crotch. She was startled for a moment.

She asked, “What are you doing to me?”

As she asked, he let his tongue touch her exposed clitoris.

“Oh! Oh!” she gasped. “That . . . that feels . . . so . . . good. Uh!”

His tongue felt so hot on her that she was unable to control herself. Her breath was coming in pants as she began to experience her first of several orgasms. His flicking tongue was driving her to higher states of ecstasy.

Without thinking, she put her hands on herself almost forcing him away. This excited him. Judy was now very orgasmic, and she wanted more. Moving his face away, he watched her for a few seconds. Her fingers were stroking her swollen clitoris.

He pulled her hands away from her clitoris and said: “Okay, don’t lose control yet. I want to play with your legs some more.”

She was so excited. “Oh, don’t stop, it feels too good. Please more,” she pleaded.

“No, not yet. I want to play with these beautiful legs of yours Judy.” He sat up, lifting her limp right leg. He let his tongue trace a line from her knee to her ankle, her foot hanging at an odd angle. Judy wanted him to make her feel better, not play with her useless legs, which she couldn’t feel.

“Oh DJ, please; I can’t feel my legs. Make me, uh, feel good here,” she pleaded as she again stroked her clitoris.

This excited him even more, and he told her: “You want more? Well, let me see you use your cripple legs to make it feel good.”

He let her leg go, and it fell limply back to the bed.

“You want to feel good?” he asked again.

He sat up facing her. He grasped her totally atrophied right leg and pushed her flaccid foot against her pussy.

“Here cripple. Use this to feel good,” he said as he moved her soft flaccid foot against her clitoris, his voice taking on a tone of contempt. He held her foot and rubbed her pussy with it.

Judy was so hot, she couldn’t resist. She was having multiple orgasms. Her shoulders jerked around as she felt the wave of orgasms hit, but her legs and hips didn’t move. She grabbed her foot and pulled the heel in tight against her clitoris—its pressure sending waves of ecstasy through her.

She gasped in slurred whispers, “Oh yeah, I’m crippled. Oh . . . I like it . . . Ah! Uh! It’s good.”

Something in a shadow in her mind told her this was perverted, but she didn’t care; she liked it. She felt she would be doing it again and again. DJ was ready to come himself. His penis was throbbing, and he wanted it in her flaccid juice box. Pulling her leg out of her hands, he let it drop on her stomach. He shoved his penis into Judy. Her flaccid right leg was caught between her stomach and his; her right knee was across her left tit; her foot was above her head. Only the total paralysis and complete atrophy of the muscles in her right leg permitted it being in this position.

As he thrust himself into her, he fixed his eyes on her right foot next to her head—her foot flopping with each thrust into her. As he watched her foot, cum sprayed from his prick, adding to the juices in her juicy wet pussy. His member throbbed with each ejaculation. She responded with more orgasms of her own.

In just a few seconds, both were out of breath and he was lying exhausted on her, her right leg still caught between their bodies. He looked at her face. She had an appearance of relaxation.

He said to her softly after his breathing returned to normal: “Judy, that felt so good. Did it feel good to you?”

She opened her eyes and looked directly at him, replying not quite clearly: “Oh, I never felt like that, DJ. Something happened inside me. It felt so good to have you inside of me. I’ve never had a feeling like that before.”

She squeezed her arms around him. He kissed her. After a somewhat long kiss, DJ rolled to Judy’s right. This freed her leg, which remained in the same position until she pushed it back to a more normal location and sat up on one elbow.

Turning to him, she said, her voice still a little slurred from the alcohol: “I’m going to have to put something in. You know I can’t control my pee. I need my catheter and my purse. Can you get them for me?”

“Sure,” he said as he got up from the bed. He went into the bathroom and retrieved her catheter. He gave it to her and headed back into the living room. He saw her purse sitting on the table near the door. He picked it up and extinguished the oil lamps. As he turned back to the bedroom, the light from there reflected off Judy’s discarded leg braces hanging on the gun rack well out of her reach. In the dim light coming from the bedroom, he stood back and admired all of the evening’s trophies, well out of the poor crippled girl’s reach.

As he returned to the bedroom, he thought to himself. ‘Yes, this was really nice.’

In the bed, Judy had managed to pull the covers down on the bed and had slipped under the sheet. She had already inserted the catheter. When he handed her the purse, she quickly found the catheter syringe. She used the syringe to expand the little balloon inside her bladder. She put the syringe back into her purse. She got a urine bag out, attached it to the catheter outlet, and taped it to her leg with some lightweight tape.

While Judy was arranging her catheter rigging, DJ went to the toilet. After relieving himself, he returned to the bedroom.

As he entered the room, he asked her, “Judy, can I get you anything else?”

“No, I’m fine. Just come and be next to me,” she coaxed.

Before he got into bed, he ran a couple more lines of coke. Then he got into bed beside her and extinguished the oil lamp. Turning back to Judy, he snuggled close to her—his hand stroking her flaccid leg. She was already asleep. Pleasant thoughts of crippled girls turned to dreams as he followed her to sleep . . .

----------------------------

In the morning, Judy awakened first. Her head ached from the night before. DJ appeared to be sound asleep on his stomach next to her. She felt the urge for a bowel movement—a warning she was always glad she could still feel. She looked at DJ as he lay there, really out of it. Since her bowel routine would require more time than DJ would probably expect, she thought it better not to disturb DJ and just drag herself into the bathroom without his help.

She sat up and moved her legs so that they were toward the side of the bed. She repositioned her butt more toward the edge of the bed. She lifted her legs and let her feet rest on the floor. She got her suppository and a catheter plug out of her purse, and then slid as far to edge of the bed as she could without falling off. She straightened out her legs until her knees almost locked, then slid off the bed onto the floor. She sat on the floor with knees drawn up by her breasts. She straightened out her legs, being quiet not to disturb DJ. She twisted around with her back to the bathroom. One at a time, she lifted her legs so they were straight in front of her, then leaned back on her elbows. From this position, she rolled over on her stomach and began to drag herself to the bathroom. Once there, she managed to lift herself to the seat.

She put in her suppository that helped her get ready for a bowel movement. As she waited for the drugs to begin their work, she tried to recall the foggy events of the previous evening. She couldn’t remember getting into the bedroom. ‘Where are my braces and crutches?’ she thought. ‘Oh shit, I’m sunk without those.’

While she continued to wait, she stripped off the light tape that held her urine bag to her leg and emptied the bag into the nearby sink. The bag was pretty full—reminding her of all the alcohol that she had consumed the night before. She put the plug back in the catheter outlet tube and rinsed out the urine bag, leaving it by the sink.

Next, she swirled her finger in the opening of her rectum several times—the signal her body now required to move her bowels. It worked, and after a few more minutes, she finished and slid forward to wipe. She leaned over to the sink to wash her hands and, after finishing that task, flushed the toilet before she eased herself to the floor. She began to drag her nude body back to the bedroom. She wished she had her wheelchair now.

Judy still hadn’t figured out what happened to her braces. The last thing she remembered was taking them off in the living room. She dragged herself around to the other side of the bed to see if they were by DJ. No such luck. She dragged herself back around to the side of the bed she had occupied and began her bed climbing technique to get back up on the bed.

When she got back on the bed, she noticed that DJ had not moved at all. She needed to find her braces and crutches so she decided that she would wake him.

“DJ, wake up,” she said softly with no response.

“DJ, wake up. I need my braces,” Judy said in a louder voice.

Getting no response, she shook him a little—still no response. She shook him harder and almost shouted, “Please wake up DJ; I need my braces.”

She still received no response at all for her actions. She decided that desperate measures were necessary. She grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him toward her. He weighed a ton it seemed to her, and the second time she pulled with all of her might. She managed to roll him over and make him land on top of her.

 “DJ, wake up,” she pleaded without response. It was then that she looked closely at his face. Blood had pooled around his lips, and his face was all discolored. She moved her head around so she could look him squarely in the face. She gasped as she looked into his wide-open eyes in a fixed stare. It took her a moment to be able to scream. The thought of having a dead man lying on top of her was unnerving her as she lay there screaming for help—help that wouldn’t come.

She pushed and shoved until she managed to get most of his weight off her. She had to pull both of her useless legs out from under his. She was in a complete state of panic as she swung her butt around in an effort to get off the bed and away from him. She quickly lifted both legs to the floor. Momentarily forgetting her paralysis, in an unconscious effort to stand and run, she gave a mighty heave with both of her hands. She had managed to get herself almost vertical before her muscleless legs buckled under her weight. She fell to the floor with her unfeeling legs folding in several directions under her. She lay nude on the floor in a heap sobbing.

“Please wake up DJ, I need my braces,” she sobbed over and over.

It took quite a while for Judy to recompose herself. As she lay there, she wiped away her tears and decided that crying and screaming weren’t going to help at all. After all, she was a survivor. She had survived a gunshot wound that had robbed her of the use of her legs.

She pulled herself ahead a little to try to straighten out her legs. That didn’t work as her right one was caught up by her breasts. She rolled over on her back and was able to move it down away from her. She sat up on her elbow to look and see where her left leg was. The upper part of the leg was fine, but the heel of her foot was almost by her waist. She lay back and pushed her foot down away from her hip the best she could. She rolled back to her stomach and began pulling herself across the floor toward the living room. As she pulled herself slowly along, she began to remember some of the incidents that had happened the night before.

She made it to the living room and stretched up on her arms looking for her braces and crutches. She was mortified when she finally spotted them on the gun rack above the mantle of the huge stone fireplace, well out of her reach. She began to cry again as she lay on her stomach and breasts looking up at her braces and crutches so far out of reach. His trophies were impossible for her to get to.

“Damn it DJ, Why did you do this to me? Why?”

Judy dragged herself over to the couch with her useless legs trailing behind. She rolled over again and leaned against the front of the couch. She almost instinctively bent forward and lifted her lifeless legs into a more natural position. She spotted her bra and panties hanging on the antlers high on the wall where they had landed. She couldn’t see her dress anywhere. She sat there and looked at her braces and crutches hanging on the gun rack like trophies. One brace was hung from the top of each side. Her high heel shoes were still attached. Her crutches were hung from the top pegs as well and crossed to form an ‘X’. As she sat there, more of the evening’s incidents came back to her. What kind of sick-o would do this to a girl and not give her appliances back? Damn, how she hated him now. Her mood was a lot different than it had been the night before during the wild sex.

As she sat there on the floor, totally nude, leaning against the couch, she also looked down at her lifeless legs just lying there outstretched in front of her as if also on display. One more time she tried to move them—something she had done every day since the shooting. She saw again how atrophied they had become and how the skin now outlined the bones that once were her slim, beautiful, long legs. There was no longer even a hint of a calf muscle. Her lower legs were the same size from her ankles to her knees. She hated her legs now as she looked at how her feet pointed forward. She tried to flex her foot to an upright position, with no response of course.

She thought of trying to stand without her braces. She thought of how hard she tried to stand last night. She had tried just as hard last night as she tried in the hospital. Her disappointment was just as deep now as it was then. She looked at the braces and crutches hanging over the fireplace and how the stairway railing began its rise in the opposite direction only about five feet from the fireplace, only about two good steps away from the fireplace. Hell, she couldn’t even stand, let alone take two steps. What in the hell was she going to now? Whatever it was, she knew that she needed to retrieve her braces and crutches no matter what.

She thought of simply going to the phone and calling 911. As she thought about it a little more and looked around the room for a telephone, she remembered DJ saying that the place didn’t have a phone and that his cell phone wouldn’t work here either. It was one of the things he liked about the place; he couldn’t be disturbed.

She thought very briefly about dragging herself up to the highway for help. She quickly dismissed the thought, remembering that it was at least five miles back to the highway. It was a distance she was able to crutch, and she was going to have to, but dragging herself that distance was out of the question, Her legs would be torn to shreds if she dragged herself that far—about as out of the question for her to just stand up and walk over to the fireplace and gun rack to retrieve her braces and crutches.

Her thoughts flashed back to her braces and trying to stand the night before without them.

‘When I tried with only crutches, my knees buckled and I fell,’ she thought. ‘But when I was outside with my braces on, I could stand as long as I could hold onto something. The braces keep my knees from buckling under my weight. If I had a way of keeping my knees straight I could stand, maybe even take a step.’

Her eyes scanned the room looking for something that would keep her knees straight. She studied and contemplated almost every item in the room. Her eyes came to rest on the wood-box beside the fireplace.

‘Maybe there are some pieces of wood that could immobilize my knees and keep them locked in place somehow,’ she thought.

She scooted her butt around and backed away from the couch far enough for her useless legs to trail along behind her before she lay down and rolled over to her stomach. Laboriously, she began dragging herself over to the wood-box. She lifted herself as high as she could to look in. There were several large pieces in the box, but it also contained several pieces of kindling in the form of long thin boards.

‘The kindling should do the trick,’ she thought.

She selected six pieces of the long slender boards and took them from the wood-box.

‘I now have the means to hold my knees straight’ she thought. ‘Now I need something able to hold the splint like boards in position. In the first aid classes, we always used triangular bandages to hold the splints in place. I could never get them to stay that way.’

She thought about what she had seen on TV emergency room shows. It gave her an idea. She began to drag herself laboriously toward the kitchen in her quest.

Judy finally made it to the kitchen, and she began to open the lower cabinet doors and drawers. She was looking in the bank of drawers next to the sink when she found what she was looking for.

‘Good,’ she thought. ‘I thought that he would have some. No one would even think of having a place without duct tape.’

With her prize in hand she dragged herself back to the couch. When she got there, she left the duct tape, then dragged herself to the wood box for the kindling. Because she had the thin boards in her hands, she used her elbows to pull herself back to the couch.

‘This just has to work,’ she thought as she sat up against the couch.

She used her hands to put her legs in the appropriate position. She reached behind her and grabbed two throw pillows on the couch. She piled one on top of the other down by her foot. She moved her right foot to the pillow. Her knee flexed downward until it locked straight.

‘Perfect,’ she thought as she tore off about a two-foot long piece of duct tape.

She put the piece of duct tape across the center of one piece of kindling. She turned it over so that the sticky side was up. She positioned the piece directly under her knee and brought up the tape on both sides of her leg. Next, she positioned two more pieces centered on each side of her knee cap, then brought the tape up and across. She made another piece of tape and wrapped it around the bottom of the three pieces. A third piece went around the top of the pieces. The three pieces did not seem secure enough so she began to wrap the duct tape around and around the three sticks until all the sticks were thoroughly covered.

She lifted herself to the couch and rolled over onto her stomach and was able to put pressure on her knee. Her knee didn’t bend. The duct tape and wood splint was going to work. She scooted back off the couch and immediately began the same procedure on her left leg. Soon she had both knees completely immobilized. This was going to work. Her heart beat faster in anticipation of what as to come next.

She scooted herself down and rolled over onto her stomach for what she hoped would be one last drag. She dragged herself over to the base of the stairs. Then slowly she pulled herself up the stairs until her feet were at the bottom. Still on her stomach, she tried to push herself up using the hand rail. This technique didn’t work the way Judy thought it should have. Her knees stayed straight, but her feet didn’t cooperate. She had started with the top of her feet on the floor. They continued to curl under as she lifted herself.

She was disappointed as she lowered herself back down to the stairs. She rolled over and put her butt on the stairs. She used her hands to reposition her useless legs in front of her. She pushed up from the stairs as far as she could. Quickly, she grabbed the hand rail on the open side of the stair and tried to continue to push herself up. Her feet still did not cooperate. They turned under when she applied weight to them just like they did the night before. She was almost in tears as she lowered herself back to the stairs again. So near, but yet so far. She could almost feel her crutches again, still out of reach.

‘Damn that bastard anyway. How could that son-of-a-bitch do this to me?’ she thought.

She sat there for quite a while trying to figure out how to immobilize her ankles and make it possible for them to hold her weight.

‘How do figure skaters do it?’ she thought. ‘Their ankle support is in the boots. How do other athletes do it?’

 She sat and thought of all of the sports she had watched on TV. She remembered seeing a trainer taping the ankle of a football player on a sports medicine show. She remembered thinking at the time that the technique might work on her ankle and she could just wear knee braces. Because she already had the full leg braces, she had not pursued the thought at the time.

She slid on her butt back down the stairs and dragged her nude body over to the front of the couch where she had left the roll of duct tape. She rolled over, used her hands to reposition her legs and leaned up against the couch. She tried hard to remember how he had taped the ankle on TV. She made a length of tape that acted like a stirrup around and under, then up each side of her right ankle ending about six inches above her ankle. She did two more like that, overlapping the tape about a half inch. Next, she made a longer piece of tape and placed it by the ball of her foot. Using the tape, she pulled her foot toward her so that it would be flat when she stood. She crossed the pieces of tape across the bridge of her foot on top and crossed again behind her ankle. She put two more pieces of tape on just like that but overlapping them about a half inch. She finished the job by making several wraps completely around her ankle, starting at the top and working down toward her foot. This wasn’t exactly the way the trainer on TV had done it, but when she tried to move her ankle with her hands, she couldn’t. Having completed her right ankle, she went to work on her left. When she finished, her useless legs were fixed in much the same position offered by her much needed braces—braces she needed even to stand, let alone walk.

She scooted backward on her butt with her duct tape-braced legs dragging along behind. She boosted herself up to the third step. Again, she pushed herself up by her hands. She looked down at her feet. They were straight. Her ankle taping job was holding so far. She quickly grabbed the handrail and was able to stand upright. Even though she still hadn’t reached her braces and crutches, she was a lot closer now as she clung tightly to the handrail.

She gathered up all her courage and leaned to her right as she tried to swing her left hip and leg. She had managed to move her leg about a foot. She stretched her arm out but still couldn’t reach the fireplace mantle for support. She leaned back to the right toward the stair rail. Her left foot followed back to its original position. Determined, she tried again; this time she was able to swing her lifeless duct-tape-braced leg about two feet. She tried to stretch to the fireplace mantel again but still couldn’t reach it. She knew she couldn’t try to take a step with her right leg because she didn’t have anything to hold on to. In desperation, she pushed herself away from the handrail and toward the fireplace mantle. Her fingertips just caught the thick stone mantle but not enough for her to be able to hold her weight. She fell to the floor again. As she was well trained to do, she relaxed before she hit the floor. Frustrated by her inability to take a step to reach her goal and still completely nude, Judy lay on the floor crying and sobbing.

‘Damn these useless legs.’

Once she had composed herself again, she looked around the room again. Across the room, two side chairs sat next to a small table that contained one of the oil lamps that DJ had lit last night. She rolled over and used her hands to reposition her legs encased in duct tape as she sat up. She scooted backwards on her butt over to the table. She began laboriously dragging both herself and the chair back to the stairs.

She positioned the chair so that the back was toward her at the base of the stairs. She slid her butt up to the third stair again. Almost without thinking about it, she repositioned her useless legs. She reached over and slid the chair slightly so that she fit between the chair and the handrail. Again, she boosted herself up on her hands and grabbed the handrail. She was able to pull herself up until she was standing again. She reached over and put one hand on the back of the chair. She leaned to the left and raised her right hip and was able to move her right duct tape-encased foot about six inches until it hit the leg of the chair. She put her other hand on the back of the chair. The chair was now her only means of support. She leaned to the right and raised her left hip and swung her left foot until it was stopped by the chair. She moved the chair ahead about six inches and repeated the process. It was slow going, but she was getting there. Her stick and duct tape braces were holding up fine. With each repetition, her braces and crutches were six inches closer.

Finally, she was on the fireplace hearth. She was able to reach the mantle to hold on to. Holding on tightly to the massive stone mantle, she maneuvered herself further down the large rock fireplace. She reached for her right brace and was unable to free it because the crutches were in the way. She was able to reach one crutch, but it was blocked in by the other. She had to work her way further down the mantle to free the outside crutch from the gun rack. When she was able to reach the outside crutch, she pulled it down and put it under one arm. Even though it was now too tall because she wasn’t wearing high heels, it felt natural there. She maneuvered back and was able to free her other crutch from the grips of the gun rack. She put the other crutch under her other arm. She felt an exuberance as she felt almost natural again. She reached up and grabbed her left brace hanging on the gun rack. She tried to lift it free, but it was caught on something. She looked closely and saw her brace had been locked in the gun rack. She looked at the right one to see that it had been locked in the same way.

“That perverted son-of-a-bitch,” she said out loud. “Damn you.”

Now with her crutches retrieved from the gun rack and her duct tape braced legs, Judy crutched back into the bedroom. Because she wasn’t wearing the heels that the crutches were adjusted for, her swing was greatly shortened and she almost fell a couple of times. The sight of DJ lying dead on the bed unnerved her again. She began to cry but continued on anyway. His pants were lying on the floor right where she had taken them off of him last night. Balancing with one crutch, she reached down and picked them up. She straightened up and put the crutch back under her arm then she began looking through his pockets looking of the keys. His pockets didn’t contain any keys. She dropped the pants to the floor. She crutched herself over to the dresser. Luck was finally with her.

She picked up a ring of keys and began crutching back to the living room and the gun rack over the fireplace. She leaned her armpits on her crutches as she tried all the keys in the first lock. The last key was the one she needed to unlock her brace. She lifted it down from the gun rack and tossed it toward the couch. Her brace and shoe bounced off the couch and landed on the floor in front of it. Judy crutched over to the other side of the gun rack. Using the same key, she freed her other brace. She held that one as she crutched back over to the couch. She put the brace on the couch near the brace lying on the floor.

She crutched her way into the kitchen again. In the drawer next to the sink, she found a sharp knife. She carried the knife with her as she crutched her way back to the couch.

Judy leaned back to put her butt on the arm of the couch. She used her hand to position her left leg further to the left. Then using a crutch, she eased herself down to the seat of the couch. She sighed a deep sigh before she began removing the duct tape. She used the knife to cut away the duct tape, being careful not to cut herself. In a little while, her legs were no longer encased in duct tape. Still nude she sat there for a long while looking at her useless legs. She tried again to move them. She cried again when they wouldn’t move.

“Why did this happen to me?” she questioned again for the millionth time.

She moved to the forward edge of the couch and straightened her legs with her hands. She eased herself down off the couch, and using her hands under what used to be her calf muscle, she moved her right leg. As she set it down, she squeezed it a little. She could easily feel both bones in her lower leg. She moved her left leg and did the same thing.

She scooted around and picked up her right leg brace. She positioned it beside her and slipped her foot into the shoe, then tied it. She pushed the brace and her foot away from her before she rested on her left elbow so she could position the upper part of the brace under what had once been her thigh muscle—muscle that was now only fatty tissue. She straightened up to a sitting position and began fastening the straps that held her brace firmly in place once she had positioned her useless leg properly. She used the same technique to put her left leg brace on.

‘Damn, I hate these braces,’ she thought to herself.

She checked to be sure her knee locks were secure, and using one crutch and the arm of the couch, she pulled herself to standing position. She used her crutch to balance herself while she picked up the other. She put the crutches under each arm and, using her normal swinging gait, moved to the middle of the room. Still completely nude except for braces with three inch high black heels, she rested herself on her armpits while she looked around for her dress. She was unable to see it. She saw only her panties and bra hanging on the trophy antlers. Someone else would need to retrieve his trophies.

She began to look around for her other braces and gym bag that had her other clothes. She looked in several places but was unable to find it. She crutched her way back into the bedroom. This time, the sight of DJ lying there dead did not unnerve her as much. She was crying again when she covered him with a blanket. He was weird but had been a great lover for her.

Still completely nude, she crutched her way back to the living room. She thought hard and couldn’t remember DJ carrying them in after he withheld her crutches outside. ‘They still must be in his SUV,’ she thought.

She crutched over to the door onto the porch. She opened it and crutched out onto the porch and, out of habit, pulled the door closed behind her. The cool mountain air gave her nude body a chill. She shivered and looked down at her very erect nipples. She worked her way down the stairs using the handrail, then crutched her way over to the SUV. She could see her heavy duty braces and gym bag, the one that contained all of her clothing, in the back. She tried unsuccessfully to try and open the tailgate. She crutched around to the side and tried the doors. They were all locked as well. Then she remembered hearing the quick whistle as he had locked them remotely last night.

‘Damn it,’ she thought as she started back to the house still nude and without her gym bag or heavy duty braces.

She struggled again to get back up on the front porch. She crutched over to the door and tried to turn the handle. It wouldn’t turn. She had locked herself out of the cabin.

‘Shit, if anything could go wrong, it is now,’ she thought.

Still totally nude, she crutched her way back to the front steps and struggled to get down. She looked around for an idea on how to get in. She crutched around to the back of the cabin and found the back door and tried it. It too was locked. There was a woodpile near the back door. She picked up a piece of wood and tried to break the glass in the back door. The firewood only bounced off the heat strengthened glass. She tried several times unsuccessfully to break the glass. Then she remembered what he had said last night, “all of the windows are bullet proof glass.”

She began to cry again out of frustration. ‘Why in hell did I agree to come up here with that pervert.’

While Judy was busy trying to break the window of the back door, she didn’t hear a car drive up to the parking area near the front door. She also didn’t see the woman with very thick glasses get out of the car and try the front door. The woman with the cantaloupe eyes left the front porch and started around the back just as the still nude Judy was struggling to get down the rear steps.

“What the hell are you doing!” the woman demanded.

Judy was surprised as she reached the landing at the bottom of the steps. She was instantly furious at the sight of the woman. She dropped one crutch and swung at the woman with the other. Her crutch caught the woman on the side of her head, sending the woman’s very thick glasses flying. Judy was unable to keep her balance and fell sprawling to the ground.

The woman was slightly dazed and disoriented, obviously blind without her thick glasses. She felt around in the air trying to find Judy still lying on the ground. When she got near, Judy reached out, grabbed her ankles and pulled her feet out from under her. The woman went crashing to the ground. Judy quickly dragged herself over to the woman and began to hit her with her fist.

“What the hell has gotten into you?” the woman demanded as they struggled.

“This is for what you did to me you bitch!” Judy replied angrily. “I’ve wanted to get a hold of you ever since you shot me! Now is my chance to get back at you bitch.”

The woman broke the hold Judy had on her and rolled away out of her grip. She got to her feet and began to blindly run away. She promptly ran smack into a tree and bounced off.

“Help me find my glasses please,” she said. “I’m blind without them.”

Judy glanced around and saw the woman’s glasses as they lay on the path. She dragged herself over to where they lay. She picked them up and looked through the thick lenses.

“Wow, those are really strong,” she said. “I bet you really are blind as hell without them.”

“I am,” the woman said. “They had to take the lenses out of my eyes. I can only see if I have my glasses. Please give them to me.”

“I don’t think so,” Judy replied.

The woman felt her way over to where Judy had dragged herself and tried to take the glasses from her. During the ensuing struggle, her thick glasses, still in Judy’s hand struck a rock. Both lenses shattered. Judy knew what had happened and dropped the glasses, then quit the struggle.

“I dropped them right here,” she said and then dragged herself a little way away.

The woman began frantically searching the ground with her hands while Judy leaned back on her hands and watched. She felt some satisfaction knowing that her assailant was also now struggling.

The woman found the glasses with the shattered lenses. When she tried to put them on, both of the lenses fell out into a million pieces leaving the woman with only bent frames. She began frantically searching for the lenses but only found small pieces. She began to cry.

“You’re not so tough now bitch,” Judy said.

“I never was tough,” the woman sobbed. “My poor eyesight has always been my Achilles heel.”

“Then how come you belonged to that gang?” Judy asked.

“I didn’t belong. When I shot you, it was an initiation. They had taken my glasses, and I couldn’t see a fucking thing. Hell, I had never even held a gun, let alone shot one. It went off accidentally,” she sobbed. “I went to pieces when I read in the paper what I had done to you. The gang didn’t want me, and I didn’t want them. They paid my way to Chicago to live with my aunt.”

“I find that pretty hard to believe,” Judy said. “By the way, what’s your name?”

“Tanya,” she replied. “Please believe me, it’s the truth. I was horrified at what I had done to you. I still wake up at night from a recurring nightmare. I’m standing over you with the gun, and you’re pleading for help. It’s awful. God, I wish I had never done it.”

“You don’t know how much I wished you hadn’t done it,” Judy replied. “Every day I try to move my fucking legs and can’t. I touch what’s left of them and try to feel something. I can’t. DJ tried to make me stand with just my crutches and I fell. I fell when he tried to help me stand. My legs are totally atrophied and are now only skin covering my leg bones with a little fatty tissue thrown in for good measure.”

“That sounds like DJ. I bet he put your braces and crutches on the mantle above the fireplace like trophies. That’s where he put my glasses,” Tanya replied. “By the way, where the hell is he?”

“He’s dead,” Judy replied calmly.

“No shit. What happened?” Tanya asked.

“I think he OD’d,” she replied. “We both had a lot to drink, and he ran quite a few lines of coke.”

“I just knew that he was going to do that sometime,” Tanya said. “What happened to you? How come you’re as naked as a jay bird?”

“The clothes that I wore up here are still in the house where I can’t reach them,” Judy replied. “I was going to get my bag and other braces out of the back of DJ’s SUV when I locked myself out of the cabin. The SUV was locked too, and I was trying to get back into the cabin when you showed up.”

“Can you walk well enough to get back to the highway?” Tanya asked.

“Not in these heels and my light duty braces. I almost didn’t make it down the stairs. The heels throw my balance way off,” Judy said. “I can maneuver on flat pavement but not on uneven ground. I need my heavy duty braces in the SUV.”

“I think maybe if we work together we can get us out of this,” Tanya offered.

“Why would I want to work with you after what you’ve done to me?” Judy questioned.

“Because whether you like it or not, we need each other,” Tanya said. “You can’t walk, and I can’t see.”

“By the way, what are you doing way up here?” Judy asked.

“Well, DJ and I are, were, business partners,” she replied. “This is where we do some of our transactions.”

“Let me guess,” Judy said. “You and DJ were in the, shall we say, import business.”

“What all did he tell you?” Tanya asked.

“Nothing other than that he had a partner in the import business,” she replied. “I assumed it was the stuff he was putting up his nose.”

“OK,” Tanya replied. “You don’t need to know anymore. I have keys to his SUV and the cabin in my purse. I think I have spare glasses in there too.”

“All right,” Judy said. “Why don’t I get my crutches, and you help me up? I can lead you to your car.”

Judy dragged herself over to her crutches and then had Tanya help her stand by lifting her from the back. Judy was able to get her crutches under her arms and stand by herself.

“Tanya, put your hand on my shoulder, and we’ll go over to your car and get your purse,” Judy said as she began to crutch her way around the house.

“Oh thank you,” Tanya said as they started for the car. “I’m completely helpless without my glasses.”

“I just bet you are,” Judy replied.

“Judy, I’m terribly sorry for what I did to you,” Tanya said. “Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?”

“I know you’re sorry,” Judy replied. “It’s going to take me a while to forgive you though.”

“Please think about it,” Tanya almost pleaded.

“I’ve hated you every moment of every day of my life since the day you shot me,” Judy replied. “I’ll have a hard time getting past that.”

“Please try,” Tanya said as they reached the car.

“We’re at your car. I see your purse on the seat. Stay here while I open the door,” Judy instructed.

Tanya released her grasp of Judy’s shoulder and stood there staring blankly. Judy opened the door and took one crutch and leaned it against the door. She reached in and retrieved the purse. She straightened back up and quietly opened the purse. She quickly took out the spare glasses and closed the purse again.

“Did you find my purse?” Tanya asked.

“Yes, here it is. Hold out your hand,” Judy instructed.

Judy put the purse in Tanya’s outstretched hand. Tanya immediately began feeling for her missing glasses in her purse.

“I can’t find my spare glasses!” Tanya said in a panic. “I’m sure they were there. I always carry a spare.”

As Tanya was speaking, Judy tossed the glasses into the thick bushes that lined the road.

“What was that noise?” Tanya asked. “It sounded like something fell in the bushes.”

“I didn’t hear anything,” Judy replied. “It could have been that bird over there.”

“I found the keys but not my glasses,” Tanya said in a panic. “Shit, I thought for sure that they were in here. What are we going to do now?”

“Well, how about we get my clothes and other braces out of DJ’s rig and let me put them on. Then we can hike out to the highway and hitch a ride back to town, unless you have a better idea.”

“Can’t you drive my car?” Tanya asked.

“Do you have hand controls?” Judy asked.

“No,” Tanya replied sheepishly.

“Well, since you fixed me up so that I can’t feel or move my legs, I would need hand controls to drive.” Judy replied sarcastically. “Of course, I would have to learn how to drive first. Drivers Ed was the year I was in the hospital.”

Tanya didn’t say anything but stared blankly ahead. She started to cry.

“Give me the keys to the SUV, and I’ll get my stuff,” Judy said.

Tanya held out the keys, and Judy quickly took them. She began crutching over to the SUV, leaving Tanya standing there alone weeping. She opened the tailgate and retrieved her gym bag and heavy duty braces. She turned herself around and leaned against the tail gate. She retrieved a sports bra from the bag and put it on. Once she had her full breasts comfortably adjusted, she slipped on the tank top T-shirt that was in the bag. She held her braces and gym bag as she began crutching back to where Tanya was still standing trying to figure out where she was.

“I got my bag and braces out of DJ’s rig,” Judy said as she approached Tanya.

“I’m glad something is going right,” she replied. “I just could have sworn that I had put my spare glasses in my purse.”

“You’ve probably done it so often that it’s almost one of those things you do without thinking. Mine is picking up my legs to put them neatly side by side when I sit down,” Judy said.

“I suppose you’re right,” she replied.

“I need to go over by the front porch to sit down and be able to get back up,” Judy announced. “Do you want to go with me or stay here?”

“Oh, go with you,” Tanya replied in a panicked voice. “I’m absolutely terrified of being left alone when I can’t see.”

“I used to have the same feeling when the kids would ‘borrow’ my crutches and leave me propped up somewhere,” Judy replied. “Hold on to my shoulder.”

Tanya felt around until she found Judy, then together they started for the porch. When they got there, Judy held onto the handrail with one hand and her crutch in the other, then lowered herself to the steps. Tanya found the handrail and sat down too.

Judy said, “Sit tight, I’m going to scoot over to the grass here to put on my other braces.”

“I’ll be OK as long as I know you’re there,” Tanya replied.

Leaving her crutches on the steps, Judy scooted down to the bottom step and then dragged herself backwards to the grass with her braces and gym bag in tow. When she got there, she unfastened the thigh and knee straps on both braces. She leaned far enough to the right to be able to pull her left brace free from her thigh. She sat back up and lifted her left knee with her hands to be able to reach the strap on the top of her high heel shoe. She unbuckled the strap and pulled her limp foot from the shoe. She let go of her leg and it flopped uncontrollably to the ground. She moved her brace and high heel shoe out of the way. She repeated the same process for the right brace and was sitting there with no braces encapsulating her very thin legs. She looked at her useless legs lying there and thought how much she hated Tanya for what she had done to ruin her life. Judy knew that now she was in control.

Judy took her panties from the gym bag and lifted each foot to get the panties up to her knees. She pulled them up over her nonexistent thigh muscles to her butt. She leaned back on her elbows and rocked from side to side on the grass, incrementally pulling the panties further with each cycle until they were on all the way. At least now she didn’t feel as naked as she had all morning.

She took her boots and a pair of socks out of the gym bag. She put the socks on over her unresponsive feet, noticing how her toes curled under. Next, she began attaching the heavy duty braces to her hiking boots.

“Tell me Tanya, what can you see without your glasses?” she said as she pulled her right boot onto her limp foot.

“Absolutely nothing,” Tanya replied as she put her hand about three inches from her nose. “The only reason that I know that my hand is in front of my face is because I’m holding it there.”

Judy continued to put on the brace by first using the brace to push her foot away and then rocking on her butt to get the brace under her flaccid thigh—a maneuver she had done a thousand times. She let herself down over the brace and fastened all of the thigh straps, two more than on her other braces.

“How do you feel about being blind like that?” Judy asked as she tightened all the straps on the knee pads.

“I hate it,” Tanya replied as Judy tightened the strap around the fatty tissue that once was her calf muscle. “I get in an absolute panic when I don’t know where I am.”

Judy used her hands to flex her knee and pull her shoe close to her butt so she could fasten the strap around her ankle and tie her boot.

“What kind of experiences have you had while you were blind?” Judy asked as she started on her left boot.

“The absolute worst was when I shot you,” Tanya replied. “I’ve never been able to forget that awful moment.”

“I won’t either,” Judy interjected as she rocked to her right to be able to get her left brace under her thigh of only fatty tissue where her muscle had once been. “What else?”

“Once when I was in high school, “Tanya continued as Judy fastened her thigh straps, “one of the boys asked me to take off my glasses when he kissed me. I did, and during that weak moment, he took my glasses and wouldn’t give them back. He dragged me out behind the building, then attacked me. The rape was pretty brutal, and he ran when I started screaming. I, of course, couldn’t see a damn thing, and when he left me, I didn’t know where I was. Being lost probably scared me the worst.”

“How did you find your way?” Judy asked as she fastened her knee pad straps.

“My friend Beth found me. She was sleeping over and missed me when I didn’t show up,” Tanya remembered.

“What else has happened to you?” Judy asked as she continued to fasten straps on her brace.

“Another time when I was in the shower after PE, one of the girls took my glasses from the little shelf where I always put them,” Tanya said. “I was naked and dripping wet when I started groping around for them. The girls kept telling me they were over here, and when I felt my way there, they would say they were somewhere else. When I was totally disoriented, one of them offered to help me. She took my wrist and led me to where I thought my locker was. Instead, she led me out into the main hallway and then just left me. I was blindly groping around when the bell rang. Almost instantly, the hallway was full of kids and I was there helpless and naked.”

“How did you get out of that one?” Judy asked as she pulled her boot up by her butt and fastened her ankle strap.

“The PE teacher heard all the ruckus out in the hall and rescued me. She gave the whole class detention,” Tanya replied as Judy finished lacing and tying her boot.

Judy pulled her blue jeans out of the gym bag and began pulling the leg of the jeans over her left boot. She managed to get the cuff over her boot and pulled her left pant leg almost up to her left knee. She used her hands to lift her lower left brace and straighten it out, then she lifted her right leg to bring her right boot closer to her butt. She got her right leg started over her boot and pulled up the pant leg until she had worked her boot out from the cuff. Judy straightened out her right leg by lifting it with her hands and began working her pants up as far as she could. She lay back and rocked from side to side and was able to pull them up a little further with each repetition. Finally, she had them high enough to button them and zip the fly closed.

“What have you been doing?” Tanya asked.

“I put on different braces and blue jeans,” she replied. “Let me gather my stuff, and we’ll be ready to go.”

By releasing the knee locks all the way, Judy was able to get her braces with the high heels to fit in her gym bag. She dragged herself backward on her butt to the base of the steps and then boosted herself up to the third step by where Tanya was sitting.

“I guess I’m ready if you are,” Judy announced. “I guessed it to be about five miles out to the main road.”

“Only four point eight,” Tanya replied as Judy used one crutch and the porch handrail to boost herself to an upright position.

“Let’s get going before that mountain lion finds us,” Judy said.

“What mountain lion?” Tanya asked in a panic.

“Didn’t DJ tell you about the mountain lion tracks he saw around the cabin?” Judy asked.

“No!” Tanya replied as she looked blindly around trying desperately to see something.

“Well, you know how mountain lions are, they attack anytime when they’re hungry,” Judy continued. “Let’s go.”

“Damn right, let’s go!” Tanya said in a panicky voice.

Judy retrieved her other crutch as Tanya got up and felt blindly around for her. Judy had just positioned herself to start down the path holding her gym bag with one hand by the time Tanya found her. Tanya’s hand was shaking as she put it on Judy’s shoulder. They started down the path and then on up to the driveway. They kept asking each other questions as they went. Judy was patiently waiting for just the right place and moment as she walked with her swing-through gait with Tanya’s hand on her shoulder.

They had gone about a mile and a half and were beginning to go down a slight grade. A small stream ran through a culvert under the road. Judy stopped when they were directly above the outlet.

“Let go for a second. I need to adjust this brace,” Judy said.

“I hear water running,” Tanya said.

“We’re over a small stream that runs through the culvert,” Judy said. “I’m awfully thirsty, but I don’t think I could make it down the bank to get a drink. I think you could though.”

“I don’t know if I can,” Tanya said. “We don’t have a cup, do we?”

“No, but you should be able to just cup your hands and bring me up some water,” Judy said persuasively. “I sure would be grateful.”

Tanya released her death grip on Judy’s shoulder and began slowly working her way to the edge of the road.

“Good, you’re just about there,” Judy instructed. “You can sit down and put you feet down the little slope.”

Tanya got down on her hands and knees and felt for the edge of the road. She sat down and let her feet find the side of the slope. She slid forward and was soon at the edge of the stream.

“The stream is right in front of you,” Judy said. “If you squat down, you can find it.”

Tanya squatted as Judy had suggested and found the edge of the stream. She scooped her hands in the water. Judy crutched quietly a little further up the road.

“Tanya, look out! The mountain lion!” Judy yelled.

“Where is it!” Tanya screamed as she looked blindly around. “I can’t see anything!”

“Right over here,” Judy yelled.

She threw her gym bag in the bushes. The bag crashed down and made a snapping sound as it fell through the brush.

“Tanya, help me! It’s after me!” Judy yelled now a little further up the road. “My God, it’s got me!” Judy let out a blood curdling scream and then was silent.

Tanya was frozen with fear and was crying as she huddled down close to the culvert.

“Don’t leave me here all alone,” she sobbed and pleaded. “Help Me! I’m blind!”

The sound of the running water masked the sound of Judy rapidly crutching her way up the road away from Tanya and closer to the highway.

Judy continued crutching toward the highway. She made good time and was there in less time than she had estimated it would take. Traffic heading toward the city was moderate as she began hitchhiking.

The fourth car that passed was a young girl driving a pickup. She pulled over and began backing up as Judy crutched her way toward her. The girl got out of the pickup and walked back as Judy approached.

“Hi,” she said. “Where are you headed for?”

“I need to get to a phone,” Judy replied.

“There’s one down at the station,” the girl said. “Do you need help getting in?”

“I can make it, I think,” Judy replied.

The girl walked alongside of Judy and opened the door for her. Judy backed up to the seat and put her crutches in the bed of the pickup. She boosted herself up until her knees were at the edge of the seat, then released her knee locks and her boots fell to the step. Judy used her hands to lift her useless legs into the pickup and then slid her butt around before she adjusted her legs again.

The girl closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side. She started the pickup and pulled back onto the main roadway.

“What were you doing way out there?” the girl asked.

“I was out with a friend, and he dumped me,” Judy replied.

“That’s a bummer,” the girl said.

“It’s not that bad,” Judy expanded. “I got even. I threw away his distributor cap”

They soon pulled into the combination service station and café. The girl parked out by the phone booth. Judy opened the door and repositioned herself in the door opening. She lifted her legs and made her knee locks engage. She slid forward enough to make her legs drop to the ground. As she leaned against the seat, she retrieved her crutches and put them under her arms. She thanked the girl for the ride. Judy crutched her way to the phone booth as the girl in the pickup pulled away. Judy crutched into the phone booth and propped herself against the side. She dialed 911.

“911 operator, what is your emergency?”

“I want to report a dead man in a cabin just off of Highway 66.”

“It’s the first right past the 45 mile post. The cabin is down the road about five miles.”

“Are you sure that the man is dead?”

“Yes, he’s definitely dead. Probably an overdose of coke and booze.”

“OK, we’ll get someone out there. Your name please?”

“Do you still have an outstanding warrant for the woman who shot Judy Anderson in the back eight years ago?”

“I’ll check. One moment . . . Did you say Judy Anderson?”

“Yes, I did.”

“We show an outstanding warrant for the Jane Doe who shot her.”

“You can find her on the road to the cabin. She broke her glasses and is wandering around out there blind.”

“Your name please?”

Judy hung up the phone. She waited a minute and then deposited a quarter and dialed.

“Hello.”

“Brian, this is Judy.”

“Hi, what’s up?”

“I need a little help from you.”

“Sure, what do you need?”

“I’m at the station on 66 about ten miles out of the city.”

“Yes, I know the place. The one with service station and the café.”

“That’s it. I need a ride back to the city.”

“OK, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. What’s going on?”

“I’ll meet you in the café and buy you lunch. I’ll fill you in then.”

“OK, I’ll be right there. See you in the café.”

“Thanks. Bye.”

Judy hung up the phone. She put her crutches under her arms and started across the parking lot toward the café. When she was in the middle of the lot, two patrol cars went screaming by with their sirens blaring, and she thought to herself, ‘Boy, do I have a story to tell Brian.’

E N D