How I Learned to Live Again

Chapter 8

When I wake up, we seem to have landed. Dascha is still there, but is standing outside next to the ramp I came in on. My parents are there, too. I smile at them the best I can in my position and they wave back to me.

As they unattach me from the straps and holders, I feel my body go back to being limp. They use a different hoist attached to the helicopter ceiling to get me off he stretcher and into a chair padded with pillows. They wheel me down a long hallway and into an elevator. On the second floor, we go down another hallway and into a nondescript white room with the same bed and bathroom as the hospital, except this one has more...contraptions that I can't name. Huh. Those have to do with the therapy, I assume. They get me into a new hoist that's above my bed and situate me into it. It has the same buttons on the side, so I ask them to prop me up some of the way so I can see more clearly. After that, I promptly fall asleep. It's been a long day.

A few hours later I wake up, disoriented. I guess Dascha already left...I look up and see that by my bedside are my parents, and a really...good looking guy wearing scrubs. His skin is tanned, brightening his kind, dark eyes. His hair is black and gently curls. He looks warm. I smile at him shyly.

"Jessa, this is Aron Rivera. He's going to be your main physical therapist while you're here." He shakes my hand and I smile at him. I feel myself blushing. Uh oh.

"You can just call me Aron." I don't know which is better - his deep, smooth voice or his smile that he beams at me. I know I'll never *actually* get to be with him or anything like that, but he's just so damn cute.

"Okay," I respond. "When are we going to start PT?"

"Actually, we can start right now if you want." I nod excitedly as Aron turns to my parents and says, "Please watch carefully as I do this. Once Jessa goes home, you're going to need to do this exercise - to prevent contracture - once every one or two days." Then he takes my wrist and begins bending it back and forth and massaging it. It...looks like it feels good. He does the same with my other wrist, and then does it with my ankles. I literally haven't taken an actual shower or shaved in three months. I can't imagine how hairy my legs are. Jesus Christ. I shudder at the thought and keep watching what Aron's doing as he continues on most of my joints. He also does it with my neck, which feels really good.

"You can actually do this one yourself if you can reach, Jessa," he informs me. I attempt to do so a few times. I can't. I shake my head in frustration as, for the fifth time, I try to reach my arms up, but they're so heavy. By this time my parents have left the room to get some coffee and do some paperwork.

"I can't do it," I say in defeat. Aron looks at me sympathetically. "Here, you know what? I'll hold your arms up and you can do it with your hands." I nod and smile up at him. He's nice, too.

After a minute, Aron gently takes my hands and lifts my arms up. He lays my arms down on the pillow on either side of me and leans over my body to hold both arms in place. It works, and I'm finally able to do the exercise for myself.
When I'm done, he puts my arms back down.

"Thank you so much," I beam at him.

"It's no problem," he replies. "I love to help people. That's why I became a nurse, you know?" I nod. We say our goodbyes for the day and he starts to head out.

"Wait a second, Aron?" He turns back around to face me. "How old are you? You look so young."
He laughs. "I'm 21. I went to college a year early, so," he laughs, "Here I am."

"Oh okay. I knew I was always right." He laughs again and shuts the door behind him.

As I lie in bed, I smile. I'm 18, so a relationship with him would be both legal and realistic. (It's always a plus to be in a legal relationship.) And I definitely felt chemistry between us, too. Who knows? Maybe something could happen.
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I like this chapter. Hooray for new plot line! I'm going to describe Jessa's appearance pretty soon. (Finally.) Hope everyone's enjoying!

~e