The Deal Breaker (Book II)

Chapter Five - An Eternity

                                                               Chapter Five

                                                                 An Eternity

My next round of tests all came out fantastic, according to Dr. Keller. But I suppose Shana’s second visit had something to do with it. My physical therapy wasn’t going nearly as fast as I had hoped. Even though I knew I could go longer, they only let me walk for a full ten minutes before forcing me back into the cave of hell others call a hospital room. The pace of all of this was far too slow for me. I knew I could be running by now, if they gave me the chance to. That’s when I took it upon my own hands to strengthen myself.

David left for his nightly shift at some hotel he worked at. I was left alone. It isn’t just the a bit creepy to be in a hospital room alone when a killer is probably after you. I was incredibly restless, without the ability to drift off to sleep. My body was wired, telling me to not let my guard down. Although I knew Matthew had people guarding my room, I couldn’t see them from my bed. I felt vulnerable, like a baby bird in a deep nest unable to fend for itself. I knew I couldn’t just wait around until they deemed it fit for me to walk on my own. I had to take matters into my own hands in order to be ready for any attack.

Carefully, I unhooked the only needle in my arm and gently sat it on the shelf beside me. I left the heart monitor hooked up just in case unhooking it alerted people of my actions. I also was a bit worried I might have a heart attack or something and would flop around on the floor until a nurse came to check my bedpan. My body was stiff, not aching, as I threw back the covers and placed my feet onto the icy floors below. Keeping a firm grip on the railings of the bed, I allowed almost all of my weight onto my legs. It didn’t hurt or make me want to collapse in exhaustion. If anything, if felt good.

My legs wobbled from the lack-of-use but eventually steadied the more weight I let them carry. Finally, I released the bar and took a few steps on my own. It was like walking after having spent a few hours training in the gym. But I pushed past all of the tingling in my limbs and began taking gentle steps around the room. The more I stepped, the more I wanted to step. I was almost walking completely casually, not once stumbling out of control or feeling as if I might collapse on the ground. It was oddly freeing to simply walk around the room.

And then the door opened.

I nearly fell right then. The door startled me, not just because I thought someone was coming at me, but because I thought maybe I was about to be caught by one of the nurses and then given a stern lecture about my health. I’d rather take grey eyes than going through a long talk. I lack in patience. But it was neither a nurse nor a killer.

Matthew stepped into room hesitantly, with his eyes watching me intently. He closed the door behind him and stepped toward me with a strange look in his eyes. “Are you supposed to be out of bed?” he questioned as if he were unsure.

I grinned sheepishly. “Yeah. They said it’s good for me to get around,” I lied.

He narrowed his green eyes at me. “Oh? Because I could have sworn Dr. Keller just informed Carol of your current condition and schedule. He told her you can only be out of bed maybe twice a day for your physical therapy.”

I leaned against the wall to appear casual. “Well, if you had to have a tube shoved in your nether regions for two months, you’d tried to walk around and use the bathroom, too.”

He shuddered at the thought. “Err, well, I still think you should get back in bed. It’s probably dangerous for you to be walking around here alone.”