The White Coated Man

11

Not that Saturday but the week after, I took Linda to the doctor's office to see when he would take her stitches out. He said he saw no signs of infection and that he could remove them that same day, all except her shoulder, which would take longer to heal. Linda said she would be alright with taking them out as soon as possible, and once again I was told to stay in the waiting room.

~~~

She rolled back out and the doctor called me in. 

"Sir," he began, "because she hasn't been on her feet for over month, she is very weak. I would ask you to help her get back into using her legs. You could start off by helping her out of the wheelchair for short periods of time every day, then slowly lengthen the time she's out of it. Don't try to force her if she can't get up, and try to make sure none of her wounds break open. When she gets up she might feel light-headed, so be cautious. Any questions?"

"No, not at the moment, but I'll call here if I do," I replied.

"Good, good," he nodded. "She's healed very well, thanks to you, keep it up."

~~~

It was about 6:00 when we arrived at the house. She looked very tired, so I figured it would be best if we started the next day.

"Hey, Linda," I began. "we...we should get you walking again soon."

She nodded, "I've been thinking about that. I can't get up on my own though."

"I'll help you. I think we should start tomorrow, how does that sound?"

"Sure, " She mumbled, gazing down at the wooden floor, dread etched on her face.

"Don't worry, Linda, it'll be alright," I assured her, crouching down so we were face level. Her eyes were tightly closed and her breathing pattern was much faster than it had been five minutes ago, letting out a soft whimper, possibly at the thought of breaking open a scar. "Shh, Linda, it's okay... it's okay..." I whispered, rubbing her non-injured shoulder.

"I-I can't thank you enough for everything you've done," she whispered back. "I...I owe you my life..."

"No, all that matters is that you're safe,"