The Fallen and the Elect
Page 56
Chapter 29
Waking up, Stephen hoped today would be better than yesterday. His sister Brenda had been successful in igniting another argument with the new rehab trainer and hindering his progress in his adjusting to his handicap. Today was the trainer's second day, and if the situation continued to trend, she would either be let go or become frustrated and not want to return after day three. Stephen began to feel that Brenda was becoming overly protective. He would have to talk to her about her aggressiveness. He didn’t remember her being this protective of him while they were growing up. He did remember how they fought like the typical brother and sister – possession of the bathroom, access to the computer, taunting of one another at the dinner table. Stephen felt maybe she was overcompensating for the disappearance of their parents ten years earlier and her being closer to both than he’d been.
Lying in bed for several more minutes, Stephen concentrated on listening to determine if Brenda was already awake and moving about the house. He sensed the quietness of the home and couldn’t hear the radio or television that she was accustomed to turn on when she first woke up in the morning. He determined she was either asleep or out running some quick errands. Of course, the time would determine her possible location. Reaching over to the other side of his queen-size bed, he probed the top of the nightstand with his hand searching for the clock. Clicking the large button on top, the audible clock blared nine-thirty. She must be out. Removing the covers and navigating to the end of the bed, he tried to ensure he went in the right direction to retrieve his bathrobe. The next objective would be underwear. After retrieving the garments, he maneuvered through his room to the bathroom. Stephen found it a little easier today getting ready for his shower than on previous days. Having forced himself to memorize the location of the items he needed, some activities were now more natural.
Stephen eagerly anticipated a relaxing shower. He didn't concentrate on pulling the shower curtain fully closed and didn't notice the bath rug was situated in a different place on the floor after Brenda had washed it. The warm water melted his imbued tension from the anticipation of the afternoon's bickering. The shower was so relaxing that Stephen didn't focus on the amount of shower gel he used to lather his body or the amount of shampoo he used in his hair. The excess splattered onto the side walls of the shower and over the side onto the floor next to the bathtub. When he finished, Stephen stepped out onto a tile floor lubricated by the spatter of gel and shampoo suds. He lost his footing. Brenda came home to find her brother knocked out and naked on the bathroom floor.