Parker smiled, still holding his cheek. “Yes, Momma. Thanks!” And he hugged her again.
That night, after dinner, Cody’s mom and grandmother filled him in on Cody’s progress, and his foul mood. “He misses you, terribly. He even said so once, in his sleep, but he won’t admit it. Oh no. That boy of mine is as stubborn as his dad, and God knows, that man is as worthless as snow in July! Not a single alimony check that didn’t bounce. But that same stubbornness is also what’s helping Cody make progress. He’s determined to prove to himself he can do it on his own.”
“How did the transplant go? Grandpa told me it had already been done?”
“Yes, he got lucky. Some poor kid died in a traffic accident in Los Angeles just a couple of days after we got here. He was a match, and they performed the surgery the same day. These days, with the new ways they pre-treat the organs, there is literally no rejection, and it’s working perfectly. He was in bed for a week, before they began his physical therapy. Slowly and gently at first, but they want him to move to get his circulation going and to prepare him for the adjustment of the prosthetics. According to his doctors, he should be able to leave the hospital in a couple of months, to move to a rehab center for his continued treatment.”
“That’s good news. But what do you think, will he be happy to see me? Will he even want to see me?”
“There’s only one way to find out. Come with me tomorrow morning and we’ll surprise him…”
***
Parker barely slept that night. Cody’s mom had prepared the guest room for him, but even the time difference to Chicago, albeit only an hour, didn’t help much. He was tossing and turning and imagining the different scenarios of how Cody could react to his arrival.
There was the positive scenario of Cody running toward him… No, he couldn’t, no legs.
There was the negative scenario of Cody asking him to leave the room. “What are you doing here Parker? Was I not pretty clear that I never wanted to see you again? I don’t love you, so please leave.”
Then there was the nightmare scenario of Cody having committed suicide during the night…
Parker just couldn’t find rest, and nothing he thought about—nothing he said, nothing “dream Cody” spoke back to him—brought him any closer to sleep. Eventually, it was pure exhaustion that allowed him to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep, from which Momma Thomas woke him at seven in the morning.
Parker was disoriented and very tired. “What? Is it already morning? I just fell asleep.”
“That might be, son, but I promised Cody I’d be at the hospital at eight. So if you want to join me, you better get your ass out of bed and into the shower. Breakfast is waiting in ten.”
Cody. See Cody. I’ll finally get to see him again.
Parker showered in record speed and got dressed. He walked into the kitchen to the smell of Momma Thomas’s bacon and eggs, freshly brewed coffee and a glass of orange juice. “Oh, Momma, I’ve missed your bacon…”
“Sit down, son, and eat. We need to leave in fifteen minutes. Traffic is murder this time of day. Albuquerque may not be as big as Chicago, but people here sure know how to clog the streets.”
She sat down and sipped on her coffee while she watched Parker dig into the food on the table.
“Is Grandma Thomas coming?”
“No, she’s going to see my sister today. She was the only one who liked moving out here with Cody. Now she has both her girls in the same town. Besides, Grandma figured you’d want to spend some time with Cody on your own. She saw him the other day, and she’s not up for more of his grumpy antics just yet…”
“That bad, eh?”
“Yeah, that bad. He misses you, he just doesn’t get it. You’ll see. Trust me on this, Parker, but Cody will be a different man tomorrow.”
The drive to the hospital were the longest twenty minutes in Parker’s life. He just couldn’t wait to get there, and in his mind he replayed the wild and crazy scenarios from the night before, over and over again. How would Cody react in real life? What would he say? Would he be glad, like Momma Thomas thought? Would he be indifferent? Mad? Upset? Would he send Parker on his merry way?
By the time they reached the hospital, Parker was panicking, and he was barely able to leave the car. As if in trance, he followed Momma Thomas into the building, and walked behind her as they passed the reception, where the same receptionist as the day before was screening visitors.
“Good morning, Mrs. Thomas. How are you today?”
“Good morning, Charlene. I think it’s going to be a good day. This is my son-in-law, Parker. We’re going upstairs.”
“Of course, ma’am. Have a wonderful day. Give my best to Cody!” And she smiled the fakest of smiles at Parker, a smile he barely noticed. He barely registered the ride in the elevator up to the top floor, nor the “Cody Thomas” label on the door of the room to which Momma Thomas led him. He hesitated.
“I’ll go talk to the nurses,” Momma Thomas instructed. “You go in. Talk to each other.”
Parker stood there, at the door, unable to move, for what seemed an eternity.
“Come on, son, go in. He won’t bite you. Trust me.”
Still, Parker stood there, like a salt statue.
Finally, Momma Thomas barked, “Move it, now. I don’t have all day.” She shoved him toward the door, forcing Parker to grab the handle, inadvertently open the door and take a step forward, opening it, and seeing Cody…
Mrs. Thomas smiled and walked away, leaving her two boys to sort things out…
Parker stumbled into the room, instantly alerting Cody to his presence.
Cody looked up from his Braille tablet, and knew it was him, just as Parker lifted his gaze and saw him, in bed. Their eyes met, and they both began to cry…
* * * * *
Chapter 21 - Reunion
“Park? What are you doing here? How…?”
It seemed like an eternity had passed before those words were spoken, but it was enough for Parker to make the few steps from the door to the bed where Cody was sitting.
“Cody! Finally…” He threw himself at his man, sobbing like a baby. Cody put his arms around Parker and held him tight, crying, too.
They remained like that for some time, until Parker’s back started hurting, and his tears had dried up.
“What are you doing here? How…?”
“Shhhhh! Please, don’t say anything. I’m here, and I’m staying. I’ll never leave you again, Cody. Never. I love you too much.”
“God, I missed you. You have no idea how many times I’ve lived to regret my decision back in Honolulu. Did Grandpa talk?”
Parker sat up, and dried the tears from Cody’s face, caressing the silky soft skin he’d missed so much. “Yes, Marc made him confess. He felt miserable about lying to me. But he also couldn’t refuse you. I guess somewhere deep inside him, he thought he was doing us both a favor. I think he saw himself in you when he helped you get away. I think he was thinking about Marc and what may be in store for them if Grandpa ever gets ill.”
“How are they? Are they okay?”
“Yeah, they’re okay. But the entire family has been miserable because of me. I’ve been moping about, feeling sorry for myself ever since we got back from Honolulu, and I took it out on everybody, particularly Grandpa and Marc. They’ve been the recipients of most of my rage. But enough about me. How are you?”
“Oh, just like you. Loads of anger and rage. I’ve tried to channel some of it into my rehab, but without a reason to live, progress has been slow. I missed you so much.”
“So you’re sorry you left me?”
“Yes! Oh my god, I felt your presence the second you opened that door. I knew it was you, and my heart jumped up into my throat with joy. I can’t deny it, Park. I love you, I need you. If you’ll still have me?”
“What a silly thing to say. Of course I’ll have you. Why do you think I’m here? To personally deliver a Dear John letter? But we need to talk. Seriously.”
Cody got worried. “About what?”
“No more stunts, no more secrets, and I don’t want you to ever, ever believe that you will be better off alone, or that I might be better off on my own.”
Cody wasn’t convinced. “Get up for a second.”
“Why, what?” Parker complied, but he was confused.
Cody threw back the sheet and blanket on his body, exposing not only his hospital gown, but also the stumps of what were once two beautiful, strong, muscular legs.
“Are you sure you can love this?” With a snarl, Cody pointed at his body, or what was left after the accident. Parker realized that the Cody who was once proud of his body, and who never saw his blindness as a handicap, was the same Cody who now hated his body and despised his inability to walk, or to be independent again.
“Cody Thomas…” Parker began, kicking off his own shoes. He climbed up on the bed and lay down next to Cody, pulling the sheet and blanket up again, covering the two of them. “Here’s the deal. I don’t care about your legs. Yes, I loved them, I loved what you could do with them, but I never fell in love with your legs. I fell in love with you, your heart, your mind, your soul, your character, your personality. All those things are still there.”
“But—” Cody tried.
“No buts. Yes, it’ll take some getting used to the new you, I won’t lie. But I love you—not just part of you, all of you. If I’d been a shallow person, falling in love with the beautiful body of Cody Thomas, do you really think I’d have been able to see past the fact that you’re blind? Wouldn’t I have wanted for you to see me? Marvel at my body? With those beautiful honey-colored eyes of yours?
“Instead you saw something that most other people never see in me, my character, my personality. You saw the real me, the real Parker, simply because my body didn’t get in the way. And now it’s time for me to let you know that I feel exactly the same about you. I am blind to your body.”
“But how can we be intimate if you don’t see my body?”
Parker laughed and put his head on Cody’s shoulder. “I think there’s still plenty of Cody left for me to love and be intimate with.”
Parker’s left hand moved down over Cody’s torso, toward his crotch, finding and fondling it gently. Cody reacted to the touch and moaned.
“See? Seems to me you’re still alive, and fully functional.” He took Cody’s cock in his hand and began to slowly move his hand up and down, eliciting the sweetest sighs from him.
“I think making love to you will always work. We just have to be inventive and creative. I see no reason why I couldn’t ride you right here, right now…”
Cody was horrified. “Are you crazy? Someone could walk in here any second. What if Mom—”
Parker laughed. “I didn’t say we should. But you seem to be getting my idea. And I could penetrate you, if you lay on your side, so even that’s feasible. Legs are fun, but they aren’t necessary for you and I to love each other. Our hearts, that’s the important thing, and yours is beating strongly right now.” He let go of Cody’s cock and placed his hand on Cody’s chest, letting his hand feel the thump of the heart inside.
Cody was almost convinced. “Are you sure about this?”
Parker kissed him—something he’d missed terribly in the past few weeks. “I am. Are you?”
“I can’t argue against you, Parker Dunn, you know I can’t. I’m yours, for better or worse, and we’ve already had so much of the latter that it can only get better from here on in.”
They kissed again, and Parker finally said, “Seems you and I have a wedding to plan…”
“Did I just hear the word wedding?” Cody’s mom stood at the door. “Am I interrupting you two lovebirds?”
“Yes!” they both replied, laughing.
* * * * *
Chapter 22 - Rehab
Cody’s rehabilitation was long and arduous. It was painful and put a strain on everyone. There were many fights—between Cody and Parker, between Cody and his mother, and between Cody and the doctors and therapists.
There were times when Cody wanted to give up, let go and just resign himself to his fate. Those were the roughest moments. Parker had moved to Albuquerque to be with Cody, putting his studies on hold, indefinitely, to be there for him, help him, support him, push him. After a further month at the hospital, Cody was released into an outpatient rehab facility.
The day of his release, Parker drove their new car, which, compliments of Jonathan, was a van that would allow them the versatility for Cody to ride in a wheelchair, or—once his prosthetics were in place—to sit in the passenger seat. The station nurse insisted on wheeling Cody to the front door, as per hospital policy. Parker carried Cody’s bag, loading it into the car before he helped Cody wheel his way up the little ramp; they didn’t know how long he’d be using the wheelchair.
At the facility, the prosthetist measured his legs using state-of-the-art laser measurements, and after two weeks, they had created a first mold of the new legs. Both were different: Cody’s right leg prosthesis was longer, as it needed to fit his shorter stump, while the left one was shorter and ended just above the knee.
Charles—one of the prosthetists—fit both of Cody’s new bionic legs, right leg first.
“Now, Cody, these are super-modern, fifth-generation, bionic prosthesis. They will connect to the nerve endings in your stumps, and transmit information to and from your brain. You’ll have to learn to control these new legs, but in time, you’ll be able to walk just as you did before the accident. You can even run, although I wouldn’t recommend you running across terrain. That’s because you’re blind. The legs could easily handle it.”
“They feel hideous!” Cody said disappointed after touching the prosthesis, made from carbon fibers, titanium and plastic.
“I know. But remember, this isn’t the final product. Once the neural connections are established and working properly, we’ll make sure the leg is covered with a skin-like material. I promise you, you’ll be able to wear shorts, and nobody will see the difference. We’ve come far in the past decades when it comes to prosthetic work, not to mention the bionic interfaces.
“Now, I’ve put on your right leg. Let me turn on the interface. At first, you’ll feel a tingling sensation in your stump, maybe even pain. It’s going to take a few hours, depending on the damage to your nerves for the prosthesis to establish a stable connection.”
“Yeah, I can feel it. What a strange sensation. I feel weight, is that possible?” Cody was smiling.
“Quite. You have to feel the leg’s weight if you want to move it, because you have to anticipate how much force to put into the motors in order to lift or bend it. With our natural legs, all of this is done unconsciously. In your case, in the beginning, you’ll have to learn to use your new legs, just like a baby would. Just try to remember consciously what you used to do when you walked on your own legs. The bionic interface will be able to understand the nerve impulses and act accordingly. In time, you’ll be able to forget how you move, and just do it.”
Parker was impressed. “And how long will this process take?”
“Don’t expect wonders. This is going to take a while. Weeks, probably a few months. It all depends on how you apply yourself to the task, Cody, how hard you work.”
“What will I be able to do with these legs? Swim?”
“Yes, they’re perfectly waterproof, and you can take them into the water. However, depending on where you use them, you may need to pay close attention to avoid getting sand in between your limbs and the prosthetics. You could get some bad wounds otherwise. And you’ll need to clean them properly, to remove salt water and chlorine, just like you’d shower. Unfortunately, the material that will cover these legs, as high tech as it is, isn’t as wonderful and resistant as your own skin.
“How long will they last?”
“We don’t really know that. These are fairly new. They’ve only been on the market for a couple of years. We learn more about the brain and
how the neural pathways work all the time. The actual servos and motors will last you years, and the batteries recharge from your body heat, but they all have a limited life span. The outer protective skin might need to be replaced every few years, but who knows, in ten years, we may have made another scientific breakthrough and be able to surgically graft bionic legs to the original limbs. I know that such research is well underway. Until then, or until a newer, better product is available, these will serve you well.
Suddenly, Cody yelled, “Ouch, that hurt!”
“What hurt? Are you okay?” Parker asked, worried.
“My foot. It hurts as if it were on fire, but it’s different. The phantom pain I used to have was different, dull. This is really intense.”
Charles smiled and tried to calm them. “That’s excellent. It means your brain is reacting to the signals from the prosthesis. Now, I know this will most likely not work yet, but try to move the foot.”
“How?”
“Picture your foot. Imagine moving it, wiggling your toes, any way you like.”
Before his inner eye, Cody pictured the artificial limb attached to him, the foot constructed from bare metal, looking like Terminator—without skin, strange. He imagined the foot and how it felt moving it, turning it from left to right, but nothing happened. It was frustrating.
“You’ll need to be patient. In time, you’ll be able to move every part of this leg. Trust me. It’s just a matter of time.” Charles smiled at Cody, and to Parker he added, “You’ll need to push him and support him. There are going to be setbacks. He’ll make progress and then suddenly, just out of thin air, fall down. Be there for him. Make sure he doesn’t give up. After a few hours on those legs, he’ll be longing for the chair. Don’t let him use it as a retreat, as something to look forward to. We want to leave the chair!”
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