by Dale Mayer
“Hard day?” Dani asked with a light laugh. She sat down in the chair beside Sidney and held out a cup of coffee. “Here.”
“I think this is like my sixth cup today,” Sidney said, accepting the drink from her friend. “I need to find something else to drink.”
“There are lots of non-alcoholic options to choose from.”
Sidney laughed. “I know there are. I’ll find something.” She glanced at Dani and her concerned expression. “What’s up?”
Dani frowned slightly. “You had a session with Andrew today, didn’t you?”
Sidney closed her eyes and then let out a half laugh. “I was working with him. I wondered how long it’d be before he asked for a change of therapists.”
“Well, he’s asked. What’s the problem with him?”
“He’s very good at hiding his weak spots,” Sidney explained. “He’s worked the most with Marsha, and I guess she didn’t notice, but there’s a whole muscle group that needs to be worked and strengthened. Otherwise, when the big muscles fatigue there will be nothing to hold him up structurally. Because of the lack of legs, he can’t count on those to be there for him when times get tough.”
“Do you think you were fair with him today?”
Sidney shook her head. She needed to explain this in layman terms. Dani was incredibly knowledgeable, but some of this was more medical than anything.
“Honestly, no. I had to be hard-ass. Because everyone had done such a great job on what they focused on that he looks great. Of course, it’s easier to work the big muscles. Motivation-wise, he obviously wants to work the muscles that look good. Nobody wants to work on the muscles that hurt, and only some work has been done. The other team members have done a good job—to a point. The weaker muscles on the inside, the core, that need work, are for stability. He’s done such a hell of a job that everybody looks at him with admiration now. His ego is pumped. He believes his muscles are fine, but they aren’t. Not even close.”
“He’s planning on leaving in two weeks.” Dani studied her carefully. “Are you saying he’s not ready?”
“No. He’s not ready. But if it matters that much to him, I could get him closer to being ready.” She shrugged. “He can continue the same work at home, easily enough.”
“Is this something anybody else could do?”
Sidney knew what she was asking. There was no way they worked together—with this many patients—without understanding that every therapist had a strength and every patient had a weakness.
“Absolutely. But they have to see what I’ve just seen and not take offense at not having seen it themselves earlier.”
“Do you want me to talk to Andrew?”
Sidney shook her head. “No, it’s my job. I’ll do it. I’ll talk to him today, and he can make a decision tomorrow.”
Dani reached across and clasped Sidney’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. “I’m so happy to have you home.”
Dani rose and left Sidney there, sipping her coffee. That was the thing about Dani. She called it as she saw it, and in a nice way. That type of management skill was a gift. Sidney had been here off and on for years, but every time she came home the place became embedded more deeply in her heart. But even at home there was strife. One had to make compromises.
She stood, coffee in hand, and walked back to Andrew’s room. She knocked on his door, pushed it open and walked in. He was sitting on his bed with his laptop. As soon as he saw her, his face shut down. She leaned against the doorway and smiled.
“When I was working with you today, I wondered how long it would take you to ask for a new therapist.”
She caught the look of surprise on his face.
“Is that why you were so hard, then? You didn’t want to work with me?” There was no ego involved in that question, she was happy to see. It was curiosity.
“No, not at all. But you have to understand that when you do really well, it’s much easier to focus on the parts you’re doing really well at. Everyone likes success. You want to make the bigger muscles stronger, but because of your accident and internal injuries and the lack of legs … that’s not enough.
“Stability is a massive factor for you. That means your core muscles, and not just that muscle group, of course. You’ve done some work—enough that the package is working well,” she said. “But your body fat percentage is very low, so your muscles are shiny and bright, and you look model-perfect. If that’s what you want, great. But I’m not concerned about the looks of the big, bad-ass muscles you’re sporting because they aren’t doing just fine.”
She took a step inside. “I’m concerned about the days when you’re really exhausted, the days you walk in and collapse on the couch because you just can’t handle any more, and your back is killing you. Your stomach hurts, and your arms and shoulders hurt, and it’s all because your core muscles are incapable of putting in as hard and long a day as the rest of the muscles that don’t require 24/7 performance. As soon as those central muscles fatigue, every other muscle in the body has to compensate. When they have to do that, you have a cascading effect of damage. So, yes, I was hard on you. I could see what you needed to focus on. It’s okay though, that you asked for a different therapist. I’m fine with that.” She shrugged. “I’ve already spoken to Dani about it. But what you also have to decide is, do you want to leave this place the prettiest or the best you can be?”
She watched the glint in his eyes turn to anger, and she nodded. “You have overnight to make a decision. Dani has several other options ready for you. Talk to her in the morning, and she’ll set you up.”
“If you know exactly what I need, why didn’t the others? Why didn’t Marsha?”
She smiled. “Because they had become your friends and let you off easy.”
With that she turned and walked out.
Brock had heard about Sidney’s afternoon with Andrew. First, it was in muted whispers then he happened to be sitting behind several of the therapists having lunch.
At first, he’d been slightly amused by her homecoming issues. Then he realized how much guts it had taken to buck the system and to step in to say and do what needed to be done. It was likely at a cost to herself. The other therapists weren’t holding back in their comments, either.
“She just got back. She doesn’t know what’s been done or what was planned to be done. She’s got no right to step on toes like that. There is such a thing as professional boundaries.”
“She didn’t actually do anything wrong,” Shane protested. “She was asked to work with a patient, she saw a problem, and with her typical focus, she dove in to solve it.”
“Easy for you to say,” one younger woman snapped. “He wasn’t your patient.”
“No, but everyone here is everyone’s patient,” Shane reminded her. “We’re a team, and we work on many people together. If there was a problem, someone else should have caught it, too.”
“Exactly, but no one did,” the same woman snapped.
There was an odd silence at the table.
By now, Brock was fascinated at the inside look he was getting into a profession he’d never really acknowledged as being full of the same human trials as every other industry. Of course, there were people that did better than others in every job. There was always someone seriously gifted. It amazed him to see how different employees worked. There were always those he hated to work with and those that were fine, and then there were those that were desirable co-workers. They had a gift to see things from a completely different perspective that allowed him to open up his way of seeing things. His buddies were like that. They had unique perspectives on the world that he appreciated. Very often, people liked to live behind their closed-door perspectives, but every once in a while, there was somebody that just made you want to jump through the window and see the world in a whole different light.
He knew both sides of it all. His two friends Denton and Cole had been injured in an accident recently. He hadn’t heard all the details yet as his buddies
didn’t like to talk about it. Of course now that he was here they only had text and the phone. Cole was actually in pretty decent shape, but he was pretty closemouthed, so Brock couldn’t know for sure. He’d wanted the three of them to recuperate in the same hospital, but that hadn’t worked out. He was supposed to be that much farther along in his recuperation. He just wasn’t sure he was.
Then again, maybe he’d had the wrong therapists until now. As he listened to the table ahead of him still wrangling over Sidney’s involvement in a case she had just taken on, and then he compared that to the work she’d just pulled out of him, he realized he really was blessed.
She was one of those gifted ones, with the ability to sense something was not quite right. She wasn’t going to tolerate him holding back, and that was what he needed. He needed a kick in the ass. He’d never seen himself as a slouch, or somebody who would slack off his work for somebody else to do, but there was something about Sidney that made him step up and be present. He hadn’t seen that in another therapist, yet.
He wondered if he should talk to Andrew about it. Because with all this gossip, he could see several of the patients might become worried maybe they had the wrong therapist, too. The only problem was he didn’t know this patient. He’d not made any attempt to get to know the others, either. He realized this island he lived on was by choice. He didn’t have to be alone. There were a lot of people going through the same things here.
He’d already tuned out the physios’ conversation, but just as he was about to leave, he saw Sidney walk into the room. Instantly, the conversation at the table ahead of him froze. Silence fell. Then the younger woman who had been so upset snapped, “Well, it’s time for me to leave.”
“Marsha, don’t,” one of the other women murmured.
Marsha picked up her cup and walked past Sidney, completely ignoring her. Brock happened to be watching Sidney’s face as it happened. He saw the wry smile on the beautiful woman’s lips. Of course, she knew what the other woman had done. Just as she’d made him face up honestly to his reality, he suspected she wasn’t somebody to shirk her own. As he watched, she walked along the food line and picked up some yogurt and a bottle of juice before heading out to the sun. She made no attempt to join the others. She probably knew the reception would be less than warm. Brock contemplated going out to sit with her but realized this really wasn’t his place, either.
He suspected there was a lot going on behind her beautiful blue eyes. Still, she looked so alone. As he slowly got to his feet, Shane, the big physiotherapist from the other table stood, ignoring the others, and strode across the room to sit across from Sidney. Sidney’s face lit up and she smiled.
Brock was too far away to hear the conversation, but it was animated. Good for Shane. He glanced down at his hands and the crutch he still carried for safekeeping and slowly made his way back to his room. Shane was a big, strong, healthy male. Maybe there was something between the two of them. Lord knew, he didn’t feel like he had much to offer. Seeing the two of them left him with a bittersweet taste in his mouth.
He really liked Sidney. He admired her. He had clearly seen it from the conversation around him and had already realized there was a lot to be said for her strong character. Because he knew if he had somebody that enabled him all day long, he would probably give the same poor performance himself. That wasn’t what he wanted. This team needed to push him. Same as he would want a partner to push him. To support him but not to sit there cosseting him so he could step back and not face reality. As he neared his room, his phone rang. He stopped, leaned against the wall and pulled it out of his pocket. “Hey, Cole.”
“Are you at Hathaway House?” Cole asked. “If you are, how is it? I’ve been offered a place there.”
“What?” Brock asked, astonished. “That’s awesome. It would be fantastic if you came.”
“Really, buddy? Are you sure? You wouldn’t lead me down the wrong path, right? It wouldn’t be just the two of us against the place, would it?” Cole’s voice held humor, but at the same time, there was a note of anxiety.
Brock laughed. “No, man. This place is different. Nothing like I’ve seen before. Goes to show you how different the military is from the private sector. You’ll see the minute you arrive.”
“Well, that’s good to know. Because I sure as hell didn’t want to go from this institutionalized living to something worse. I understand Denton has already applied to come to Hathaway, too, but I don’t think he has coverage.”
“Having the three of us together, well, that would be awesome. But you’re right, I didn’t even know I had all the coverage for this. I’m not sure how I got in at all, actually. I applied, but I was totally surprised when I was accepted.”
“Are you sure this is a cool place to be?”
“Do you like animals?”
“You know I do, especially dogs.”
“Well, they’re all over this place. There’s a veterinary clinic on the lower level. So, there are therapy animals in the building, and patients upstairs get to spend time with all the animals downstairs.”
There was shocked silence on the other end of the line. “Damn,” Cole murmured.
“You have to come and see for yourself.”
“I will. And it could be earlier than you think.”
On that mysterious note, Cole hung up. Brock chuckled. Life would be so different if Cole were here. He didn’t know what was happening with Denton, but damn! With a lighter heart, and hope spreading through him, he made his way back to his room, feeling truly happy for the first time in a long while.
Chapter 6
“It’s already all over the place,” Sidney said in a low voice.
“Of course, it is. Like any workplace, rumors and gossip happen sometimes.”
Sidney nodded and scooped up a bite of her yogurt. “Yeah, I probably wasn’t the most subtle person on the planet. Came out like an elephant in a china shop.”
Shane gave a big belly laugh that had several other patients looking over at him.
She shook her head. “It’s not that funny.”
“Oh yes, it is. It’s not that you’re an elephant in a china shop, but you call it as you see it in that direct, forthright way that is not terribly welcomed by everybody.”
She nodded. “I stepped on people, and hurt their feelings, right?” Damn, she hated doing that.
“I’m not so sure if it’s you, or if it’s professional courtesy—or lack thereof.”
She leaned back. “Well, there are a lot of things I’d apologize for, but that’s not one of them.”
“Do you really see a problem with Andrew?” Shane asked curiously. “I never worked with him myself.”
She studied him and said, “If you have a slot open, maybe you should. He’d probably get along well with you. He should not be around young pretty women.”
Shane’s eyebrows rose. “What, am I a mean old ugly troll?”
“No, but you’re not likely to be susceptible to his charms.”
Understanding slammed into his eyes. “Then maybe I should ask to take him on. He’s only here for another couple of weeks.”
She nodded, feeling better. “That would actually be a very good thing.” She sighed. “Do I have to apologize to Marsha?”
“Honestly, I’d leave it. You don’t think she did the best job she could. I’ll find out myself tomorrow morning, but at this point, if you bring it up with anyone it will make it worse.”
“As long as I’m not taking on any other people she’s been working with,” Sidney said. “That’s not likely to work out so well.”
“That’s another thing I’m wondering. I’m not sure, but I think he managed to request her for the entire duration, which is not a good thing. I know they became great friends, but that’s not always the best situation.”
Sidney frowned. “That shouldn’t have happened. Every therapist has their strengths and weaknesses.”
“We have teams for each patient,” he reminded her. “But
members do shifts. The therapists always rotate through.” He frowned as he looked across the table at the group of therapists he’d left. “At least, normally, we shift them around. If not, then we need to have a talk with Dani about doing more of that. I think it’s been kind of loose up till now.”
Sidney was silent for a moment. “I think you’re right. I think we do need to switch around.” Then she laughed. “But I rocked the boat enough for one day.”
She finished her yogurt and coffee and stood. “Thanks for coming over, Shane.”
He was sprawled lazily in his chair, his long legs stretched out along the deck. “Not a problem.”
She brought her dirty dishes to the shelf in the kitchen, and then made her way back to her room. Her quarters were on the far side of the building, and on the lower level. Several staff members lived on the premises, and a number didn’t. It was a personal choice, and, of course, it also depended on space. She’d given up her small apartment when she went back to school, but it’d been recently vacated, so she was back in her same digs. She walked into the studio and collapsed on the bed. She rubbed her face with her hands. She really had to handle things better. That was her fault. She should’ve considered the previous therapist and not been quite so adamant. But like everything else, it was over, and there was only so much she could do now.
What she could do, however, was go for a swim. She got up and changed into her suit and cover-up, grabbed a towel and made her way to the pool. There were a lot of advantages to living on the premises—not only the meals but also the exercise facilities. After the day she’d had, her own muscles needed a bit of a workout. She’d love a massage, too, but that wasn’t likely to happen. Often, the therapists worked on each other on an exchange basis. However, she figured she was probably out of the loop right now, and not likely to get back into it anytime soon.