“Enjoy it,” he said, “because then you’re on the most difficult and the most rewarding journey of your life. One that, without which, we can’t get you back to being normal.”
“I thought you said normal doesn’t exist?” she asked in a challenging voice.
“You’re right,” he said. “So let’s get you to the new normal, which I have seen time and time again. It’ll be very different than what you think is normal.”
“Get me to walk and to sleep without pain, and I’ll be grateful,” she said. “Anything above that is sheer gravy.”
He laughed and said, “Sure hope you like gravy with everything then,” he said, “because we have a lot of work to do.”
Shane wasn’t kidding. He’d seen a lot of patients come with myriad attitudes; some felt that they wouldn’t succeed and proved themselves correct. Others were sure they could take over the world, and they aced this program in no time. But reality always set in as soon as the testing was over, and he started to work with them.
In her case, it took an extra couple days because, by the time he had all the information he needed and had tested her, he was not impressed with her lack of mobility anywhere. Every movement seemed to cause her pain. Her whole structure, her skeleton, was off-kilter everywhere.
By the time he sat down and explained it to her, she said, “So what you’re trying to say is,” her tone brave, “that you can’t help me.”
He studied her, seeing the broken expression of hopelessness on her features. “No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. What I’m saying is, we’ll have to start with small movements and small challenges in order to make this work.”
She took a slow, deep breath. “So you’re not giving up on me?”
He stared at her. “No. I’m not giving up on you.” And he could sense a relaxation taking over her, as she slumped in place.
“But do you think you can do something for me?”
“I’m sure I can,” he said with calm certainty.
He wasn’t sure where all this was coming from, but, somewhere along the line, Melissa had figured out that a lot of people couldn’t do anything for her, and either they had abandoned her or she’d walked away herself.
“Let’s get something straight,” he said. “You’re here for the long haul. Whether you’re here an extra month or not, it doesn’t make a bit of difference. We’ll do what we need to do for your body, not just because you want it to happen. You’ll also see a shrink while you’re here, and you’ll deal with a lot of different emotions. Right now, all I’m telling you is that your program will start slow because an awful lot of misalignment is in your frame and because you have weak muscles where other muscles are doing twice the work. And, of course, they’re getting tired and fatigued. It’s hurting you.”
She stared at him and shrugged. “If that was supposed to make any sense, it doesn’t really.”
“As long as you’re okay to get started at the pace that I’m ready to start you at.”
“I don’t know anything about it,” she said honestly. “And I have to trust in somebody, so I might as well put my trust in you.”
“Good choice,” Dani said from the door.
Melissa looked up and smiled at her old friend. “You sure you want me here?” she asked. “According to Shane, it’ll be a lot of work and take longer.”
“That’s fine,” Dani said instantly. “I told you a long time ago that it’s not about the money. It’s about the healing.”
Melissa frowned at Dani. “People say that a lot, but learning to believe and learning to trust, that’s a different story.”
“And so you must learn to trust,” Dani said firmly. She looked at Shane. “Melissa and I went to school together for several years. Then we lost touch.”
“That’s because I went into the navy,” she said with a smile at Shane, but then she turned to Dani. “And you, I’m not even sure what you did.”
“I ended up with a military father who was badly injured, and that’s how this place came to be,” she said with a wave of her arm, indicating the building.
“How is the Major?”
“He is doing wonderfully,” Dani said, with a bright smile. “You’ll see him in a few days, I think. He’s gone down south to visit a friend of his.”
“Wonderful,” she said. “I was afraid to ask, in case he wasn’t around anymore.”
“He’s around, and he’s doing well,” she said. “And he remembers you. So if you think you’ll get away from him, you’d be wrong.”
“Ah,” she said. “So all those questions again?”
“Any questions and all questions. You know him. When he wants to know something, he’ll ask, and it won’t really matter if you feel like answering or not.”
“I never was very good at dodging his questions anyway,” she said with an affectionate smile. “But I always knew that he was more about keeping you and me happy than anything.”
“Those days were a long time ago, weren’t they?” Dani said, her voice soft.
“Indeed, indeed. Now it’s all so different.” Melissa motioned at the body she had.
“That car accident really did you in, didn’t it?”
“Not to mention it was on the base, and it wasn’t my fault,” she said. “And I was done with my tour. I was one day past active service.”
“This shouldn’t have been an argument,” Dani said crossly. “You’re still allowed VA benefits.”
“Well, whether there is or not doesn’t matter at this point because I am where I am.”
“That’s true. And where you are is the best place for you to be,” Dani said in a positive no-arguing tone. “Shane is the best guy to deal with too.”
“Did you sic him on me?” Melissa teased. “Because he might not appreciate that.”
“She seems to think that she’s getting special treatment because she’s your friend,” Shane said. “I told her flat-out that’s not how we
