Cole Read online

  The vet was saying goodbye to a customer leading away a golden Lab. “Hey, Brock. How’s your day going?”

  Brock smiled. “It’s going awesome. This is Cole.” He turned toward Cole and said, “Cole, this is Stan. He’s the vet here.”

  “Nice to meet you, Cole.”

  “Nice to meet you too. So, according to Brock, we’re allowed to see some of the animals?”

  “Absolutely.” Stan turned. “For that matter, I’ve got someone you should meet.” He came back a moment later with the biggest, fluffiest critter Cole had ever seen.

  “It’s white, and it’s huge. I have no freaking idea what it is, but I love it,” Cole said with a laugh. It was placed in his arms very gently. He wrapped his arms around the creature and hunted for its face.

  “What is it?” Brock asked, fascinated.

  “It’s an Angora rabbit. One of the longest haired ones I’ve ever seen. His name is It, after the character on The Addams Family show.”

  “What’s wrong with him?”

  Brock and Cole were busy petting the animal, whose ears could now be seen, followed by a pink nose. The rabbit lifted his head and sniffed. Cole laughed. “Keeping this guy clean has got to be a full-time job.”

  “He’s actually a show animal who had trouble with a couple of his claws, so I gave them a good clip and disinfected one toe that was looking like trouble.”

  After a moment of holding the rabbit and enjoying having an animal in his arms, Cole lifted him up and handed him back to Stan. “I’m a dog person,” he said, “but I’ve never spent much time around other animals to know if I like them or not.”

  “Stick around here long enough and you’ll get lots of opportunities to find out.” Stan held the rabbit carefully in his arms. “Anytime you want to go outside and spend some time with the horses, feel free. Just make sure to tell the staff where you’re going and for how long, and also don’t open any gates if you can avoid it. Slip through the fences or climb over the top instead. If you have to open a gate, make sure you close it really fast behind you.”

  Cole smiled. “Sounds fantastic. I won’t be taking any chances with gates for quite a while, but just the thought that I could even go out there … now that is something to strive for.”

  Soon afterward Brock steered Cole’s wheelchair down the long hallway and through a door to the outside. “In this direction, we have access to all the pastures and the horses. There are times,” Brock admitted, “that Sidney and I come here for picnics. It’s a great spot to sit outside and eat.”

  It seemed like way too much effort for Cole now, but the concept brought a smile to his face. “It’s nice to know it’s a possibility too.”

  Brock moved the wheelchair in the opposite direction. “I’m taking you this way, so you can see what the staff uses after hours, and we can too in our private time, and during therapy.”

  As they approached, Cole could hear laughter and splashing. “Is this the pool you were talking about?”

  “It is.”

  Suddenly, there it was in front of them. Cole gasped. “Wow, it’s huge,” he exclaimed. “I didn’t expect to see anything this size.”

  “That’s because it’s for therapy and fitness. So it’s got some serious lane length. I’m not even sure how long it is, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it wasn’t twenty-five yards. Although it’s probably closer to twenty.”

  Cole studied the beautiful blue water. “Half is under cover?”

  “Yes, that makes it the best of both worlds.” Brock continued to push Cole alongside the big patio. A couple people sat off to the side, having coffee. “This is open to everybody, but only once a patient is cleared to come. There is no lifeguard on duty. So most need an orderly and that means part of the therapy.”

  “That makes sense. A lot of people here are not in the best physical shape. Accidents do happen.” Cole studied the ramp at the far end. “The ramp’s helpful too, I’m sure.”

  “Yeah. Be careful around it though, and you’re only allowed in the pool after the doctor okays it and you’ve advanced enough to handle yourself.” Brock took his buddy around one edge of the pool. “I’ve never seen it in operation, but there is a lift here to help some patients into the water.”

  “Thankfully that’s not my problem.”

  Brock squeezed Cole’s shoulder. “I hear you. I wasted a lot of time in bed, thinking about how shitty my life was and how stupid my accident was. Now I look around, and I think, damn, I’m in great shape.”

  “I need to remember that. I’m feeling stupid about everything I did in my first attempt. Now I just want to reboot and move forward and make a go of this.”

  “Then you can. But you must depend on your team. Let them know you’re working with them because they’re working for you. If one of you gets off track, well, it can get ugly.” Brock kept them moving around the swimming pool, past a hot tub, and then around the far side. “We’ll head all the way around to the ramp out front,” he said. “After the tour, I’ll take you back upstairs.”

  “How does the food work again?” Cole should know this, but he’d forgotten.

  “There are always drinks and snacks available. If you’re hungry, you can ask for food. Otherwise, it’s three meals a day. Breakfast from six to nine, then lunch from eleven until one, I believe—although I’ve been there later, one-thirty, even two o’clock, and had no problem getting food. Dinner starts at five and runs until seven.”

  “Good. I’m looking forward to that. One of the worst things about being in the hospital was the food.”

  “You’re right. That was the worst.” Brock laughed. “That won’t be your problem here.” He pushed Cole up the front ramp, and before Cole knew it, they were at the double doors of the entranceway. Brock rolled the wheelchair onto the large Welcome mat and waited for the glass doors to open automatically. Instantly, cool air hit them.

  Cole nodded at Melissa manning the front desk.

  “Good afternoon. Giving Cole a tour,” Brock said.

  Melissa smiled at the two of them. “Good afternoon to you two.”

  Brock left soon after they returned to Cole’s room as he had a meeting with his doctor to check on his own progress.

  Moving carefully, Cole got from the wheelchair to his bed and was damned grateful to lie down and collapse. Who knew how tiring sitting up could be? Inside, he felt a hell of a lot better. This place offered so much more than he had first thought.

  Cole had dozed off when there was a rap on his door. He opened his eyes to see a tall man walk in with a tablet in his hand.

  “Good afternoon. I’m Dr. Herzog. I stopped by earlier, but apparently you were out and about, having a social hour.”

  No recriminations were in his voice, but it reminded Cole he and the doctor were both probably on a schedule.

  “Sorry. Brock took me on a tour of the place. I understand I have a schedule around here somewhere, but I haven’t had a chance to settle in yet.”

  “True enough. But after the last time, I don’t want to delay your rehab too long, so that you get in the shape you need to be in. Are you ready for an exam?” He raised an eyebrow at Cole.

  Cole rolled over and nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Chapter 4

  Sandra neared Cole’s room as the doctor walked out. She waited for him in the hallway. “How is he?”

  Dr. Herzog smiled. “He’s in the best shape we’ve seen so far. I’m feeling quite encouraged, but it’s his turn now.”

  She sighed with relief. “That’s good news. I was a little worried we’d have another repeat.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’ve noticed a strong shift in attitude. He has a lot more gratitude about being here now.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “I’ll go over the changes in his medication with you now, Sandra. We’ll start him on the first round this afternoon.”

  She nodded and checked his tablet and then pulled out her own
. Together they synced the medicine and dosage information and updated Cole’s file.

  “Okay. I’ll make the changes on his next dose. He should be in meetings all afternoon.”

  “Yes, he should be, but he’s been out and about this afternoon, so he’s missed a couple. I had to circle back to see him. I’m the first one to touch base with him,” Dr. Herzog commented. “We need to be on this.”

  “I took him down for lunch, and the last I saw of him, he was with Brock. I’ll go over Cole’s schedule with him and make sure he’s doing okay and he didn’t do too much on his first day back,” Sandra said.

  “You’re the one who insisted on the wheelchair?”

  She nodded. “And Dani.”

  “Good. It’ll take him a couple days to adjust. He has to build up that leg and his arm too, not focus only on his back.”

  “The surgical scars don’t look all that great either. Did you notice?”

  “Yes. I noted a small amount of inflammation, but I’ve given him a topical ointment to put on daily, so with any luck, the redness and swelling should soon go down.” With that, Dr. Herzog smiled and headed off to see his next patient.

  Sandra tapped on the door.

  “Come in.”

  She walked in, stopping near the bed. “Hey, Cole. Where did you and Brock go?”

  Cole looked up and smiled at her. “We went all around the compound. It was good. I really like that pool.”

  “Hey, this is Texas. Everybody likes pools.”

  He chuckled.

  “The doctor gave you your checkup,” she said, “but I need a baseline set of measurements, like blood pressure, for example, and to run you through a standard checkup for my own records.”

  He lay back with his tablet on his belly. “Do what you need to do.”

  That was a change in his attitude. He hadn’t exactly been this easygoing before. In fact, he’d clearly not seen the point. He’d wanted to start his physiotherapy right away. She was happy to see this compliance. “Did you see the animals outside?”

  “Outside and inside.” He smiled up at her. “It’s quite a place.”

  “It is, indeed.” She ran through her checklist, marked down his results and added a few notes about his attitude and general condition. “You need anything else this afternoon?”

  “No, I believe I have people who I’ll be seeing later.”

  “Yes, you will. Your tablet should have your schedule of appointments on it. Let me know if there are any problems.”

  “I will.” He glanced over at the bedside table. “I forgot to get a cup of coffee to bring back to my room. Is that something I can get on my own at any time?”

  “As far as your team allows you. For now, I’ll grab you a cup. Cream or sugar in it?”

  “Thanks, I like it black though.”

  She nodded. “Back in five.”

  It was not part of her duties, but she’d always found it a simple thing to be nice to people. Besides, if it kept Cole in bed a bit longer, then that was fine with her. Her instructions were to keep him as calm and low-key as possible, so grabbing a cup of coffee was not exactly a hardship.

  In the dining hall, Dennis was cleaning up after lunch. She snagged a coffee cup from a fresh tray of hot mugs that he’d set down and then took another one for herself.

  She made her way back to Cole’s room and found him almost nodding off. She tiptoed inside and set the cup on the table, turning to leave.

  “I’m not sleeping. Honest.”

  She chuckled. “You could have fooled me. It looks like you were two Zs away from being gone.”

  “It’s a shock to see how tired I still am,” he admitted.

  “I think one of the biggest challenges for the big strapping young men when they arrive here is to recognize the limitations of their bodies. Major illness and trauma are hard to adjust to. However, this isn’t forever. This is what you must deal with for the moment. Every day it will get better and better.”

  On those words, she tiptoed out again. Hearing no response, she figured he’d fallen asleep, but he called out after her, “Thanks.”

  She smiled. “You’re welcome.”

  Maybe it was a completely different Cole this time, and that was a good thing. She headed to her office to update files before she saw her next patient. That was one of the things about her job—there was always paperwork. She started with Cole, taking the opportunity to write down a few additional observations she’d realized since leaving his room. These were notes she kept for herself, but his doctor could read them as well.

  She’d come to trust her own judgment when it came to patients, until the incident with Cole. Thankfully Dr. Herzog had come to trust her judgment too. One of the reasons why she liked working here. She never felt like her opinions had no value.

  In fact, it was just the opposite. She felt the doctors had come to rely on her quite a bit. She never wanted that to be taken the wrong way or for their trust to be misplaced. Not ever again.

  As much as Cole tried to brush it away, Sandra still seemed less open than last time. That was too damned bad because he really wanted to know her better. It had never occurred to him that she might have gotten into trouble over him. If she had, then he needed to apologize for that. However, at the same time, he wanted to move on, to move forward and to forget about his first attempt to stay at Hathaway House.

  He studied the cup of coffee beside him. The best way to make it up to her was to do well this time. He knew more team members were due in this afternoon. He shifted on the bed until he was sitting up, leaning against the headboard. He wished he had a notepad. He still preferred paper and pen over his tablet. And Brock was correct. Cole needed to make some goals. He pulled out the phone he’d been given and was happy to see it was similar to the one he’d had here before. All the same contacts were in there, and he’d already added Brock.

  He dialed Dani’s number, and when she answered, he said, “Brock suggested you might have a notepad for me to use to write down a few goals and notes to help me do things a little differently this time.”

  “Absolutely. I’ll be your way in a few minutes. Any idea which size you want?”

  The question surprised him. He had been hoping for something to write on, not anything specific. “No, just something you don’t need. Even a few pieces of paper would be helpful.”

  “I’ll find something for you,” she said.

  With that call ended, he put down his phone and lifted his coffee.

  Shane walked in as Cole set down the cup again. “Hey, Cole. I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Shane Roster. I met you the last time you were here.”

  Cole nodded. “You’re my physiotherapist?”

  “Absolutely.” He placed his tablet on the end of the bed. “I saw you getting the tour from Brock, and Dani’s given me her word you were warned not to overdo it these first few days.”

  Cole chuckled wryly. “As much as I’d like to forget about the last time, it appears everyone wants to keep reminding me.”

  “Only for today,” Shane said with a smile. “We have to make sure we’re all on the same page. It’s good timing too. The notes just came through from your last hospital visit.” He opened his tablet again. “You’ve been doing a series of exercises, but you’re struggling with the stump. Is that correct?”

  “The lower part of my back and my left underarm were damaged by shrapnel,” Cole admitted. “That makes crutches very difficult.”

  “So, you’ll be in the wheelchair for a while as that stump heals, and you’re prepped to get a prosthetic limb on it as fast as possible. Then we’ll get you on two crutches until you can handle just one as you adjust to your prosthesis. Ultimately you won’t require crutches at all. Mobility is one of the greatest joys and rights of the human form.” Shane glanced at Cole. “Obviously this will be an awful lot of work, and you need additional help to stabilize your frame. Some of the muscle tissue is gone forever, and we can’t do anything about that, but your bo
dy will compensate. Particularly if you lean sideways for prolonged periods or for any repetitive movement that you do. So we must ensure that you don’t fall into that trap.” He studied him. “Case in point is the way you’re sitting right now. Close your eyes and tell me how you feel in terms of balance.”

  Cole closed his eyes and tried to assess where the pressure points were. “It feels like I’m leaning to the right and the headboard is hitting hard on my right shoulder. There’s pressure on my right hip, more than on my left.”

  “Now open your eyes and look at the way your body is sitting and leaning. See it from my perspective.”

  Cole opened his eyes and frowned. “It looks like I’m straight. So why does it feel like I’m so much heavier on one side?”

  “Because you’re still subconsciously protecting your injured left side. Now, while you’re looking at me, imagine yourself with your body as you were before your accident. Equal muscles, both sides strong, both toned, and then shift your seating accordingly.”

  Cole frowned. “It sounds odd, but … I have to close my eyes to do that.”

  “Then close your eyes.”

  He shifted his weight in his mind, seeing his body as it once had been. Entirely strong, he prided himself on his left and right sides being equally balanced. He’d been a gym junkie and worked his left side extra hard to match it up with his dominant right side. In his mind, he saw his body as it used to be, and he used his hands to shift his position and then leaned against the headboard. He opened his eyes. “Is that better?”

  Shane walked over and picked up a small mirror from the top of the dresser. He held it up, and Cole stared in surprise. “I swear to God, I shifted over.” But it wasn’t visible.

  “That’s because, in your mind, you still can’t trust your body to keep you from falling. Imagine sitting in the middle of a bed surrounded by cushions and then shift your weight so you’re sitting upright, using the mirror.”

  Cole shifted and leaned until he sat straight. He shook his head. “I feel like I’m falling.”