Heath Read online

  “And after that deep breath,” Shane ordered, “take another one. I want you to think of your chest now.” As he said this, Shane placed his hands on either side of Heath’s rib cage. “Think of your chest as a box. I want you to imagine your shoulders and arms as the sides of the box. … And I want your head …” He placed his hand on the top of Heath’s head. “To act as the knob on the lid of this box. When you breathe, try to push out all four walls of the box, then lift the lid, meaning stretching your head up. I want you to maximize that image with each breath and then slowly release it.”

  With that visual, Heath had no problem following Shane’s instructions. After three deep breaths, he could already feel some of his tension easing.

  “If you were standing right now,” Shane said, “and in front of a mirror, where you could actually see your body working, you would note your body starting to straighten up and to align properly, using that box method. And when you do get up, I want you to practice that box exercise three times and widen that box as much as you can by filling your lungs, then lifting the lid off that box as high as it will go. Can you do that?”

  “I can do that,” Heath said. “My chest is feeling a lot better.”

  “Yes, it is,” he said. “You’re missing half a rib, and your muscles have to compensate for it,” he said. “But, when you end up so strained all the time, they can’t even begin to work because they’re trying to pull against that tension you hold there. Then what happens is all your back muscles seize up, trying to do the job that the front muscles are supposed to be doing.”

  “What you’re saying is, I need to relax more.” A note of bitterness was in his tone. “I can’t even sleep right now,” Heath whispered.

  “If you can’t find ways to sleep on your own, the drugs do help.”

  “They give me terrible nightmares,” he muttered.

  Shane’s hand stopped for a brief moment on his back. “Interesting,” he said.

  “What’s interesting about it?”

  “Sometimes drugs get in under your subconscious and work things to the surface. I’m not much for chemical inducements, but sometimes it’s needed to get your body to rest. Muscle relaxants would also help, but I understand that you’re struggling with a reaction to those.”

  “Yes,” he said. “I’m getting terrible water retention from them.” He lifted his ankle, since there was only one left to show Shane.

  Shane immediately said, “Okay, I’ll get down there in a minute.” By the time he had worked all the way down, massaging Heath’s massive quads and thighs down to his calves, Shane gently stroked a couple places and then pressed down, Heath almost screamed at the unexpected pain.

  “I gather that’s painful,” Shane said in a half-joking manner. “We’ll work on that area next.”

  And he kept working, easing and smoothing out some of the tension and the swelling in the ankle. “This is a lot of the reason why you’re getting some of this water retention.” And finally, after at least fifteen minutes of massaging that leg, Shane shifted and said, “I’ll leave it alone now. It’s had enough.” And he reached over and placed his hand on Heath’s knee and what was left of his other leg. “Now, how is this one?”

  “It’s fine,” Heath muttered. But he was already tense and afraid that Shane would start working on it.

  “And yet it’s apparently not,” Shane said with a note of humor in his voice.

  “Every time you touch me, it hurts.”

  “But does it still hurt?”

  “Not the other parts, no, but I know the process of getting there is painful.”

  “It can be, yes,” he said. “Let’s get you into the wheelchair.”

  “And if I don’t want to?”

  “Well, you can resist all you want, but it’ll just hold you back. So why would you not go into the wheelchair?”

  “It depends on where you are taking me,” he said.

  At that, Shane laughed. “I would suggest the hot tub.”

  Immediately Heath shifted so he was sitting, and he stared at Shane with a doubtful look. “Are you joshing me?”

  “No,” he said. “I’m not. But it occurred to me that that’s one of the things we should be working on. You can also do exercises in the hot tub.”

  “Is that all you think about? Exercises?”

  Shane chuckled. “No, maybe not. But you, dear sir, need to get your body back into alignment. And it’s not doing that on its own.” He pulled up the wheelchair and set it beside the bed. “Get in.”

  “Are these shorts okay?”

  Shane nodded. “Yep, those are fine. Let’s grab a towel and get you down there.” He tossed the towel over the back of the wheelchair and pushed Heath out the door.

  “Am I supposed to be powering my own wheelchair?”

  “Nope, not right now,” Shane said. “I don’t want you messing up the work I just did.”

  “And pushing my own wheelchair would mess it up?”

  “Depends on your technique,” he said. “The mood and the tension that you’re under right now could very well do that.”

  At that, Heath subsided. He couldn’t believe he was going to the hot tub. His body was craving something, and he hoped the hot water would work for his muscles. He needed sleep, and he needed it in a big way.

  Chapter 7

  As soon as she walked out of Dani’s office, Hailee felt a whole lot better. But then Dani called out, “Hey!”

  Hailee stepped back in again. “Hey what?”

  “I’ve got Robert on-site with one of the trucks that we use for deliveries in town,” she said. “He’s free. I want you to get in your car, take him to your place, pack up, and try to move in here tonight, if you can.”

  Hailee looked at her in surprise.

  “You can’t stay where you are. Go ahead and quit your town job. No point in you going back and forth,” Dani said. “And you can start work tomorrow morning, if you’re up to it. Otherwise we can hold off another day.”

  “I really have nothing much to pack up, and, although it probably won’t all fit in my car, I don’t need a big truck.”

  “Well, we have a pickup. Would that be better?”

  At that, Hailee smiled. “That would be perfect.” While she stood here, talking to Dani, a grizzled old man walked toward them. There was a spring to his step, and he dangled keys in his fingers. He poked his head in Dani’s office and asked, “What’s up?”

  “We’re moving Hailee here to one of the residences,” she said. “She doesn’t have much and figures it’s too much for the big truck but maybe one of the pickups. Can you go with her and give her a hand?”

  “Sure,” he said. He looked over at Hailee. “You’ll finally join the funny farm, will you?”

  “Well, I’ve already been here for a while,” Hailee said with a big smile. “Now I guess I’m moving in full-time.”

  “It’s the best place to be. Now come on. Let’s go. I got to meet the missus coming in to pick me up later. She wants me to do some drapery shopping or some such thing,” he said with a big eye roll.

  Hailee laughed. “Do you have the time? Otherwise I don’t want to take you away from your wife’s appointment.”

  “It’s twenty minutes to town. I don’t think you got much stuff, if Dani says you don’t,” he said. “If nothing else, I can meet you, drop you off, go meet the wife, then come back to pick you up.”

  “That might not be a bad idea,” Hailee said. She hadn’t been looking forward to packing up what little she had in front of him.

  “Good enough,” Dani said, waving her fingers. “Now get lost so I can get some work done.” But there was a laugh in her voice and a smile on her face.

  On their way to the parking lot, Hailee called her boss in town to quit her day job, so somebody else didn’t lose theirs. She’d talk to her landlord in person soon. When she hung up, she was at her car and gave Robert her address. “I’m probably a slower driver than you.”

  “Yeah, you probably ar
e. Follow me into town. I’ll get you there in no time.” He winked at her, making her chuckle. He walked over to one of the pickups parked off to the side, hopped in, turned it on, and pulled out. He waited for her to get in her car, turn over the engine, and come in behind him.

  And that’s how they drove back into town. He did drive faster than she usually did, but it didn’t seem like a dangerous pace. They made it to her apartment in no time, leaving her feeling incredibly upbeat. Then he parked outside and said, “Show me your place, so I have an idea of what kind of work we got before us.”

  She nodded and led him to her second-story studio.

  He looked around at the small space, shook his head, and said, “Wow, not much here.”

  “And it’s not my bed or my couch,” she said. He looked at her in surprise, and she shrugged. “It’s been a rough couple years. I had to sell everything to pay medical bills,” she said quietly.

  Instantly understanding flashed on his face. “Those outrageous medical bills could kill anybody,” he muttered. “How long do you think you need to pack?”

  She shook her head. “An hour or two maybe?”

  “Do you have any boxes?”

  “No,” she said, looking around. “I’ve got a few pieces of luggage that I’ll take my clothing in, but I don’t have anything for my kitchen stuff. I can use garbage bags for the bathroom stuff and linens.”

  “I’ll get some boxes,” he said. “You start pulling out stuff to pack. We should be done with this in a couple hours, if not half of that.” Without another word, he disappeared.

  She couldn’t even begin to process how quickly her life had flipped around, but she pulled out her suitcases, opened them up, and dumped in her clothing and personal stuff. She didn’t even worry about how well she packed. It was more important to just have it done, so she could move out. As soon as she had the suitcases full, she grabbed a couple big black garbage bags that she had and stuck in her comforter, blankets, and bedding. She could do laundry at Dani’s. With that done, she headed to the bathroom, and, in smaller garbage bags, she quickly loaded everything of hers here, wrapping up breakables in towels.

  By the time Robert came back with a few boxes, she was mostly done.

  Robert looked at her in approval. “Not too shabby. You’re not worried about getting it all neat and tidy, are you?”

  “It seemed more important,” she said with a laugh, “to just get it done.”

  “Exactly,” he said. “And you don’t have very much here anyway.” He went to the kitchen and pulled out a few dishes, then looked at her and asked, “Is this all yours?”

  “The dishes and the cutlery are the landlady’s. The coffeemaker is mine. The teakettle is mine. The food in the fridge is mine, and the food in the cupboards is mine,” she said. With four boxes folded into shape and a fifth one now ready, they quickly unloaded the cupboards. Robert folded together two more boxes for her to pack up the fridge. Then they hauled everything out, and, before long, she stared at one last box that was half empty.

  While she walked through the small space, cleaning cloth in hand, confirming she had everything of hers out, the landlady walked in, took a look, and said, “Oh, good. I have somebody interested in this room now. In which case I can let you off this month’s rent.”

  “It’s perfect timing for me too,” Hailee said, “as I’m almost done cleaning up.” She’d already done the bathroom and the kitchen area. “I’m just figuring out if I missed anything.”

  Together they went through every corner and looked under the bed. Then the landlady handed over her inspection report to Hailee, as she returned her key to the landlord, all while Robert was here to collect the last box. When Hailee stepped out and shut the door behind her, she stood for a moment, feeling a massive shift in her world. Then she ran down the stairs, feeling better today than she’d felt in a long time.

  Robert waited for her at the truck. “Do we have everything now?”

  She nodded. “I wonder if I could have gotten this all in the car.”

  “Not without two trips,” he said. “Much easier to do it this way,” he said. “And we’ll get back in time,” he said. “I’ll still make the wife’s appointment.”

  She laughed and said, “I’m following you. Let’s go.” And she got in her car and returned to Hathaway House. As she crossed the gates into the massive property, she could feel something inside ease further. If nothing else, she could give back to the world here. Surely somebody could use what she had to offer. As long as the lawyer kept fighting for a reduction in her medical bills, maybe she would see a light at the end of that tunnel someday too.

  Robert pulled out in front of one of the buildings on the far side as Hailee parked beside him. They stood together on the sidewalk, and he motioned to one of the doors. She was surprised that she had already been assigned a room. She followed him and asked, “Do you know where I’m staying?”

  “Yep. This is the hallway.” And he opened it up, and she could see doors on either side leading down. “Each of these opens to their own private patio on one side, and we’ve got housing for thirty here. You’re number four.” As he said that, he opened up number four and let her in. It was twice the size of where she’d just come from, and a small loft held a bed. She looked up there and smiled. “Beds are here too?”

  “Dani gave you one of the first ones,” he said, as he headed back to the truck to grab the first of the boxes.

  She raced behind him, laughing with joy. “I’ll love being here,” she cried out.

  “It’s a good place to be,” he said. “Dani is a good woman.”

  “She has been a lifesaver for me,” Hailee said.

  Robert nodded. “She has a habit of picking up people who need help and giving them what they need so they can fly solo again.”

  “Well, that’s an apt description. I hadn’t really considered myself in that light, but that’s the way it is.”

  “I didn’t mean no insult,” he said. “She’s just known for helping out people.”

  As Hailee looked out at the paddock nearby, she could see several horses, a filly, and what looked like a little llama too. She stopped for a moment. “I don’t even remember seeing these animals here.”

  “Well, that big black one is Dani’s own personal horse, and the little llama is named Lovely. That partner right beside Lovely, that pretty multicolored horse there, spent all its time with the llama. And the other horses are strays or spares or whoever knows. Dani fosters and adopts anybody who needs a home.”

  For a long moment, Hailee stood here, realizing that she had just become one of Dani’s fosters. It was an uncomfortable feeling. Especially for someone like Hailee, who hated to ask for help. Yet, when forced to ask, she really needed any help she could get. But, at the same time, she also knew that Dani had given Hailee a gift. A chance to get back on her feet and to find her way again.

  Robert walked past her with another armload. “Come on, come on, come on,” he said. “Otherwise you’re explaining to the wife why I’m late.”

  She shouted out a bark of laughter and raced to his truck, grabbing the garbage bags. With one over her shoulder and the other one in her arms, she returned to her little apartment. Then did it again and again. And finally they were done.

  Robert walked back outside and said, “Welcome to Hathaway House. You’ll love it here.” Then he hopped in his truck and drove away.

  Hailee stood at the open hallway door and realized that it was never locked, so everyone could come in the same way. She went to her new apartment, typed in the code Robert gave her, and it unlocked in front of her. Then she stepped inside, walked outside through the double glass doors to her patio, and, from where she stood, she could see the paddocks and some of the horses from her apartment. She turned around in a big circle with her arms wide and laughed. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Dani!”

  Then she went inside to unpack and to get her house to rights before she returned to the main building. She kn
ew she was supposed to go to work in the morning. But part of her desperately wanted to see how Heath was doing. She just didn’t understand if that was something she was even allowed to do. Maybe she’d sneak by his room at two in the morning. But first things first. She needed to get settled in. Then everything else could come later.

  Heath sat in his wheelchair near the hot tub the next day, once again persuaded by Shane to make his way down here. Heath wasn’t quite as stiff and sore as he had been the previous day. Yesterday he’d had a hard time enjoying the heated water because it had soaked into his aching muscles and then zapped the strength away from him, the weather itself having taken what little bit he had left.

  As Shane helped him out of the wheelchair and into the water, he said, “It shouldn’t be too bad today.”

  “Well, it’s better,” Heath acknowledged, as he shifted in the water, almost groaning as the heat soaked into his body again. “I don’t understand how it can feel so good, yet, at the same time, it exhausts me.”

  “It’s the heat soaking into your muscles,” Shane said, as he stepped down ever-so-slightly into the hot tub. He started working on Heath’s shoulder. His rotator cuff had been badly damaged in the blast, while muscles holding the atlas bone underneath his skull had been weakened. Heath often got headaches when he sat up too much. “I want you to sit on this lower level over here.”

  Heath discovered the different levels to the hot tub. Shuffling slowly, he sat down on the lowest seat, feeling the warm water rise under his chin, soaking into the back of his neck. He rested his head along the wall to the hot tub and just groaned in relief.

  “Now I don’t want you to stay here too long,” Shane warned. “Five minutes and then shift out.”

  “You mean, fifty minutes and then shift out,” Heath said with a smile.

  “Well, that’s the first smile I’ve seen out of you in days,” Shane said, “so we’ll make it ten.”

  “If you get a laugh, can we make it twenty-five?”