“I’m honest, I like being honest with my clients so you want to know what I’m thinking?”

He strapped the knee brace tightly on and glanced up. “Of course.” Most of the therapists he’d worked with had preferred to deal in vagueness and noncommittal answers.

“You’re not doing your exercises. Your left leg is showing signs of contraction, nothing severe yet but it’s there. Same for your hip joints, it’s a real minor loss of range of motion but it’s there and it shouldn’t be. Your right leg? It’s bad, you really have it messed up but the progress with it even in the last few months? That’s quite good, but I’m not going to lie to you, it’ll never be a hundred percent again, ever. If you work hard, do the exercises I assign, put in an effort here? We can get it back to eighty five, ninety, maybe ninety five percent when it’s all said and done. The ankle is always going to hurt, the knee may never be sound enough to support you without a brace but it’ll be more stable and move better. Your right shoulder? That’s really healed nicely given how badly it was dislocated but your wrist, it’s always going to give you trouble. I think in the next say eight weeks or so if you put the work into it and take care of it, we can see about moving you to a less restrictive brace and later to an even lighter one. Good news is eventually I think you’ll be able to go without it for most day to day things. Typing, sports, anything repetitive, you’re still going to want to brace it simply because it’s going to hurt but that isn’t bad.” She smiled from Epi to Nick before she tapped the edge of one of Epi’s crutches. “And these? While a good step from a walker, I’d like to get you off these one day.”

“It’s possible?”

“If you put in the work, it should be very possible. However, I won’t lie, your stability is shot and some of that will come back but some of it won’t. Best case? You’re back up and mobile without any assistance. Worst case? You might want to keep a cane with you. Don’t give me that look, not one of those medical canes but just a cane, something solid you can use as a point of balance. I know we can get you there, without a doubt.”

Epi looked to where Nick had sat silent and watching the entire time. “If I put the work in.”

“If you do.” She agreed. “We’re not supposed to give timelines. Everyone heals differently, progresses differently but if you don’t hold it against me if we can’t do it, I’ll say this. You commit to working with me and in thirty days we’ll see about taking your rehab down to two days a week. Stick with it, work as hard as I ask you to, make progress? Another thirty to sixty later we’ll try to take you down to once a week. It’ll give you a lot of your life back without having to get here so often. I know you have to be pretty eager to get this part of it all over with.”

“It’s not personal. I’m sure you’re a lovely woman, but I’d be happy to never see you again.”

“So, that’ll be our goal. Also here, call his guy. You really need to be fitted for a definitive prosthesis. The leg you’re on now isn’t helping you any. You need a lighter one with how unstable your right leg is and maybe one that’s more responsive.”

“I have a referral already.”

“Call my guy anyway. He’s a transtibial amputee as well, ten years now. He’ll get you on the right leg.”

Epi took the card and turned it over in his hand. “I’ll think about it.”

“Doesn’t have to be my recommendation but get into someone soon. You’ll be amazed at the difference. Other than that, the real work starts Wednesday.” Her smile never faltered. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Epi, I know we’ll work well together.”

He forced a smile and said the right pleasant helpful things as he shook her hand. She said good bye to Nick as well before leaving them alone in the room. When the door shut, he hobbled his way to the bathroom to change. “I fucking hate rehab.”

 

 

“No, you’d approve, she’s a nazi.” Epi complained to Tori on the phone. The three rehab sessions his first week with his new, seemingly innocent looking, new therapist had proven taxing. “She’s not letting me get away with shit.” He was sitting in the wheelchair he both needed and hated and was staring out the screen door into his back yard.

“Good.” Tori agreed. “Someone needs to kick you in the ass sometimes. You’re still okay up there?”

“I’m still okay.” Tori asked easily four times every time they talked.

“You haven’t said how the it went with the new shrink, you did go didn’t you?”

Epi rolled his eyes. “Yes and he’s a twat.”

Tori laughed. “You barely know the guy.”

“I know him well enough to know he’s a twat.” Outside a minivan pulled up the gravel lane and stopped near the garage. “He spent half the hour going over the whole, life isn’t over speech. I’d like to chop the fucker’s leg off and see how he feels.”

“Don’t be bitter.”

“How’s your fetus?”

“He is naked on my sofa eating ice cream. Speaking of eye candy, how’s yours?”

“He’s not mine.”

“Technicalities.”

“He keeps to himself, drives me to town, drives me back, doesn’t complain and doesn’t fuss.” Nick was out of the apartment now, talking to the driver of the minivan who turned out to be a blonde man of similar age. Whatever it was they were discussing, Nick didn’t seem happy about it.

“Has he mowed the lawn shirtless yet?”

“No.”

“Shame, I’m serious I want photos.”

“Tori.” The blonde man opened the side door of the minivan and started unloading pet crates

“And it’s fall, how many chances can I have before he stops mowing the lawn or it gets too cold?”

Out of the van now came what looked like a carpet covered tree and a taller more obvious carpet covered cat furniture. Nick was shaking his head more now and point up to his apartment but the blonde kept pulling things from the van. Soon a few large black trashbags and a pail of litter as well as a blue plastic storage tub was hauled from the car.

“You’re not even listening to me.”

“Huh?” Epi’s attention snapped back to his phone call.

“I asked if you have your office set up, you said you’d work on it today.”

“I got some of the books away.”

“You’re not living out of boxes are you?”

Epi glanced to the dinning room and the boxes that were still neatly stacked. “No.”

Tori only sighed. “You’re going to have to unpack sooner or later.”

“I know, just they got the carpet up and the house was cleaned and they finished painting yesterday. I didn’t want to get everything out to just get dirty.”

“And the hand rails in the bathroom?”

“Installed as promised.”

“Good.” Tori sighed. “It’s quiet here without you.”

“What you’re missing is called conversation, something the fetus doesn’t provide.”

“You’re just jealous because he gives better head than you.”

Epi laughed. “You wish.”

“Please, you’ve practically been married for the last eight years, you wouldn’t know a good bow job if it bit you.”

He shook his head at his friend’s laughter but his eyes were watching as the blonde held up has hands in a manner of helpless surrender and moved back around to the drivers side door. Nick said something more but it didn’t stop the blonde from getting back in the minivan and backing out of the lane.

“Hey, Tori?” Epi broke in to his friends ranting about one of the manicurists at work. “I need to go. Call you later?”

“Okay, everything okay?”

“Yeah fine, I just need to check on something.”

“Okay, but call me.”

“I will.” He agreed and hung up. He had to wheel back toward the wall to get his crutches to stand up. By the time he was on his feet Nick was pacing outside around the dumped off stuff and shaking his head.

The screen door squeaked with a rusty spring whine as he pushed it open. “Hey.” He called out as he started down the long ramp off the porch.

Nick held up his hand. “I promise it’ll only be for a few days.”

“What’s going on?” He was almost to the end of the ramp when a loud protesting meow screeched out.

“Danny said he could take them but his wife doesn’t want them around since they’re trying to have a baby. It’s a stupid excuse and bullshit given all Aunt Minnie did for him.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Cats.” Nick said the word like it explained everything. When Epi raised his eyebrows he sighed. “Aunt Minnie was soft hearted, she took in strays. Most she found homes for but this lot stuck around. Danny took them a couple of weeks ago but he says he can’t keep them. It’ll only be a couple of days, I promise, I’ll find a home for them.”

Another unhappy mew drifted from the carriers. “How many are there?”

“Six. They’re sort of bonded. I didn’t want to split them up. It’ll be a couple of days.”

“You can’t put six cats in that tiny apartment.”

“I’ll manage. They’re well behaved.”

A pink nose poked at the metal grate and another cat hissed as if in protest to the well behaved comment.

“Well, Delmar is a bitch but I can see why he’d be unhappy in the crate, he’s huge.”

“They were your aunt’s?”

“Yeah, I… yeah.”

“So they were in the house before?” Large green eyes peered out from one of the crates.

“If it’s only for a few days, you don’t mind do you? Cause you are my landlord.”

It was kind of sweet that big, broad shouldered, rather withdrawn Nick was concerned with a bunch of homeless cats. “They don’t cause any trouble?”

“No, none, other than talking all the time but that’s mostly Rum.”

Epi glanced up to the small apartment over the garage and shook his head. “You can’t keep them up there.”

“It won’t be for long. I’m just… kind of responsible for them. I promised Aunt Minnie I’d make sure they found a home if something happened to her.”

Epi sighed. “Bring them into the house.”

“What?” Nick blinked and was sure he’d heard wrong.

“Bring them in. If they really are no bother and are used to the house, it’ll be easier for them to be there than in that little apartment. I’m not going to make you break a promise because of space. You’ll have to take care of them, I don’t know the first thing about cats.”

“You’re serious.”

“Well, yes. Why? Is it a bad idea?”

“No! No, it’s…” He shook his head again. “Thank you. I’ll take care of them, you just let me in the house and I’ll see they’re fed and watered and clean their boxes every night. You won’t even know they’re there.” He bent down and caught the handle on the first crate. “You’re really sure?”

“Bring them in, may as well bring their house things too.”

“Wow… okay… thanks.”

By the time Epi was back on the porch Nick had moved most the cats and their things into the house. The cat furniture still sat on the porch itself but everything else was stacked in his kitchen.

“Where should I put things?”

“Same place they were before?”

“You sure?”

Epi shrugged. “Makes sense but if I trip over one Tori will kill you and the cats.”

That made Nick grin. “Fair enough. Give me a bit before setting them loose.”

While Nick moved about the house, hauling carpet covered towers and plastic covered litter boxes, Epi just went back to his chair and dropped himself into it with a sigh. A black cat with a black nose and black whiskers and huge amber eyes starred out at him from the top crate. It opened it’s mouth to meow but no sound came out and Epi found himself frowning.

“What’s wrong with the black one?” He asked when Nick came back.

“Wrong?”

“It tried to meow but nothing came out.”

“Oh, Inkers almost never makes noise when he meows.”

“And that’s normal?”

Nick shrugged. “You sure about this?”

“Yeah, why not.” He knew it was silly to feel bad for a bunch of cats made ownerless and homeless because of a death but he identified a little too much with the situation.

“Alright.” Nick opened the first crate and pulled the coal black cat out. “This is Inkers, he’ll be in one of the cat trees all day.” He put the cat down and the creature instantly started to sniff around suspiciously. “Come here you…” Nick pulled out the second cat. “This one is Emp.”

“Imp?”

“No, Emp, EMP…” He pulled a black and white cat out. “Evil Mary Poppins, EMP or Emp. She’s a mouser but she’ll drool all over you if you hold her.” He set the crate aside and opened the next one. An orange blur darted out and disappeared. “That was Pumpkin he’s a bit of a spaz.” Nick had to reach in and pull out a calico. She mewed and cried the whole way and then stood all tense and unhappy in his arms. “I know, rude of us to shove you in a box.” Nick almost cooed as he stroked the annoyed cat. “Go on now.” He put her down and she mewed again. “Rum, Rumba but Rum for short, you look at her and she cries.” She glanced up at Epi and meowed loudly again. “Last crate…Sammy is the tortie, she’s shy you won’t see her much. Some asshole tossed her into a trash bag and dumped her at the end of the lane a year or so ago.” A pink nose peaked out before a cat that was a mix of black, orange and white slipped out and slinked away into the other room. She was followed by the largest, gray dustbunny Epi had ever seen.

“Jesus, that’s not a cat.”

Nick grinned happily and scooped the mammoth, fluffy creature up and it filled his arms. “Twenty five pounds of cat, this is Delmar. He was this tiny little scrawny thing when he was dumped off but he kept growing.” The big gray head butted into Nick’s chin when he stopped petting him. “Get down, fluffbutt.” He put the large cat down and it made a thud as paws hit the floor. “Delmar is like a dog, he’ll be at the door when you come home and will follow you around once he gets to know you.”

Nick now fascinated him more than the cats. “You really care for them don’t you?”

The other man shrugged. “They meant a lot to my aunt.”

It was a cop out and Epi saw it. “Liar, it broke your heart to give those cats away.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

“I would.” Epi teased. “Big strapping boy like you, all mushy and soft over a pack of strays…”

“Food and water are out, boxes are set up, I put the trees back in where they were. They should be good until tomorrow. I’ll make some calls around and see if I can find someone to take them.” He picked up the crates and moved them out onto the porch. “Thanks for doing this.”

Epi stayed in his chair and didn’t feel up to dragging himself to his feet. “Welcome.”

“Call me if they cause trouble or catch a mouse or something.” Nick said from the far side of the screen door.

“Okay.” Epi nodded and stayed in place as Nick nodded back and awkwardly shuffled away from the porch. He watched the other man go and knew he should have invited him in for longer, if only to play with the cats he obviously cared about. He just wasn’t up to company.

“Shit!” Epi startled back in the wheelchair as something large, gray and fluffy leapt into and filled his lap. He stared at the cat, the cat stared at him and he was certain he saw disdain and amused evil in the large green eyes. “Just, don’t kill me in my sleep.” Epi muttered and cautiously stroked a hand across the wide back. Delmar closed his eyes and softly began to purr. “Easily amused aren’t you, then again, if someone wanted to pet me anymore? I might just purr too.”

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