A Single Step Chapter 9 on AO3
A Single Step Chapter 9 on Wattpad
A Single Step Chapter 9 on Stars
A Single Step Chapter 9 on FicPad
“Mother fucker!” Bella yelled, falling down and catching herself on her hands. “Why can’t I do this?”
Edward crouched down, helping her back up and carrying her back to her chair. “Bella, you’re doing great.”
“I’m not,” she snarled. “I can’t walk. Yes, I’ve taken steps. I can drag my feet with the help of the bars, but as soon as I pull my hands away, I fall. I’m clumsy and awkward. I hate this.”
“Gravity is hindering your recuperation. You need to get your gait back,” Edward said. “You need to remember how to move your legs.”
“How can we do that?” Bella asked.
“The aquatic treadmill. You’ll have the buoyancy and freedom to get your groove,” Edward suggested. “I think for now we’ll massage your back and work on your strengthening exercises. Tomorrow, we’ll meet at the pool and do some exercises in there, followed by the treadmill.”
“Okay,” Bella sighed. She rolled herself to the rear of the center. When she arrived at the table, she locked her chair and stood up.
“You should be proud that you’re able to stand so easily,” Edward said, moving behind her as she shuffled to turn and slid onto the table. “You’re improving.”
“Just not quickly enough for my opinion,” Bella muttered, pulling her leg up to take off her shoes and socks.
“Prior to your stroke, did you ever have a serious injury? You were an athlete, a runner,” Edward asked.
“Nothing too serious. The most serious thing that happened to me was having a C-section for Seth because he was born breech,” she shrugged.
“Breech?”
“Ass first. It’s bad for the baby, running the risk of cutting off their oxygen supply, so they performed surgery to take him out,” Bella answered, rolling over onto her stomach.
“And how long did it take before you felt better? After your C-section?” Edward questioned, lifting her shirt. Her began massaging her lower back, kneading the knots surrounding her spine.
“How long until I was ‘healed?’ Technically, I was all better after eight weeks. I didn’t feel like myself until I … well, I never felt like myself since the C-section,” Bella answered honestly.
Edward heard sadness in her response, but he wouldn’t press her since they’d moved from the private room. They’d moved on Bella’s suggestion. She said that if they were in that private room, she’d want to do naughty things to Edward. The horny male in Edward wanted to do those naughty things. The consummate professional, however, agreed with his girlfriend and they continued their physical therapy out in the open. “Bella, I know that you want to snap your fingers and everything will be perfect. You were confined to a wheelchair for over a year and a half. The connection from your spinal cord to your legs is frayed, but healing. What did your first doctor say?”
“That I’d never walk again,” she said, wrinkling her nose.
“You’re walking. You’re standing. You’re defying his expectations,” Edward said.
