by Roslyn Bane
“Good. They made another socket. As the swelling went down the old one started to rub and was causing blisters. Apparently, it can take up to a year to get to your normal size although most changes are in the beginning. They say the changes are continuous, even years later size and fit will fluctuate. That’s why the rechecks are so important.” The phone rang again, “Do you want to answer that?”
“No. I’ll get it later. What comes next?”
“More PT. Keep building the strength and activity level. I’m doing several flights of stairs, and they have me taking some hops. They’re letting me do more on my own, so I don’t have someone with me one-on-one all the time. Any day they’ll decide what type of prosthesis I get next. This one is temporary. They need to see how well you can do with this thing and what you can accomplish before they drop the big bucks for something more high-tech and versatile. I’d like to get back to being active. To run again and go hiking. With any luck in a few weeks, I should be sporting something a little less clunky. I move next week. I’m looking forward to being in my own space again.”
“That’s great. Jot your address down and I’ll come by.” Kris pushed a paper and pen towards Sam.
“Are you okay? You seem a bit down.”
Kris looked at Sam. “I haven’t slept well the last few nights. I’ve been thinking some things over.” Like if I should tell you? Is Renee right? We’re becoming friends. I feel it. Does that change whether you need to know? “I find it interesting that so many people worry about us going to war and coming back changed. Well of course we do. You can’t be in an environment when your life is in danger and not be changed by it. What we see, and what we do changes you. But it doesn’t stop there. While we’re gone, life goes on for our family and friends. And they change too. They see the changes in us. And we usually see and feel the changes within us. Yet somehow they remain blissfully oblivious to their own changes during that same time period.”
“I know I’ve changed, and not just because of my leg. I just look at things a little different now. So how’s surgery going?”
“I have some fatigue on the longer cases, and occasionally my fingers cramp at the end of the day. All things considered, I’m doing well.”
As they were finishing eating Kris was paged to the operating room. Sam stood up to leave. “Thanks for lunch, doc.”
“My pleasure. It was nice to see you again.”
“You too. I need to get going. I have a PT session in the pool this afternoon.”
“Have fun.” Kris walked Sam to the elevator bank. As Sam stepped onto the lift Kris couldn’t help but notice her well-toned butt. Don’t even think it.
Chapter Thirty-three
SAM STOOD OUTSIDE THE door and directed the movers on where to put the boxes and furniture as they brought it into the house. She marked off the boxes on the inventory sheet as each item was unloaded. Around noon the movers took a lunch break, and with a sigh, she sat down. She munched on an apple and a banana. I didn’t think this would make me achy.
“Sam?”
“I’m back here, Kris. Follow the path. What are you doing here?” Sam smiled.
“I thought I’d stop by. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, it’s good to see you.”
“Did you eat lunch? I have an Italian sub in the car, and a half-gallon of sweet tea.”
“I don’t want to eat your lunch again.”
“You’re going to make me eat a foot-long sub by myself? It’s from the pizza shop you like.”
“Hmm, you’ve twisted my arm. Let me find some plates.”
“I’ll go get it out of the car.”
Sam managed to find two plates and mugs, and was rinsing them when Kris returned. They rearranged some boxes before sitting down to eat.
Kris handed her the package. “I hope you like Italian subs. I had it warmed up.”
“Oil and Vinegar?”
“Of course.” Kris smiled as she poured tea into the mugs. “I’m so happy for you, Sam. I know you were looking forward to getting back on your own. Do you have a date for your car to go to the shop?”
“It’s already there. There was a cancellation, so mine was moved up. I had someone drive it over for me. It’ll be modified and inspected. I have to apply for a new license too.”
“It sounds like everything is working out.” Kris took a sip of sweet tea.
“It feels like it. I’ll show you around later after I get things unpacked.”
“I’d like that.” Kris looked around the kitchen, “I like the hardwood floors. The kitchen is nice and bright.”
“The wood is real. I had to sign an agreement that I understood how it needed to be cleaned. It’s throughout the house, except for the bath areas. There are three bedrooms upstairs. I’ll turn one of the extras into an office.”
They finished lunch right as the movers began bringing in the next load of boxes. The movers started asking Sam where she wanted bedroom furniture placed, as she was directing them Kris rinsed the plates and mugs and set them to dry on the counter.
Sam stood at the bottom of the stairs watching as her bedroom furniture was taken upstairs. “Penny for your thoughts.” Sam jumped at Kris’ voice. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. You looked lost in thought.”
“I was thinking of some things I needed to do now that I am getting back to normal…or, my new normal.”
“Pace yourself. I know you’re strong and healthy, but remember you don’t have to do everything in one day. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask. I’ll help any way I can.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I need to head back. Really, Sam, if you need anything let me know.”
“I will. Thanks for lunch.”
***
Sam sat on the examination table in shorts and her bra, the gown was opened in the front. She sat and waited quietly while the physician examined her. Sam tried not to stare at the doctor’s bright blue eyes. She had never seen such a brilliant blue. She followed the doctor’s finger with her eyes. Stuck out her tongue and said “Aah” when told. Long, slender, perfectly tapered fingers glided along the front of her throat, her heart accelerated. She breathed deeply when her lungs were listened to.
“Good, your lungs are clear. Now let me listen to your heart.” The doctor moved the stethoscope across the front of Sam’s chest listening. She closed her eyes as she repositioned the instrument every few seconds.
Sam watched as the woman dragged her teeth over a lower lip that looked soft. Sam’s heart fluttered, and she smelled the subtle scent of orange wafting from her. Suddenly the doctor opened her eyes and made eye contact with Sam. Without thinking, Sam reached out and placed her hand on the back of her neck and pulled her in for a soft kiss. There was no struggle, the kiss was returned with a gentle pressure and a soft sweep of tongue across the seam of her lips. Sam groaned with pleasure. Firm hands nudged her backward, and Sam moaned again when the doctor lowered her mouth to her suddenly bare breasts and sucked a nipple into her mouth flicking it with her tongue. Her body erupted in sensation.
Sam sat up with a shout and looked around. She was in her new place. She leaned forward and ran her hands through her hair. Now without any doubt, she knew who the woman in her dreams was. And that was a problem because Kris was straight and Sam learned long ago to not get involved with straight girls.
Chapter Thirty-four
SAM SAT ON THE DECK, rocking slowly. Oblivious to her surroundings, and completely focused on the pages of the adventure novel she read, the loud clack-clack sound common to the cocking of a shotgun pierced the still night. A menacing disembodied voice from the forest followed seconds later. Real careful now, put your guns aside and raise your hands.
“Hi, Sam.”
Sam’s heart leaped in her chest. She screamed, and jumped out of the chair, flinging the book away. Fuck! Sam smoothed her hand over her jittery stomach as she turned around and recognized Kris. Damn. She took a deep breath and
rubbed at her racing heart.
Kris burst into nervous laughter. “Oh my God! I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay?”
Still speechless, Sam nodded her head and walked over to pick up the book that had landed on the lawn. “I didn’t hear you come up.”
“That’s obvious. Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt when you jumped did you?”
Sam saw the amused grin on Kris’ face that she was unsuccessfully trying to suppress. “Only my ego. What time is it?” Sam looked down at her prosthetic leg. Damn, this thing did great.
“Five. The movie starts at seven, so we have plenty of time for dinner. What are you reading? You were really into it.”
Sam turned the book around. “It’s an adventure story. Journey to You by AJ Adaire. It’s a post-apocalyptic story.”
“Ooh, I love her books. I haven’t read that one.”
“It’s excellent. The bad guy just told the women to put their hands in the air when you surprised me.”
“Oh geez, no wonder you jumped.” Kris laughed. “I’m sorry. I’ve never seen anyone jump so far from a seated position or squeal so loud.”
“I didn’t squeal. I believe that was a scream.” Sam laughed. “You scared the hell out of me.”
Kris chuckled. “I am sorry. I’ll make a little more noise next time.” They walked inside. “Any ideas where you want to eat tonight?”
“There’s an Italian place I’ve wanted to try, Luigi’s. They are supposed to have unbelievable meatballs and lasagna.” Kris reached for her keys, but Sam stopped her. “I’m driving.”
“What?”
Sam grinned. “I’m driving. I got my car back, so I want to drive.”
“Congratulations. Let’s go.”
Sam grabbed her keys and wallet from the kitchen counter, and they headed into the attached garage. Sam pressed the door opener and as the garage door lifted the light flooded onto the convertible. The black surface gleamed, reflecting light back to her. The charcoal gray roof was a subtle offset to the unbroken black.
“Oh, very nice. Slick. It looks powerful. Can we have the roof down?”
“Absolutely. It’s a beautiful night for it.”
“It smells new.”
“It’s a few years old. I had it stored while I was deployed. The shop detailed it for me when they converted the controls. Ready?”
“Let’s go.”
When they cleared the garage, Sam opened the top so they could enjoy the early evening air. Slipping the Mustang into reverse, they backed out of the driveway. Smiling broadly, enjoying the freedom of driving again, Sam drove with controlled precision. The engine roared with power and hugged the curves. The air blew over them as the car moved down the highway.
They eventually pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. Sam raised the roof while the two teenage valets ran over to provide parking assistance. Before Sam had to decide who to hand the keys to, a woman approached. “Samantha Davies, is that you?”
“Hi. How are you doing, Valerie? When did you start here?”
“I’m part owner. We opened a few months ago. I’m glad I came out to check if the boys were behaving. They would knock each other down trying to get to this car. How have you been?”
“Pretty good. This is Kris Matthews. A friend of mine.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Valerie and Kris shook hands. “Why don’t you two go on in? Tell the Maître d’ I said to give you table number nine. I’ll park the car for you.”
Sam started to hand Valerie the keys and hesitated. “I need to show you something in the car. Look here. Do you see that switch? For you to drive it, you need to flip it to the off position. That will re-engage the gas and brake pedals. If you try to drive it in the on position, you’ll have to use the hand controls. That takes some time to get used to.”
“What on earth?”
“I lost my leg when I was in Afghanistan.” Sam lifted her trouser leg slightly.
“Oh, God. I’m so sorry, Sam. Is everything going all right? Do you need help with anything?”
“I’m good thanks.” She looked over at Kris and smiled.
As Valerie slid behind the wheel, she whispered into Sam’s ear, “If Kris is your date, you’re doing better than good.” Sam shifted her gaze to Kris, and let her eyes drift across her body. Sam’s pulse quickened, and her mouth went dry. Both women stared at Kris.
Sam whispered back, “We’re friends. Besides she’s straight.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. You could try for a toaster oven though.” The car rumbled to life, “Now back up, I want to get this baby parked before my boys over there drool on it. I’ll see you inside.”
As instructed Sam requested table nine. The walls of the restaurant were exposed red brick and cream-colored plaster. Their table was screened with a four-foot-high glass block wall that hid them from other diners. Lush green plants sat atop the block wall, and on the table, a candle flickered. Mediterranean music played in the background adding to the ambiance but not preventing conversation. The waiter appeared and recited the specials. Sam ordered spaghetti with meatballs, and Kris ordered seafood linguini and a glass of Muscadet. When the waiter offered Sam wine she refused, sticking with water since she was driving.
“Are you settled in your house?” Kris asked as she sipped her wine.
“I am. It’s been going a little slow. I have the downstairs and my bedroom set up, the garage is good. The other rooms are still a wreck with boxes everywhere, but at least I have them pushed to the walls and have a little space to move around. Two of the rooms are a hideous fluorescent green. The landlord has agreed to have them painted. I think I’ll do it myself. I can’t imagine he won’t agree if I do the work, and he can reimburse me for the supplies. It would be cheaper than him contracting a painter. But I’ll check with him. How’s your arm? Are you operating more?”
Kris flexed her fingers. “It’s doing well. I’m operating about five hours a day, and am starting to do some longer cases. I was out for a while, so I deconditioned some and start to get a little achy in the afternoon, but it’s improving. I figure another week or two, and I’ll be back to a full operating schedule.”
“Why did you become a surgeon?”
“I like taking things apart and putting them back together. You look surprised.”
Sam chuckled. “I thought you would say you like helping people, or you don’t like seeing people in pain.”
“Those are true also. But those are the reasons why I became a doctor. I became a surgeon because I get to reassemble things.” Kris grinned.
“What was the first thing you dissected?”
“Hmm, seems like it was a giant grasshopper in seventh-grade science. It was gross. I was adamant about not going into medicine. I wanted to do something fun, like be a lifeguard. Of course, the aspirations of a twelve-year-old can be somewhat limiting. What did you want to do at twelve?”
“I wanted to be a detective, a private investigator actually. I wanted to find my dad and siblings.” Sam sipped her water.
Kris reached out her hand, “I’m sorry, Sam.”
“It’s all right. It wasn’t long after that I went to a military airshow with the Klines, and everything changed. That’s when I knew what I wanted to do. I talked to one of the female pilots for a long time. Everyone was watching the show, and she kept talking with me about flight training and college. She told me about the service academies. As soon as we got home, I started looking at what it took to get into the academies. I started being a better student shortly thereafter.”
After the waiter brought their food, they continued small talk and shared stories from their childhood. When Sam went to pay the bill, Kris insisted that they split it. While they were waiting for Valerie to return with the car, several motorcycles rumbled by.
Both women looked up. “Those are some nice bikes.”
“They are. All of them are Harleys except that last one. That’s an Indian Scout.” A smile curled at the corners of Sam�
�s mouth as her eyes followed the bikes until they disappeared. As the sound of the throaty roar of the engines drifted away in the wind, Sam sighed. “I miss my bike.”
“You have a bike? What kind?”
“A Victory Gunner.”
“Oh. That’s a nice bike,” Kris exclaimed.
“What do you know about it?”
“It’s a V-twin engine, with six speed overdrive.”
Sam’s mouth fell open for several seconds before she spoke. “So you’re a bike fan?”
“You could say that. I have two.”
“You’re kidding me?”
“No, I’m not. I happen to have two Victory cycles. I liked the Gunner, but I wanted some color, so I went with the Vegas. I also have a Victory Vision for when I was traveling or going two up. I bought my brother’s a few years back. He was living in Connecticut and was going to give up riding because the season was so short. He lives in Florida now and rides it when he comes up here. I’m looking forward to getting back out there.”
“You’re serious?”
“Yes. What? Do you think because I’m a doctor I wouldn’t ride?” Kris challenged her.
“Well, I never pictured you on a bike. Zumba dancing vegan, remember? But yeah, being a doctor, you guys take the fun out of everything.”
Kris stared at her blankly.
“Oh, that didn’t come out right. I meant that…”
Kris laughed. “I know what you meant. I know several doctors that ride. With helmets.”
“Of course, so is your bike red? The Vegas came in red.”
“It is. The Vision is metallic blue.”
“I’d like to see them sometime.”
“I got them back from being serviced a few weeks ago. Next time you come over, I’ll show you.”
They stopped talking as Valerie brought the car to a halt beside them. “Sam, this car is sweet. Give me a call sometime so we can get caught up. Enjoy your night, ladies.”
While Sam drove to the theater, they discussed their favorite motorcycle rides in the region. They arrived at the theater, decided to split a popcorn, and settled down with their drinks to watch the sci-fi thriller.
