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| REACHING OUT BY TIMA |
CHAPTER 58 |
PREVIOUSLY:
Todd: Stop being so negative. It forces me to be the positive one in this relationship. I hate that! Being positive gives me hives.
Tea: I'm positive this won't work. Is that better?
Todd: By this time next week, I'll have you out of this place and living with me. You'll see. Then you can start making up to me for putting me through all this.
Tea: Let's just focus on getting through tomorrow first. It won't be an easy day for either of us.
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chapter 58:
[The next day...
Todd returns to Tea's room at the rehabilitation center, following a long meeting with Tea's doctors, therapists, and psychiatrist.]
Todd: I'm not speaking to you.
Tea: I'm not speaking to you, either.
Todd: What's your beef?
Tea: You told them I needed pain medication that I wasn't asking for.
Todd: I didn't know it was a secret.
Tea: I think you did.
Todd: You should be taking it. You need it. I wish they'd give me some drugs, too, after the hell I've been put through today.
Tea: You poor baby. You spent all day watching me in therapy and learning about my injuries and my recovery. Too bad you couldn't have the easy job of actually being the one living this?
Todd: You think my job is easy?
Tea: Compared to mine? Yes.
Todd: That doctor chick of yours, talks too much.
Tea: There's a lot more to this than you thought there was. I've been trying to tell you that.
Todd: Well, she didn't have to go into excruciating detail about it. You know, she was telling me detailed stuff about things you've been trying to hide from me.
Tea: So, now you understand why I don't want you to help me in the bathroom?
Todd: They said you should be able to do most of it for yourself before they release you.
Tea: I guess you got lucky.
Todd: I'd do it for you, Tea. It would gross me out and maybe I'd have to barf after, but I would do it, if you needed me to.
Tea: I may still need you to.
Todd: They promised me I was in the clear.
Tea: I'm lucky. Some people never regain control of their bladder, or bowel, function.
Todd: Yeah, they told me. So, all that stuff they told me about how they retrain your body to do all that again, you have to do?
Tea: I assume that they wouldn't tell you anything that doesn't apply to my situation.
Todd: They were telling me some worst case scenario stuff, too. I think they were trying to act like what you're going to put me through is no big deal, compared to what it would be like if your injuries had been worse.
Tea: Did it work? Did it make all of this look like a breeze?
Todd: Not really.
Tea: Now, you understand that this isn't a game?
Todd: I never thought it was a game.
Tea: You acted that way, sometimes.
Todd: I'll take care of your john stuff from now on.
Tea: You don't have to. I don't want you to.
Todd: You said yesterday that you were going to give me the whole treatment today. The stuff in the john is part of this, too.
Tea: It's bad enough that I still need the help that I need. I don't want that help to come from you.
Todd: Why?
Tea: For very obvious reasons.
Todd: You don't think I can handle it?
Tea: You just said that you'd have to vomit if you helped me with that.
Todd: I can handle a little barfing.
Tea: I can't. It's undignified enough having strangers involved in that. I don't want it to be you.
Todd: If this retraining your body stuff doesn't work, you'll have to let me help you, when you move in with me, anyway.
Tea: I could hire someone to help with that.
Todd: I don't want some stranger hanging around my house.
Tea: We'll see were I'm at when I leave here.
Todd: I guess tomorrow is too soon, huh?
Tea: You haven't even found a place for us to live yet.
Todd: That's because I spent all day here. I didn't know that they put you through that much therapy in one day.
Tea: They were going easy on me before, because of my other injuries. Now that I can do more, they have me on a more normal schedule.
Todd: Today was normal? For the rest of your life, you have to do that much therapy every day?
Tea: Of course not. It will probably only be for a few more weeks. Then, I'll still have to do some work at home, but it won't be as time consuming.
Todd: Good! Because, I had all these plans to have tons of sex with you, so I need you to have more free time.
Tea: Did you talk to my doctor about that?
Todd: Yeah. I thought she'd have the decency to at least wait until we were alone before getting to that, but she was grilling me in front of everyone.
Tea: Grilling you about what?
Todd: Our sex life, before this happened.
Tea: What did you say?
Todd: That you were very satisfied.
Tea: Was that something that she asked?
Todd: I volunteered that part. Then, she gave me some dirty pictures to look at.
Tea: I doubt that.
Todd: I'm serious.
[Todd goes through the large volume of reading material he was given, concerning Tea's injuries and rehabilitation. When he finds the sheets of paper with the pictures, he hands them to Tea.]
Tea: They're drawings.
Todd: They're still dirty. They show people doing it.
Tea: These are the recommended positions?
Todd: Didn't they have the sex lecture with you?
Tea: No.
Todd: I am the guy. Maybe they figured, since you just lay there while I do all the work...
Tea: Excuse me?
Todd: For what?
Tea: You do all the work?
Todd: Yeah.
Tea: If that's true, why was I always so exhausted after we finished?
Todd: I have no idea.
Tea: I wish I could have been there and seen Todd Manning in a room full of people, discussing sexual positions.
Todd: I kept my mouth shut.
Tea: I'm sorry you were put through that. I know you must have been incredibly uncomfortable.
Todd: I need to know this stuff. I need to make sure that I don't hurt you.
Tea: It looks like we'll have some options to pick from, when I'm ready for that part of our relationship again.
Todd: They really didn't go over this with you?
Tea: There have been other things that needed to have my immediate focus, and there wasn't anyone I was planning on having sex with, so it wasn't an issue.
Todd: Now that I'm here, that's all changed, right?
Tea: I'm not ready.
Todd: It's not out of the question, though, is it?
Tea: No. Just be patient, okay?
Todd: No problem, especially since I get to strip you naked every day and look you over.
Tea: Is that what you think?
Todd: It's not because I want to. It's something that I have to do. I have to make sure you don't have any sores, or anything.
Tea: I see. But, you do realize, I could do that for myself, don't you?
Todd: There are areas you can't see.
Tea: I could with a mirror.
Todd: That would be a hassle for you. I'm here to make things easier for you. I'll be the one carefully studying your naked body and touching your skin to make sure it feels right.
Tea: I don't want to burden you.
Todd: I'm willing to be burdened staring at your naked body.
Tea: It might be difficult for you to see me like that before I'm ready to be intimate again.
Todd: Don't you mean, it might be difficult for you, resisting me when both of us are naked like that?
Tea: You don't need to be naked to check my body.
Todd: If you have to be naked, it would only be fair for me to be naked, too.
Tea: You're such a thoughtful man.
Todd: Give me back those dirty pictures. I want to think some more about them.
[Tea hands him back the papers.]
Tea: What's all that other stuff?
Todd: They gave me homework.
Tea: That looks like a lot of material.
Todd: They didn't make you read all this junk, either?
Tea: I've read plenty about my injuries. You have more to learn, though, since I'm living it and know what it's like, and you have to read about it to understand.
Todd: I'm living it, too.
Tea: It's not the same.
Todd: They recommended some books from people who have been through it. What's the point, though? All I have to do is ask you what it's like.
Tea: It might be good for you to read about it.
Todd: You don't want to tell me?
Tea: I'll share as much of this with you as you're okay with, but reading about it could give you a different perspective. It could help you understand better. I read some stories written by people who had been through this when I was still in the hospital, before they moved me here. I wanted to know what to expect.
Todd: Is it the same as you thought it would be?
Tea: No.
Todd: So, what's the point?
Tea: The point is that it might help you see things from where I am.
Todd: So, you're saying that I have to read all this junk that your doctor, therapists and shrink gave me to read, plus I have to read about what it was like for people I don't even know?
Tea: You don't have to, Todd. I thought you wanted to. I thought you wanted to know more about this?
Todd: I just want to know what I can do to make it easier for you. I want to know what I can do to make you smile more again. I want to know what I can do to get you out of here so we can live together again.
Tea: Do you want to be an active part of my therapy?
Todd: We're talking physical therapy, right? No shrinks?
Tea: Did my psychiatrist suggest we have some sessions together?
Todd: He might have said something like that.
Tea: Maybe we should.
Todd: The guy only speaks Spanish. You want me to not only spill my guts to your shrink, but also to the person interpreting for him?
Tea: I could do the interpreting.
Todd: No way. You'd make yourself look good, and me look bad.
Tea: I would never do that. But, we could find an English speaking psychiatrist, if you prefer.
Todd: I'd prefer staying clear of shrinks.
Tea: Okay.
Todd: You're giving in that easily? Or, are you going to pretend you're not talking to me again?
Tea: You're the one who stopped talking to me first.
Todd: Let's get into bed and really stop talking.
Tea: What about dinner?
Todd: Do you want to go out?
Tea: Maybe I do.
to be continued...
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2001 COPYRIGHT BY TIMA
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