Page 67 of Day

“Oh, good, they are awake. See, I told you today was the day. It’s my birthday, so it’s a special day.” Esme came walking into the room. She had both the men sit up to check them over, making sure everything looked good so we might be able to get them out that night.  She did Leon first, then moved over to Charles.

“Okay, now let me get a look at your leg, Charles.” She lifted the cover he had and moved over the catheter bag so she could move his legs where there had been slices from a knife. Both wounds had healed up and looked good as far as I could tell.

“Wait. Did you see that?” Charles said quickly, and everyone in the room stopped.

“What’s the matter?” I jumped up and moved to his bed.

His eyes were staring at his toes. Which moved.

“No fucking way,” he cursed, and then tried the other foot, on which all five toes moved.

“I don’t believe what I’m seeing,” Esme whispered, and helped Charles move around so he was sitting on the side of the bed. She inspected him and checked his reflexes. Both legs kicked when she hit below his knee.  I could tell Charles was about to cry and freak the fuck out but was holding it in just in case it wasn’t real.

Leon was sitting up in his bed, watching everything with complete focus.

“I wanna stand,” Charles announced, and both Esme and I grabbed hold of his arms, ready to catch him should he fall. With uneasy legs, he did the impossible. He stood, and truly without our assistance.

Those tears that were so close to falling broke free in rivers down his face.

He tried to take a step, and he could, but his legs were very wobbly.

“Okay, let’s take it easy. You still have atrophied muscles and will need to do lots of physical therapy to learn to walk again,” Esme told him, and I helped her sit him back down.

Glancing over at Leon, I saw his face glistening with tears for his friend.

I don’t know how it happened or why, but it was a debt we could never repay.

“Hey, you have a card,” Esme said to Charles, pointing at a little card that was beside his bed that I hadn’t noticed.

Through his tears he grabbed a hold of the card and looked it over. More tears burst from him in an emotional outpour as he read it then handed it to me.

Thanks for saving my life; this was the least I could do. Thanks, Hero Society.

No signed name, and the message was printed so I couldn’t tell if it was male or female.

“Has anyone been in while I was sleeping?” I asked Esme, and she shook her head no. But they were a busy hospital, it could have happened.

“Let me see,” Leon demanded, and I handed him the card.

“I’ll take it. Charles, buddy, you can fucking walk again.” Leon gave the card back to me, and I set it on the bedside table.

“For fucking reals,” Charles laughed and kept touching his legs, making sure he could feel the movements.

“Well, Leon, I don’t see why you can’t go home tonight, but, Charles, with this new revelation I think you should stay one more night. We can get you set up with a physical therapist to get you moving again.”