His strange dream and his wife's foreboding remark bothered him.

Despite the fatigue he felt, he woke early. He called Paul and told him he wouldn't be helping in class that week. He didn't want to leave Lathal alone especially not in her current condition. Of course, Paul understood.

Lathal slowly opened her eyes and saw him staring through the slits of the closed blinds hanging over their bedroom window. She shifted to a seated position. "I thought you'd be gone by now."
He glanced over his shoulder but said nothing.

She scooted forward onto the plastic blue cushioned seat in the wheelchair. She pulled the red and yellow flying geese pattern quilt her grandmother made over her bare legs. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

He nodded. He needed to clear his mind, and some fresh air would be good for both of them.

He threw on a shirt, then wheeled her out of the house.

Leaves fluttered around, littering the grass, sidewalks and gutters. The brisk fall air tantalized their senses as they traveled down the street.

It seemed like a holiday. The stores, banks and businesses they passed stood silent and still.

They went into a dollar store. The cashier didn't seem to recognize them, but she stared sympathetically at Lathal.

They were the only customers in the store, and Lathal stiffened in her wheelchair as Malan steered her through the tight aisles.

They picked up a few Halloween decorations and knick knacks before traveling the seven blocks back to their house.

The chair's wheels rolled over the dried leaves making a crunching sound. "I know my accident must be frustrating for you, Malan," she said softly. "It is for me too, but I think we'll be OK. You'll see."

He sighed and prayed for a sign.

**

Two days later the shoulder brace she wore made her feel uncomfortable.

Using her right hand, she loosened the white strap around her neck then removed the brace.

He watched her. "What are you doing?"
"It hurt, so I took off," she said, flexing her fingers.

He sat beside her on the couch. She slowly lifted her arm, trying to raise it higher and higher each passing moment.

Concern was reflected in his smoky brown eyes. "Are you sure you should be doing that?"

She attempted to raise her arm above her head. Pain ripped through her teeth raked over the left portion of her lower lip. "Guess that's what physical therapy for," she said, gingerly rubbing her skin.

Things were beginning to look up. He leaned over and softly pressed his lips to hers.

**

"Guess what?" She said practically beaming with enthusiasm when he came through the door the next afternoon.

Seeing her in such good spirits warmed his heart. He smiled, "I take it you had a good day."

"Watch this," she said like a child who wanted to show off a neat trick for a parent.

She rose from the wheelchair and toddled forward like an infant just beginning to walk. Her arm stretched, her palm held up like a stop sign hovered near the wall to help her balance.

He quickly rushed over to her side. He stood there like a buffer to be a support or catch her if she fell. Concern swam in his brown eyes. "Don't you think you're rushing things just a bit?"

He was being protective again. She appreciated him worrying about her; it showed in the half crescent curve in the right corner of her lips.

"I'm taking slow, easy steps," she said, caressing his cheeks. "If it'd hurt, I would have stopped; I've been practicing all afternoon and nothing."

His brown eyes appraised her appreciatively. She moved her right hand, draping her left arm, over his broad shoulders. Pain tingled like electric current through her arm; she grimaced slightly. He took her hand, gently lower it, holding it between them.

Her bluish-green eyes sparkled with pleasure. "See, I'm getting better and better all the time."

He quietly agreed as he tenderly pressed his lips against hers.

**

Friday arrived, and she had an appointment to have the staples removed from her right knee.

The ortho ward was on the first floor in the far eastern corner of the hospital. For a Friday morning, the waiting room was packed.

They waited for a half hour before the nurse took them back to the cast room.

Pictures of cast removals she'd had in her childhood flashed through her mind. She knew it was going to be different this time. Usually doctors sewed up incisions with dissolvable sutures, not staples.

She situated herself on the long steel table. The doctor took off her black air brace, removing the big gauge bandages covering her knee.

The staples dug deep in her pink skin. She winced. "This is going to be painful."

"We can do this one of two ways," the doctor said, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder. "We can numb the area by giving you a general anesthesia, or you can go without any pain killer. We'll take it slow and slow and easy until all the staples are out."

"Whatever," she said, her hand locked with her husband's. "Just get it over with."

She had a high threshold for pain, but the process was slow and introduced her to a whole new level of pain. She squeezed Malan's hand tight and hard.

"Goodness, Woman," he murmured, his hand felt like mush. "You're killing me with the death grip."

Her eyes begged him for mercy. It hurt like the dickens. It was the longest 20 minutes of her life.

Afterword they went to see Dr. Burchski's. They waited about 10 minutes, and the orthopedic surgeon brought them into his office after he finished with his other patient.

Burchski picked up Lathal's X-rays and moved his black swivel chair in front of his desk. The doctor leaned his chest against the chair's back. He held the big brown X-ray packet over the chair's back. He smiled, "How's my star patient today?"

"I'm doing pretty well," she said, her eyes shined with hope. She patted the wheelchair's arm rests. "I don't need this anymore. I've been hobbling around on my own for the last few days but I need some kind of support."

"That's great," Burchski nodded. "Maybe you should go see Dr. Beurgeron today," the doctor said, reaching behind him and finding his keyboard. He pressed a button. "What do you know? She had a cancellation and is available this afternoon."

They exchanged looks. Everything seemed to be happening so fast. Were they ready for this?

Ready or not it was time to go to the next level.