What if We Don't Die?

Chapter 9

Six weeks had passed since she first started physical therapy, and according to Callie, Lexie was recovering faster than any patient she had ever seen. Which was no surprise, because Lexie was so sick of being broken that she was determined to gain back her independence. She hated that she couldn't do things on her own. She needed help for everything.

But not anymore, or almost at least, Callie had told her that she estimates two more weeks of training, then she should have full motion and function back in her legs.

She was currently sitting at the kitchen table, eating breakfast, when Mark walked in, only a white towel loosely wrapped around his lower waist and still slightly wet from the shower he had just taken.

Lexie was just about to take a sip of coffee when she saw him. She put the cup back down and bit her lip.

"You can't do this to me." she whispered, frustrated.

He chuckled as he made his way over to her. "You gotta hold on two more weeks."

She sighed. "Screw what Callie said. I feel fine."

"We're not gonna take any chances." he insisted.

She picked her coffee up and peeled her eyes off of him, then took a huge sip. How was she going to get through those two weeks? It was different when she was still unable to move her legs. She had literally been unable to do the things she wanted to do with him, but now she felt fine and like she could. So holding herself back was the hardest thing.

As Mark was walking through the apartment, the towel seemed to be sliding down with every movement, or maybe she just fantasised that it did. She definitely wanted it to.

"Hey, uh, do you think you could go over to Arizona today?" Mark made her snap out of her daydream.

"Calle is really worried about her. She's not dealing with the amputation. She doesn't talk to anyone, doesn't leave the house, and won't go to physical therapy or have a prosthetic fitted. She even scares off a new home care nurse every day." he explained.

Lexie thought about it for a second. "Yeah, sure."

She had that same urge to shut everyone off and be pissed at the world just a few weeks ago, but she was lucky that Mark didn't let her do that. Not that she was the type of person to lash out her anger at people when she was actually just hurt. She was a sensitive person, and she cried a lot, but what happened to her even made her want to act that way. She couldn't even imagine what it did to someone like Arizona, who doesn't show her feelings that easily.

After he got ready, Mark sat down with her and ate breakfast as well.

Once Lexie had cleaned her plate and finished her coffee, she got up and slowly made her way over to the dishwasher to place the dishes inside.

Then she walked back to the table and sat back down.

It wasn't easy, but she was walking. Callie had told her that she was past the hard part now; she had regained the basic ability to walk. Now she just needed to perfect the motions and smooth them out a little.

"Ready to go?" Mark asked. Of course, he had eaten his meal in less than five minutes. Lexie shook her head lightly, thinking that one day he'd probably choke on his food because he always inhaled it so fast.

"Yea."

They went over to the apartment right across the hall, and as they knocked on the door, they could already hear screaming from inside.

"You're going to try!" "Why?" "Because you can't keep sitting here, withering away like-"

Then they heard loud, angry-sounding foot steps before Callie opened the door.