Three weeks later...
Kongpob sat with his hands folded while sitting in the wheelchair. His eyebrows were furrowed with worry as he kept staring at the clock on the wall. Arthit walked over to him and knelt in front of him covering Kongpob's hand with his own.
"Don't worry." He smiled. "I'm going to be right here with you the entire time. I've been there and I know how you feel."
Tears brimmed in Kongpob's eyes.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be there with you Arthit. I hate that you went through all of that alone."
"Don't be silly. You were lying in a coma. You couldn't have helped even if you wanted to. Silly boy. Besides, I wasn't alone. Rome and Phana were there the whole time."
Arthit lightly slapped Kongpob's chest and chuckled. He wiped Kongpob's tears and lightly kissed his lips.
"I'm just scared. Do you think I can do it?"
"Dr. Garrick said the surgery was successful. The swelling has gone down. There is nothing keeping you from walking Kong. Today is just the first day of your physical therapy. I won't lie to you. It's not going to be easy, but it's the only way to get you back on your feet. Look at me Kong. I. Am. Right. Here. If you don't have confidence in yourself, have confidence in me. Lean on me. I'm strong enough to support you."
Kongpob nodded his head up and down and reached out to hug Arthit. Arthit rubbed Kongpob's back and squeezed him tightly. They were interrupted by a diminutive woman and her assistant. Arthit stood and moved behind Kongpob.
"Good morning. You must be Dr. Kongpob Suthiluck. I've heard some great things about you. My name is Milania Natsukorn and this is my assistant Perth. We'll be working with you throughout your therapy. Who's this good-looking gentleman with you?"
Arthit stepped forward and shook both people's hands.
"My name is Arthit Rojnapat. I'm Kongpob's boyfriend."
"Good to meet you Arthit. It's important to have someone here for emotional support. Therapy is a trying process and it's good for a patient to have someone they can lean on to keep their spirits up."
"So, how are you feeling this morning Kongpob?"
"I'm a little nervous. Arthit here has been through this type of therapy, and he's told me what I can expect."
"Well I'll try to make this process as painless as possible, but there will be times you hate me, times you want to give up, and times you will feel like you're dying. Just know that everything I ask you to do is for your own good and you are not alone."
Arthit placed his hand on Kongpob's shoulder and squeezed. Kongpob turned his head and smiled at Arthit.
Milania smiled at both them and clapped her hands together.
"Okay. So, let's get started. Kongpob, Perth is going to lay you on one of the massage tables and fit you with some braces that were made for specifically for you. Once the braces are secured to your legs, we are going to start something called gait therapy. We'll work with these parallel bars. This will help you with your balance and strength. Most importantly, it will build muscle memory. While you were in the coma, your muscles basically forgot how to function. Gait therapy will reteach your legs how to walk."
Once Kongpob was fitted with the braces, Perth helped Kongpob stand at the beginning of the parallel bars.
"Place your hands on the bars, using your arms to hold yourself up. You're going to wobble a little, but don't worry. I'll be standing in front of you and Perth will stand behind you. If you feel like you're falling, go ahead. One of us will catch you."
Kongpob nodded nervously. Arthit was standing at Milania's side watching Kongpob. He was trying to cover up his anxiety by biting his lower lip and putting his hands in his pockets.
"Go ahead and take one step with your right foot."
Kongpob pushed down on the bars with all his might and pushed his right foot forward. The step was shaky as he dragged his foot, landing it slightly off kilter. He looked at Arthit and smiled. Arthit clapped his hands and nodded excitedly.
"Great job Kong! Now do the same with your left foot."
Kongpob continued moving for several steps. Sweat had formed on his forehead and back. He was breathing hard and his arms shook from the pain. Perth gave Milania a look and she nodded.
"Kong let's take a break. I think that's enough for now. You've made it halfway to the end and that's a great start. We can work on more tomorrow."
"No! I want to finish. I can do it. Please don't make me stop."
Arthit looked at Kongpob worriedly and stepped forward.
"Kong, I think you should listen to Milania. She knows what she's doing. If she says you should stop then you should listen to her. You've done great today. Don't push yourself."
"I can do it. Let me finish. Please."
Arthit stepped back and looked at Milania and Perth. Before either of them could respond, Kongpob took another step forward. The sweat on his arms ran down to his hand causing it to slip on the bar. His knee buckled and he fell forward. Milania caught him before he landed on the floor, but the shock caused Kongpob to cry out in pain and frustration.
"KONG!" Arthit ran forward to help but was stopped when Kongpob raised his hand.
"I'm okay Arthit. My arms just hurt. I'm okay."
"That's enough for today Kongpob. Perth remove the braces and return Kongpob to the chair."
Perth knelt to help Kongpob up, but Kongpob slapped his hands away.
"I can do this myself." He spat his words at Perth and shook Milania's hands from his arms. "I don't need your help. I can get up on my own."
"I know you want to do this alone, but doing so could cause a setback, which could do more damage. Let us help you. That's what we're here for."
Arthit wiped the tears that fell from his eyes before Kongpob could see them. His heart was beating out of his chest watching his beloved suffer so much. He remembered how hard it had been for him, but he did not working his way back from paralysis. Kongpob's situation was worse than his so he couldn't quite imagine how helpless Kongpob must be feeling right now.
Defeated Kongpob stopped resisting and allowed Perth to carry him bridal style back to the massage table to remove the braces and rub down his legs. Arthit approached the table and caressed Kongpob's cheek. Kongpob placed his hand over Arthit's leaning into Arthit's hand.
"Thank you for being here Arthit."
"Where else would I be Kong?"
They smiled at each other. Arthit blushed when he saw the smile spread on Perth's face.
"Kongpob we'll continue the gait therapy every other day. On those days when we don't, I have arranged for electrical stimulation therapy. We'll attach electrodes that will send electrical current to your muscles. The combination of gait and electrical therapy will have you walking again in no time. You've done well today. Be proud."
"Thank you Milania. I apologize for my behavior earlier. From now on, I will listen to you."
"No apology necessary. I'm glad you're eager to work hard. A good attitude will go a long way to getting you back on your feet. Perth and I will see you tomorrow."
They exited the room leaving Arthit to walk Kongpob back to his room.
"How's he doing?"
"He starts physical therapy today. Arthit is with him. I'm praying he cooperates. Kongpob can be a little hardheaded."
"I think I know that better than anyone."
Achara smiled at Phana across the breakfast table. She reached for Phana's hand to hold. They smiled at each other and continued to enjoy their breakfast.
"Do you think enough time has passed for me to pay him a visit?"
"Of course. There's no reason for hard feelings anymore. Things with his mother and father have changed. Since he has discovered his biological father and his brothers, Kongpob has changed significantly. He's his own man now."
"The love of a good man has made all the difference. I think I can relate."
She winked and smiled at Phana who chuckled at her attempt to joke.
"Alright little miss standup comedienne. Let's visit him when you come by for lunch, okay?"
"Sound like a plan. Now pass the syrup. These pancakes are heavenly."