When he came back inside, he washed up and called the realtor. He was not a happy camper. I heard him tell her about the broken glass and me stepping on a large piece and how that necessitated a trip to the ER. I also heard him tell her that we liked the cabin but we’d be putting in a lower offer than we’d intended if we decided to buy it. I felt he was over-reacting, but didn’t interrupt him. I’d talk to him after he got off the phone.

“Doc”, I said when he ended the call, “It’s not that bad, we don’t need to lower the offer we would make.”

“Meredith, apparently there was a big party here recently. The owners let friends of theirs have the cabin for the long weekend. They had no idea their friends were going to do that. Apparently, there was a big mess left outside, though the inside was relatively clean. Kallie ordered them to clean it up before she would show it again, but it looks like they missed some and that caused you to need to go to the hospital. I know you should have put your shoes on and shouldn’t have been running on your sprained foot anyway, but children go barefoot all the time in the summer. What if we had Ben and Charlotte and their kids out for a weekend?”

“Julian, I get it but to lower the offer we would have made? That just seems petty and senseless.”

“If we put an offer in, they don’t have to accept it.”

We had supper and Doc did clean-up. I sat at the table and talked to him, then we had a game of Scrabble before bed.

By the time we went to bed, the freezing was coming out of my foot and it was beginning to really hurt. Doc game me a couple pain pills - he didn’t have the good stuff with him. He got into bed and snuggled up to my back, stroking my hair. Suddenly, something occurred to me.

“OMG, Doc, what am I going to tell Alex? He thinks I’m too impulsive without Ativan! This will just reinforce that.”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

“I know, I’ll cancel my appointment next week and rebook it for after I can walk again.”

“You will not!”

“We’ll see about that, Doc.”

“Yes, we certainly will. Now, go to sleep.”

A minute later, I said “Doc?”

“What, Meredith?”

“When are you going to spank me?”

“Not until you are healed. Go to sleep, hon.”

Sunday, we had an early lunch and headed for home. Doc wanted to get home early so he could put everything away and make something nice for supper. He also wanted to put a catheter in me. For that, he had to stop at a medical supply store to get tubing and drainage bags, but there weren’t any that were open on Sundays, so he stopped at the ER and got some supplies there. He said he signed for them and would pay the billing dept on Monday.

“Doc, if this hurts, it’s coming out”, I said with a firm tone to my voice as he got everything ready in the downstairs bedroom. I was lying on the bed with my pants and panties off. Both of us would have preferred to use our exam table, but there was no way I could make it up the stairs and Doc couldn’t carry me up. He did carry me up the front steps, but that was only a few compared to about 10 going up to the second floor.

“It shouldn’t, hon. There’s no trauma to your bladder this time and you are healed up from getting hit by that car.”

“I really don’t want this. I can walk to the toilet from the doorway.”

“Meredith, you need to stay off both feet for a couple weeks - until the cut in your right foot heals.”

“Doc, I’m extremely close to refusing consent.”

He stopped what he was doing and gave me a very stern look. “What did you just say? I don’t think I heard you right.” I sat up. “Lie down, Meredith.”

“I’m not a dog, Doc.”

“No, you certainly are not. You are beautiful, though exasperating at times. Now, please lie down.” I sighed. “Why don’t you want the catheter? You’ve had them before.”

“I don’t want to pee into a bag for the next two weeks.”

“Your choice is this or I take time off work so I can be home to carry you to the bathroom. Those are your *only* two choices.” I sighed again, but lay back down.

“Doc you are so HOT when you get strict like that.”

He tried not to laugh, but I could tell he was having a hard time holding it back. He leaned over and kissed me. “Two weeks will be gone before you know it. Hold on while I go wash my hands again.”

He was right. It was a bit uncomfortable, but didn’t hurt. “Now, hon, if you need to empty this when I’m not home, do it in the laundry room and I’ll clean the sink in there when I get home. I know you can get the wheelchair through that door.”

“Doc, what if I have to dump?”

“You mean have a bowel movement, Meredith.”

“Same thing, Doc.” He shook his head. He was trying to get me to use more medical terms but come on, dump is one word. Bowel movement is two.

“That is the only time you are allowed to walk. You can wheel to the bathroom doorway, and walk to the toilet and back. ONLY if I am not home. If Karen is around, get her to help you. If she’s not, use your crutches.” He took his gloves off, disposed of the waste and went to the bathroom to wash his hands.

I sat up to put my undies and pants back on, then realized I’d have to stand up to do it. I sighed and lay back down. Doc came in and asked if I was going to stay there in bed. “Yes, what else is there to do when I can’t be on my feet?”

“You could come out and talk to me while I cook supper, hon. I’d love the company.”

“I need to get my pants back on.”

“Here, let me help you.”

While Doc prepared supper, we talked about the cabin. “I’m not a superstitious person, Meredith, but I don’t like the fact that you got hurt there while we were trying it out.”

“Oh, Doc - I know you are very protective of me, but this was totally preventable. It’s not an omen or anything.”

“I don’t know, hon. I just can’t shake the feeling that we shouldn’t buy it.” He looked at me and I saw the seriousness and worry in his face.

“Ok, Doc. If it’s that upsetting to you, we won’t buy it.”

“Really, hon?”

“Yes, really. It’s obviously very distressing to you. We’ll find something else.”

He came over and kissed me. “Thank you, Meredith. I’m going to make enough of this so you can have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I know it’s Monday and I’m off at noon, but I have an appointment with Alex and then I have an errand to do, so I won’t be home until mid afternoon. Get Karen to heat it up for you before she leaves.”

“Doc, she leaves early now, remember? I only have 4 horses plus the filly.”

“Oh, right.”

“Don’t worry about it, I can get it. I’m not helpless.”

“As long as your butt stays in that wheelchair.”

“It will.”

Monday afternoon, Doc pulled into the laneway around 3:30. A truck pulled in behind him. WTF, I thought. I wanted to go outside, but I couldn’t get the wheelchair over the threshold. So, I grabbed my crutches and wheeled to the door. I opened it and started to get out of the chair. Doc looked at the house and saw me. “Meredith, don’t you dare come out here!”

“What’s going on, Doc?”

“Back in that chair, Meredith! You’ll see in a minute.”

Curt Wilcox got out of the truck and went around to the back. There was something in the bed, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. Doc was standing still, looking at me. I was on my feet. I knew I was pushing my luck, so decided to sit back down. I hadn’t set the brake on the chair and just as I tried to sit down, it went out from under me and I fell backwards, landing flat on my back.

Doc obviously saw my fall, as he was to the steps, up them and in the house in record time. “Doc, you should run in races, I bet you’d win”, I said to him as he approached me.

“Haha, hon. Are you hurt?”

“I don’t think so. Just got the wind knocked out of me.”

“What happened?”

“I forgot to set the brake on the chair. When I went to sit down, it rolled backwards and I missed.”

“You should not have been out of it to begin with.”

“Aw, Doc…”

“Don’t ‘Aw, Doc’ me, Missy. I told you to stay in it. Now, let me get you up and then I have to go help Curt.” He picked me up and put me in the chair, then went back outside. A couple minutes later, he and Curt were carrying something large toward the house. They brought it up the steps and in the door before setting it down on the living room floor.

“Hi Curt”, I greeted Doc’s bestie.

“Hi, Meredith. Sorry to hear you are sidelined again.”

“At least I’m not in the hospital.”

“True. And your lungs are good, I’m happy for that.”

Doc came out from the kitchen with two glasses of water. He handed one to Curt. “Take a break before we take it upstairs.”

“What is it, Julian?” I asked.

“It’s a blanket and towel warmer. I ordered it last week.”

“Why didn’t you tell me, Doc?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise, hon.”

“It definitely is a surprise! I can’t wait to use it! Thanks, Doc!”

“You’re welcome, hon. It will be nice on those cold winter days to dry off with a warm towel after a shower. Curt and I will get it upstairs, then I’ll start supper. I had to bribe him with a meal to get him to help me.”

“And a beer!”

“Good thing Meredith likes to have one now and then, or we wouldn’t have any in the house.”

They got it upstairs and Doc had a shower before coming back down. He was going to be sore tomorrow - he wasn’t used to heavy lifting. Curt and I had a beer and chatted.

“I’m so thrilled you two are getting married”, he told me. “And I’m excited to be Julian’s best man. I’m glad he finally got up the nerve to ask you.”

“It was really hard on him, Curt. He was acting very nervous all day. I thought he was going to tell me something horrible, like that he has terminal cancer or something. He took me off guard when he asked me to marry him.”

“He told me that you hesitated for a minute, he was scared you were going to say no.”

“To be honest - and please don’t tell him this - I considered it, but I knew that would devastate him and I couldn’t do that to him. I may have asked for time to think about it, but then he asked me if I wanted him to get on a knee and I knew right then what I wanted.”

“So, you didn’t say yes just to avoid devastating him?”

“No, Curt. In that moment, I realized how silly I was being by being afraid of marriage. And I realized how much I want to be his wife. Legally, not just living together.” Curt smiled.

“I don’t know if you know it, Meredith, but you are the light of Julian’s life, he’d be so lost without you and he’s over the moon ecstatic that you said yes.”

“You two talking about me?” Doc said as he came into the tv room.

“Of course we are”, I replied. He leaned over to kiss me.

“No wonder my ears were burning. I’m going to start supper. Curt, you’re welcome to use the shower if you want one.”

“I might just do that”, his bestie said. “I don’t want to be the only one smelling.”

Doc got him a washcloth and towel and Curt went upstairs to the house bathroom. I sat in the kitchen while Julian got supper going. “How are you feeling, Meredith?” he asked me.

“With my hands, Doc.”

“Very funny, hon. Seriously, how are you after falling backwards earlier?”

“I’m fine, honey.”

“I want to talk to you about that later.”

“About what?”

“You getting up on your feet and resisting being told to sit down.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“I beg to differ, hon.”

“Doc, I was curious about what was in the truck. You know me, I can’t sit still when there is something going on.”

“I know, but you *have* to stay off your feet. It’s only a couple weeks that you have to be off both of them.”

I heard the back door slam and realized Karen was on the porch. “Come on in, Karen”, I called to her. She opened the inner door and came down the hall.

“I didn’t want to come all the way, I see you have company.”

“It’s just Curt”, Doc said. “He’s not company.”

“Karen, you’ll never guess what Doc bought us! A towel and blanket warmer!”

“Cool!” she responded. “I’ll be coming over here for showers in the winter!” We all laughed. “Meredith, I brought in the eggs. I’ll take some home but you still have a ton in the porch fridge.”

“I know. I have to get busy freezing some for winter. I’ll send some home with Curt, too.”

“That will give you something to do tomorrow when I’m at work, hon”, Doc said. “As long as you stay in that chair.” He had his back turned to me. I stuck my tongue out at him. “I saw that”, he said.

“Saw what?”

“Your tongue sticking out at me.”

“How the heck did you know?”

“You know that I always know these things. Like how I know when you are in pain.”

Curt came into the kitchen looking refreshed. “Hi, Karen. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing well, thanks, Curt. Hope you are, too.”

“I am. I hear we are going to be doing wedding duties.”

“We are. Which reminds me. We need to get together with Meredith and Julian and figure out details about the bridal shower and stag party.”

“I don’t want a shower”, I piped up.

“What?” Karen, Curt and Doc said in unison.

“I don’t want one. We have too much going on this fall as it is, with the court cases and Christmas parties and the wedding in December. Jane’s trial, if it goes to trial, is in November and we don’t know how long it will be so we can’t plan anything for that month.”

“Then we’ll have it in October.”

“That’s less than two months away.”

“We can do it.”

“Karen, I’m going to be exhausted, especially mentally, after Jane’s preliminary and Watters’ trial in September. Please, I don’t want a shower. If Doc wants a stag, that’s fine.”

“A stag isn’t really my thing”, Doc said. “I’m actually glad you spoke up, Meredith. You made some very good points.”

“Come on, you two. Don’t be party poopers. I have an idea. Why not have a stag and stagette party? Maybe in October when you don’t have anything else going on?”

“Doc and I are planning on getting away for a bit that month, Karen - though we haven’t decided for how long.”

“Surely, you can take one night out of 31 for a party in your honour.”

“I think we’re having a party, Meredith”, Doc said to me. “But something classy, Karen. No hijinks and no strippers.” That didn’t surprise me at all. I expected Doc would want something above gutter level.

“I think we can pull that off, Julian”, Curt told him.

After supper, Curt helped Julian clean up then left for home. Doc sat beside me on the sofa in the tv room with a decaf. “Hon, I think we’ve been roped into a party.”

“Looks like it, Doc. I’m glad you said something about class, I don’t want anything raunchy either. I never understood that. Why would you want to look at other women if you are marrying me and why would I want to look at other men?”

“I’m glad we see eye to eye on that, Meredith.”

“Hey, Doc - how did your appointment with Alex go?”

“It went well, hon. We’ve gotten past our spat and he’s really helping me. But I’ll warn you about your appointment on Thursday. He’s going to try to talk you into going on Ativan again.”

“Screw that, Doc. Why would he do that anyway?”

“It’s my fault. I told him about what happened at the cabin.” I sighed. “I’m sorry, hon. I had to talk about it, it was bothering me.”

“That I don’t want to be off my feet?”

“No, I can deal with that. Just that it happened at all. I was mad at the owner of the cabin for missing that broken beer bottle when cleaning up from the party. Alex got me to see that mistakes happen and that I can’t control what strangers do.”

“I’m glad he helped you with that, honey. Don’t worry about me, I’ll deal with him.”

“Are you finished your coffee? I’ll rinse the mugs out and let Jessie out, then I think it’s time for bed.”

“I agree, I’m beat.”

The next day, I called Alex’s office and cancelled my appointment. No way was I going to go and listen to him try to get me to go back on Ativan. His secretary asked if I wanted to rebook and I said “no.” She asked if I was sure and I said “Yes. And I do not want him to call me or come out to the farm and try to talk me into changing my mind.”

I really wanted to go outside but had no way to get out without walking and Doc would kill me if I was on my feet. I wondered if I could sneak out and then back in before he got home. He’d know. He always does, I don’t know how. So I vetoed that idea.

I got Karen to bring some eggs in from the back porch - I couldn’t get over the floor divider in the wheelchair - and cracked them into ice cube trays to freeze for winter when the hens’ production would go way down.

After lunch, I lay down as I was tired and bored. This was going to be a long two weeks, especially with Doc at work. I knew he’d stay home if I asked him to, but I did not want to do that. He’d been away from his clinic so much because of me.

I flipped through the tv channels, not finding anything interesting, and turned it off. Might as well have a nap. Fortunately, I fell asleep pretty fast. Next thing I knew, I heard voices out in the kitchen. One was Doc’s. Who is with him? I wondered. Then I recognized Alex’s voice. Damnit, I said I didn’t want him coming out here! I heard footsteps coming down the hall, so I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep. My back was to the door.

I heard the door open. “She’s in bed”, Doc said.

“Is she asleep?” Alex asked. “Oh, she is.” He must have looked in.

“No, she isn’t. She’s pretending.”

“How do you know?”

“Watch her breathing. It’s normal, not shallow.” I slowed my breathing down. “She’s listening to us. She just slowed it down.”

I felt the blanket being lifted off my feet and then something going up the sole of my left foot. Instinctively, I withdrew my foot. “Aha!” Doc exclaimed.

“That’s dirty pool!” I said to him.

“So is pretending to be asleep when you’re not.”

“Hi, Meredith”, Alex said to me. He was standing beside the bed.

“I left a message for you to *not* come here.”

“This is my house, too, Meredith”, Doc said. “At least you keep saying it is. And Alex is my guest.”

“Fine, then go out there and entertain your guest. I’m going back to sleep.”

“Meredith, why don’t you want to talk to me?” Alex walked around the bed and sat down on it.

“I don’t want you trying to talk me into going back on Ativan.”

“You agreed to go back on it if Julian and I said you need to.”

“No, Alex. I said I would *consider* it if *Julian* wanted me back on it - after the court cases start. Not two weeks before. And I don‘t see Julian saying I should be back on it.” Doc started fidgeting. “What’s that all about, Doc? Do you agree with him?”

“I think you should go on a low dose, hon.”

“Really? Why?”

“You are doing impulsive things again.”

“You said you wanted the feisty Meredith back.”

“I did - and do - but I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

“I wouldn’t have hurt myself if that broken glass had been cleaned up.”

“I know, but you should have had shoes on. You were impulsive in not putting them on when you ran after Jessie.” I ran after Jessie?? Oooooh, I was tempted to out Doc’s lie, but if I did, what would I say I was doing? Tell Alex we were playing spanking games? I kept quiet.

“I’m not going on Ativan until court starts. That’s final. Now, I’d like to be alone.”

“Julian”, Alex said, “why don’t you let Meredith and I talk for a while? Meredith, we won’t talk about Ativan, okay?”

“Promise, Alex?”

“I promise.” Doc left the room and closed the door. Jessie was up on the bed beside me. I was petting her.

“Jessie is a nice dog”, Alex said to me.

“She’s great.”

“I should bring mine some day when I’m visiting.” Alex and Deanna had recently adopted a chocolate lab. “I think they would get along.”

“Jessie gets along with pretty much any dog.”

“Are you feeling calmer now? Petting a dog helps with that.” I nodded.

“Since you don’t want to talk about Ativan, is there anything you do want to discuss?”

“Alex, they want to give Doc and I a party and I don’t want to go.”

“Who is ‘they’?”

“Karen, my bestie and Curt, Julian’s bestie.”

“Is this an engagement party?”

“Yes.”

“Why don’t you want to go?”

“It’s going to be in October. September is going to be very stressful and so is November. I just want to relax in October.”

“I don’t think you’d be planning the party. Just attending.”

“I know. It’s still stressful.”

“They just want to do something for you because they care. Most couples do have either a co-ed party or a bridal shower and stag before the wedding. Julian is excited.”

“About the party?”

“Yes. And about the whole thing - getting married to you.”

“I’d be happy just going to a Justice of the Peace to get married, but he wants a traditional church wedding, so I agreed to that. I guess I can haul my ass to a party if it means that much to him.”

“I’m not saying anything about Ativan, but how are you managing with being off your feet?”

“I hate it, Alex. It’s driving me nuts and this is only Day 2. I have 12 to go. I know I won’t make it to two weeks.”

“What will you do?”

“Walk on it anyways. Once the pain goes away. There’s really no need to be off it for that long. A couple days, maybe, but 12, no way. It’s only a few stitches, I didn’t break or sprain anything.”

“The ER doctor said 2 weeks for a reason, though I don’t know what that reason is.”

“Neither do I.”

“Talk to Julian about it. Maybe he knows. You could always see your family doctor and see what he says.”

“He’s off sick again, so Julian is my GP right now. And you know how he feels about it!”

“Surely you can find things to do sitting down.”

“Oh, I can find lots to do. The problem is most of them involve getting up here and there. Like if I want to bake. I have to get ingredients and put them away. I can do the mixing sitting on a stool, but I have to get up on it.”

“You can do that, I’m sure.”

“No, Julian won’t let me. He won’t even let me walk to the toilet from the bathroom doorway. He insisted on catheterizing me so that I wouldn’t have to walk to take a pee when he’s not home.”

“What about when you have to …”

“He carries me and sets me down on the toilet, then helps get my pants down. He says it’s the only time I can walk when he’s not home.”

“How do you feel about that, Meredith?”

“I hate it. It’s humiliating, even though we’re engaged and I know it doesn’t bother him. He won’t budge, though.”

“I’m surprised he hasn’t brought a bedpan home.”

“Shhhhhh! Don’t give him any ideas!”

Alex laughed. “I do think that is excessive. With your permission, I will talk to him about it, see if I can get him to bend a bit.”

“That would be great, Alex.”

We talked a bit more, then he helped me get into the wheelchair and pushed me down the hall to the kitchen where Doc was preparing supper.

“I hope you’ll stay for supper, Alex. I took 3 steaks out.”

“I’d love to, Julian. Deanna is working late, so I’m on my own.”

“Meredith, how did you get into the wheelchair?” Doc asked me.

“Alex helped me.”

“He carried you?” I looked at Alex.

“No, I didn’t. She can get from her bed to the chair without being carried. Now, settle down, Julian. We will discuss this after supper. I was going to anyway.”

“Doc, please. It’s okay. Let’s have a nice supper without arguing. For me. Please.”

“Okay, hon.”

We did have a pleasant supper. Doc cooked a lovely meal, as usual. This was the first time Alex had a full meal cooked by Doc without it being salads or leftovers. “Julian, you are a marvellous cook”, he complimented him. “Don’t tell Deanna, but I wish she could cook like that. You are a lucky woman, Meredith.”

“In more ways than this, Alex!” Doc blushed.

“I’m going to clear the table and put the leftovers away, then we can go talk in the living room”, he said. “Why don’t you two go out there and I’ll join you in a few minutes?”

Doc came out carrying a tray with coffee for us. He sat down beside me on the sofa. “Ok, Alex, why do you feel Meredith can walk to her chair? She has a sprained ankle and stitches on the bottom of her other foot.”

“Julian, lots of people get stitches on the sole of a foot and are able to weight-bear on it.”

“Did you see the cut, Alex?”

“Admittedly, no.”

“It’s very deep. That’s why she needs to be off of it.”

“Nobody told me that.”

“I didn’t want to upset you, Meredith.”

“Doc, don’t shelter me. I’m a big girl, I can take it.”

“She’s right, Julian. It would most likely have prevented some conflict if you’d told her.”

“I still don’t see why I can’t get from bed to the chair or chair to the toilet by myself.” Doc sighed.

“Can you two compromise?” Alex asked.

“How would we compromise?” Doc asked.

“Ease up a bit on insisting Meredith be carried so much, and in return she stays off her feet as much as possible.”

Doc looked uneasy. “I can agree to that”, I said. “Doc, I’m not going to be walking around, honey. Mostly just getting from bed or chair to wheelchair and from the bathroom doorway to the toilet. That’s all.”

“That’s all, hon?”

“Yes.”

“Wait a minute. You said ‘mostly’.”

“In case there’s something else that comes up. But it wouldn’t be any major walking. Please don’t fret.”

“Okay. I can agree to that.”

After Alex left, he said to me “I suppose you want the catheter out?”

“No, Doc.”

“No? You just got the green light to go to the toilet on your own.”

“I know. But I’ll be off my feet more if it stays in. I just want to be able to get into the chair or walk to the toilet when I need to on my own. A little bit of independence. And I know how much less you will worry if I leave the catheter in. Besides, we haven’t had sex yet this time.”

Doc shook his head at the last sentence. “Want to come to the kitchen with me while I load the dishwasher and wash the pots?” We didn’t use the dishwasher a lot. “You can run it tomorrow, it’s getting late and I’m tired.”

“I am, too, Doc.”

Doc let Jessie out for a few minutes after he finished in the kitchen. I did my nightly routine in the bathroom. When I went to the bedroom, he asked if I wanted help getting out of the chair. “Yes, please, honey.” He looked surprised. “I’m really tired and besides, you gave me the choice.”

He bent down and lifted me out of the wheelchair. I put my arms around his neck and nestled my face in it for a moment before he set me down on the bed. He knelt on the bed and leaned over and kissed me. I kept my arms around his neck and kissed him back. “Doc, I need help getting these clothes off.”

“I’d be happy to take your clothes off, hon.” He reached under my top and around my back and unhooked my bra. He is very good at doing that. He can even unhook it with one hand while driving.

“Need help with yours, Doc?”

“I could use a hand, hon.”

Later, as we were cuddled up, I said “Thank you for bending a bit on things, Doc.”

“Hon, I know I’m probably too restrictive at times, but you didn’t see the cut. It was really bad, Meredith. That glass went in deep into the muscle. That’s why the ER doc said to stay off of it until the stitches come out.”

“I understand that, honey, but please try and put yourself in my situation. Can you understand how humiliating it is to be carried to the toilet and have to have help getting my pants down? I know we’re engaged, but still….”

“I understand, that is why I agreed to back off. Just as long as you spend 99% of the time off of both feet.”

“I will, Julian.”

“Promise, hon?”

“I promise. Doc?”

“Yes?”

“I forgot to call the realtor and tell her we don’t want the cabin. I’ll do it tomorrow.”

“Hold off on that, hon. I might have been too hasty to write it off.”

“Really, Julian?”

“Yes. Let’s think about it some more. Now, let’s get to sleep, sweetie.”