to put any effort into walking or using his right hand.
One day while on the phone with Evan she had expressed to him that if his father did all the things he was supposed to do, he wouldn’t need around the clock care and could live a more productive life.
“I’ll take care of it,” he said
* * *
“Hello, Dad.” Evan arrived home two days later after talking to Zoey one night about his dad and the lack of progress. The angry words and snide comments between the two of them had calmed down over the last few weeks, but his father was still in the same rut.
“Evan. Tell Teresa to stop making me eat this shredded rat food, I want oatmeal.” His father, in blue seersucker pajamas, was leaning back against his pillow with a frown.
It was the expression James often wore when Zoey was off.
“I’ll let her know when we’re done.” Evan moved deeper into the room, still in his uniform with a package in his hand.
“Done with what? In a few minutes my John Wayne marathon is going to start and I don’t want to be disturbed.”
“You will have to DVR it, because Lily will be here in thirty minutes for your session.”
“Call her and cancel it.”
Lifting and eyebrow he stared at his father. “That is not going to happen.”
Evan set the package on his father’s lap.
“What’s this?” He scowled at the blue wrapped package as if he expected a snake to pop out of it.
“An early Christmas present. Open it.” Evan crossed his arms over his chest.
“I think I’d rather wait until Christmas,” his father grumbled.
“Then I’ll do it.” Before his father could object, he unwrapped the gift and pulled out the item inside.
“How are you going to open another man’s gift? And I told you I didn’t want any new house shoes I’m not going anywhere.”
Tossing the package into the small trash can, Evan smiled at his dad. “Oh, but you are.” Evan played a game of tug of war with his father and the cover until finally he pulled it out of his dad’s single handed grasp.
“No, I’m not.” His father banged his fist against the bed.
Evan shoved his father’s feet into the shoes, then went across the room and got the walker that Lily had brought over last week. On his way by the TV he unplugged it again.
“Why’d you do that?”
“You want John Wayne then you show me you’re willing to be at least half the man you used to be and try to walk, partner.” After he removed his coat and tossed it on to the rail at the foot of his dad’s hospital bed, Evan scooped his dad up and set him behind the walker.
“Teresa, help me, the man is mad!” his father bellowed.
“You want Teresa, let’s go get her, dad.” Gently, so as not to hurt his dad he straightened out his arm and helped his father wrap his fingers of his right hand on the bar of the walker as he held him up from behind.
“Why can’t you just leave me in peace?”
“Because even though you’re an ass I love you. You’re my dad and all I have left.”
There was no response.
Making sure his father’s feet were set, a little awkward, but in the best position possible. “Now just take a step, Dad.”
“I can’t.”
“Lily said she’d been working with you for months now and your legs muscles are strong you just don’t use them. One step.”
“I can’t.”
Evan took a deep breath, feeling the trembling in his father’s body; fear. He understood at that moment that it had been easier for the last seven months for James Douglas to lie in the bed and not try than to admit his strength failed him.
“Dad, it is just you and me. I’m right here. I won’t let you fall and I’m not going anywhere.”
The shaking increased, but finally his father moved, barely an inch but he took a step.
“Let’s try another one, dad.” Tears were making his eyes blurry but Evan kept his voice steady, refusing to let his father hear the soft emotion. With one hand on top of his dads and the
One day while on the phone with Evan she had expressed to him that if his father did all the things he was supposed to do, he wouldn’t need around the clock care and could live a more productive life.
“I’ll take care of it,” he said
* * *
“Hello, Dad.” Evan arrived home two days later after talking to Zoey one night about his dad and the lack of progress. The angry words and snide comments between the two of them had calmed down over the last few weeks, but his father was still in the same rut.
“Evan. Tell Teresa to stop making me eat this shredded rat food, I want oatmeal.” His father, in blue seersucker pajamas, was leaning back against his pillow with a frown.
It was the expression James often wore when Zoey was off.
“I’ll let her know when we’re done.” Evan moved deeper into the room, still in his uniform with a package in his hand.
“Done with what? In a few minutes my John Wayne marathon is going to start and I don’t want to be disturbed.”
“You will have to DVR it, because Lily will be here in thirty minutes for your session.”
“Call her and cancel it.”
Lifting and eyebrow he stared at his father. “That is not going to happen.”
Evan set the package on his father’s lap.
“What’s this?” He scowled at the blue wrapped package as if he expected a snake to pop out of it.
“An early Christmas present. Open it.” Evan crossed his arms over his chest.
“I think I’d rather wait until Christmas,” his father grumbled.
“Then I’ll do it.” Before his father could object, he unwrapped the gift and pulled out the item inside.
“How are you going to open another man’s gift? And I told you I didn’t want any new house shoes I’m not going anywhere.”
Tossing the package into the small trash can, Evan smiled at his dad. “Oh, but you are.” Evan played a game of tug of war with his father and the cover until finally he pulled it out of his dad’s single handed grasp.
“No, I’m not.” His father banged his fist against the bed.
Evan shoved his father’s feet into the shoes, then went across the room and got the walker that Lily had brought over last week. On his way by the TV he unplugged it again.
“Why’d you do that?”
“You want John Wayne then you show me you’re willing to be at least half the man you used to be and try to walk, partner.” After he removed his coat and tossed it on to the rail at the foot of his dad’s hospital bed, Evan scooped his dad up and set him behind the walker.
“Teresa, help me, the man is mad!” his father bellowed.
“You want Teresa, let’s go get her, dad.” Gently, so as not to hurt his dad he straightened out his arm and helped his father wrap his fingers of his right hand on the bar of the walker as he held him up from behind.
“Why can’t you just leave me in peace?”
“Because even though you’re an ass I love you. You’re my dad and all I have left.”
There was no response.
Making sure his father’s feet were set, a little awkward, but in the best position possible. “Now just take a step, Dad.”
“I can’t.”
“Lily said she’d been working with you for months now and your legs muscles are strong you just don’t use them. One step.”
“I can’t.”
Evan took a deep breath, feeling the trembling in his father’s body; fear. He understood at that moment that it had been easier for the last seven months for James Douglas to lie in the bed and not try than to admit his strength failed him.
“Dad, it is just you and me. I’m right here. I won’t let you fall and I’m not going anywhere.”
The shaking increased, but finally his father moved, barely an inch but he took a step.
“Let’s try another one, dad.” Tears were making his eyes blurry but Evan kept his voice steady, refusing to let his father hear the soft emotion. With one hand on top of his dads and the
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