and then they suggest a rehab facility, but I let them know she will be coming home with me. I have already hired round-the-clock care, and we are meeting with a few psychical therapists once she is settled in. I’m not giving her any choice; Katie is mine, she has always been mine, and if I have to take her hostage until she sees that for herself then so be it. I make my plans, and I wait for them to fall into place.
Katie doesn’t argue when she realizes we are going back to the condo. I’m not sure if it’s pain or the drugs that keep her silent. She seems so small and feeble in the wheelchair. Once I show the transport team where her room is I help her get settled and then start dinner. I know she is going to be too tired to sit at the table, so I bring in her tray and MJ, and I sit with her while she eats. The next few days consist of the same routine. I have left Stacy and my assistant to handle all of my appointments so my main focus can be on Katie.
MJ and I are sitting at the table working on his homework when we hear a crash come from Katie’s room. The nurse is attempting to help Katie up, but she just keeps fighting.
“Sir,” the scared nurse says. “I checked on her then came out to get her something to drink with her medication, and when I got back she was standing looking in the mirror. She picked up the vase and broke the glass. She won’t let me help her.” The nurse is frantic.
“I got her. If you can clean up the glass, I can tend to Katie.”
I find Katie on the floor crying. Every time I try and touch her she attacks me crying.
“Katie, it’s okay, baby, your face is going to heal. You’re going to heal.”
“It’s not my face,” she cries. “I had to use the restroom, and I thought I could make it, but it was too hard, and I peed on the floor. I can’t do anything. I can’t even make it to the bathroom. I can’t take care of my son. I can’t work. I can’t do anything! I’m fucking useless.”
I pick her up and sit her in the shower chair and tell her I will be right back.
I run to the kitchen and grab a few trash bags and some duct tape and scissors. I tell MJ to keep working on his school work, and I run to my room and put on some swim trunks. When I walk into the bathroom, Katie is still crying. I pull her nightgown over her head and give her a towel to cover herself since I know she is feeling self-conscious. I wrap her arm up, and I wrap her leg twice making sure her casts are protected. I then set the water and step into the shower with her. I take my time scrubbing her body and washing her head. She keeps her eyes closed the whole time. When I put soap on the wash cloth, I hand it to her, but she is still having trouble washing her intimate parts, so I help her. Once she is clean, I dry her hair with a towel and dry her body. I help her put on a fresh nightgown, and the nurse has changed the sheets on the bed. Clearing away all the clutter, I place Katie back on the bed and remove the garbage bags.
“Thanks so much, Michael,” she says. “I feel human again. I’ve only had a sponge bath it feels great just to get clean.”
“I’m coming right back.” I run up to my room and quickly change into sweats and t-shirt and make my way back to Katie’s room. When I walk in, I find MJ curled up next to his mother. I get in bed also and turn on the TV.
“You know it’s Shark Week?” MJ says. “It’s Mom favorite thing to watch.”
I open up the menu on the TV screen. “Well, it looks like we are in luck: the Megalodon show is coming on. Why don’t I grab us some snacks and drinks and we can all watch together?
“Sir, please let me,” the nurse, Iris, says from the door.
“Iris, I’m sorry,” Katie says.
I see the nurse smile. “You’re allowed a few meltdowns.”
When Iris comes back with the snacks, we settle in to watch the show. Sometime around 2 am I walk up to find MJ gone, and Katie is holding my hand. I move closer to her
Katie doesn’t argue when she realizes we are going back to the condo. I’m not sure if it’s pain or the drugs that keep her silent. She seems so small and feeble in the wheelchair. Once I show the transport team where her room is I help her get settled and then start dinner. I know she is going to be too tired to sit at the table, so I bring in her tray and MJ, and I sit with her while she eats. The next few days consist of the same routine. I have left Stacy and my assistant to handle all of my appointments so my main focus can be on Katie.
MJ and I are sitting at the table working on his homework when we hear a crash come from Katie’s room. The nurse is attempting to help Katie up, but she just keeps fighting.
“Sir,” the scared nurse says. “I checked on her then came out to get her something to drink with her medication, and when I got back she was standing looking in the mirror. She picked up the vase and broke the glass. She won’t let me help her.” The nurse is frantic.
“I got her. If you can clean up the glass, I can tend to Katie.”
I find Katie on the floor crying. Every time I try and touch her she attacks me crying.
“Katie, it’s okay, baby, your face is going to heal. You’re going to heal.”
“It’s not my face,” she cries. “I had to use the restroom, and I thought I could make it, but it was too hard, and I peed on the floor. I can’t do anything. I can’t even make it to the bathroom. I can’t take care of my son. I can’t work. I can’t do anything! I’m fucking useless.”
I pick her up and sit her in the shower chair and tell her I will be right back.
I run to the kitchen and grab a few trash bags and some duct tape and scissors. I tell MJ to keep working on his school work, and I run to my room and put on some swim trunks. When I walk into the bathroom, Katie is still crying. I pull her nightgown over her head and give her a towel to cover herself since I know she is feeling self-conscious. I wrap her arm up, and I wrap her leg twice making sure her casts are protected. I then set the water and step into the shower with her. I take my time scrubbing her body and washing her head. She keeps her eyes closed the whole time. When I put soap on the wash cloth, I hand it to her, but she is still having trouble washing her intimate parts, so I help her. Once she is clean, I dry her hair with a towel and dry her body. I help her put on a fresh nightgown, and the nurse has changed the sheets on the bed. Clearing away all the clutter, I place Katie back on the bed and remove the garbage bags.
“Thanks so much, Michael,” she says. “I feel human again. I’ve only had a sponge bath it feels great just to get clean.”
“I’m coming right back.” I run up to my room and quickly change into sweats and t-shirt and make my way back to Katie’s room. When I walk in, I find MJ curled up next to his mother. I get in bed also and turn on the TV.
“You know it’s Shark Week?” MJ says. “It’s Mom favorite thing to watch.”
I open up the menu on the TV screen. “Well, it looks like we are in luck: the Megalodon show is coming on. Why don’t I grab us some snacks and drinks and we can all watch together?
“Sir, please let me,” the nurse, Iris, says from the door.
“Iris, I’m sorry,” Katie says.
I see the nurse smile. “You’re allowed a few meltdowns.”
When Iris comes back with the snacks, we settle in to watch the show. Sometime around 2 am I walk up to find MJ gone, and Katie is holding my hand. I move closer to her
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