Chapter 36 – Alice
Alice had tossed and turned for so long in that bed that she couldn’t tell what time it was, but it was certainly still night, as the sun seemed far from rising on the other side of the window. Again and again, Massimo’s questions hammered in her mind, spreading not only fear throughout her body, but also choking her with guilt.
In the darkness of her room, she could only pray that he would show mercy after seeing her emotional state and let the matter drop. Otherwise, she would have to face him again, with lies on the tip of her tongue, cold sweat covering her face and her dry throat…
No longer able to bear the way her mind was torturing her, Alice abruptly stood up, not even caring when the blankets fell to the floor. Putting on her slippers, she left the room exactly as she was, in a nightgown that came down to her knees. The spring air had been getting increasingly warmer lately and that was exactly what greeted her as she walked down the hallway, which only made her even thirstier. Alice just hoped that wasting some time in the kitchen was what she needed to get at least a few minutes of sleep that night.
but However, that’s not what happened. She went to the kitchen, filled three glasses of water, even so her restlessness refused to go away, to the point where Alice decided to go back to her room. If she really couldn’t close her eyes, then she would at least dust off her old college textbooks and start reading them again. It was the most useful thing she could do for herself,
after all.
However, as if experiencing déjà vu, she froze in her tracks when a grunt of pain sounded near her. It came as no shock to her when, after pushing the bedroom door ajar, she found a lamp on, illuminating Massimo, who was in the middle of the bed, his legs at an awkward angle as he appeared to be trying to reach his chair.
“You really have a thing for invading my privacy, don’t you?” he grunted, sounding more embarrassed than angry.
“It’s not my fault you’re always trying to do something stupid when I’m around.” Alice sighed, entering the room “Do you need anything? Do you want to go to the bathroom?”
“No.” Massimo’s grimaced in disgust “I wasn’t trying to go anywhere.”
“So, what were you doing? Don’t you realize that the more unnecessary effort you make, the more your body hurts?” She approached him, trying to pay attention only to his bandages, rather than the fact that he was almost naked, with only a pair of boxers on “Well, at least nothing seems to be bleeding. Listen, try to keep quiet for at least another week and I’m sure your bandages will soon be a lot less bothersome. It’s already in a pretty good healing process anyway. But if you keep pushing your body like that, then you’re back to square one.‘
“I know.” He rolled his eyes “But I’ve already spent too much time in that damn hospital. I can’t stand still anymore.”
“Is that why whenever we meet like this, you’re in a different room?”
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“Look, since I left that ICA, all I wanted to do was stay still on a bed. But, that has changed lately ” He grumbled “Standing still like a baby bird, waiting for others to feed food into my mouth, has left me in more pain than these bandages. That’s why I’m not just going to…” As he spoke, Massimo continued to drag himself out of bed, doing a juggling act that ended up malding him cringe “Fuck!”
“I don’t know if there’s anyone else who can be as stubborn as you.” Alice lamented, rushing
som to support him “You know you’re only having so much difficulty because you haven’t agreed to go to physiotherapy yet, right? A professional would help you strengthen your body and find the best possible ways for you to move…”
“And sign the declaration that my legs are a lost cause?” he growled, sounding like the Massimo site had met the first time she set foot in that mansion. “No, thank you.”
“So, what? Are you going to let your muscles atrophy, your condition worsen and your autonomy disappear, while you wait for everything to go back to the way it was before?” she scolded him, feeling a little bad for being so harsh, but at the same time not, because he certainly needed to hear that “I’m sorry if you’re expecting a solution to appear for you overnight, Massimo, but take it from someone whose family has a long history with medicine. If there was a way to magically solve this, you would have enough money to buy it, you know that. But, do you know what you still have left to do? Help your body stay strong to facilitate your healing! Medicines, exams and physical therapy will stimulate your legs and let doctors know whether your condition is irreversible or not. Dr. Lewis told me that you still have some sensitivity in the soles of your feet, don’t you?”
“It’s almost nothing.” He grunted, dissatisfied.
“Well, I’m sorry to say, but this nothing is the best clue you could have, because it means the nervous system is still functioning, which is vital for the recovery of your movements. But if you don’t do anything about it, it might actually turn into nothingness. And I’m not talking about you exceeding your limits and torturing yourself. I’m talking about a professional who has studied for years to know what exercises you need to stimulate your body by improving your health, rather than improving it.“.
“I know my own body.” Massimo replied, stubbornly “I don’t need anyone for that. Especially someone who will treat me like I’ll never walk again and need to live the rest of my life that way.”
Chapter 27–Ax
