Denise was sure she could not handle anything more. Susan was the next surprise.
Susan slid over to the side of the bed and split her gown to show her legs. Before Denise could react she reached down and pulled off a LBK prosthesis. She lifted her left upper leg and wiggled her small BK stump. It extended about seven inches below the knee and was much smaller in diameter than the other two stumps. “Feels good to get that thing off in the evening. It’s kind of like taking off a pair of tight four inch heels.”
“Do you have to wrap it, I mean like the others?”
“Unless you are going to wrap it for me.” Denise’s eyes got big and she shook her head. “If I don’t tomorrow I may not be able to get my stump into the socket. Then I have no choice, I am on crutches or in a wheelchair.” She took the ace bandage and wrapped her stump.
Debbie and Susan checked if their crutches were under the bed and Susan asked Denise to sit her leg in the corner with the others. Denise took the leg tentatively and asked, “Can I look at it?” She had handled the other two like they would bite.
“Sure.” She looked into the socket, then turned the leg carefully around to look at it. “It is so different than I would have expected. Why do you let the shoe on?”
“I do overnight in case I need to put it on and walk quickly. I change the shoe in the morning when I dress. I have three legs that have different ankle shapes so I can wear heels. That one is for flats and sneakers, then I have one for 2 ½ inch and 4 inch heels.”
“You wear heels?”
“Do you?”
“Yes. But.”
“Why can’t or shouldn’t I?”
“Well. I mean.”
Denise sat the leg in the corner and turned back to the others and sat down. “How do you live with it?”
“With what?” It was Debbie.
“Without a leg? How do you?” She stopped at that point.
“You just live.”
Carol got up and hopped to the side of the van and turned off the overhead lights. As she hopped back Denise stared. “You can hop that good?”
“Yes. It’s rough on the breasts if you do it too much without a bra. But that wouldn’t be a problem for you. Imagine what it does for Susan.”
They all laughed. When the laughter died Debbie quipped. “The good thing about being an AK with large breasts is that you only have one kneecap to bruise.”
The older women laughed. Denise sat looking puzzled. Debbie responded. “Before my amputation when I hopped, my boobs bruised my kneecaps. Now I only have one to bruise.”
“They really don’t bounce that far do they?” They all laughed.
“No. But they feel like it.”
“I understand.”
“How?” The question came in unison.
“They gave me falsies that bounced and stuck to my breasts and they pulled my breasts up and down when I did the cheerleader movie. I was glad when they put the cast on my leg. I didn’t have to jump and have them bounce. They really got sore like they were bruised. And the nipples were awful. Do your nipples get sore? Mine did.”
“Only if I don’t wear a bra to support the breasts and they bounce in my shirt.”
Denise lowered her head, “I only wear a bra to make me look bigger.”
“Be thankful that you don’t need one for support. Bra’s are a lot like guys, they keep you confined, they look good, they look like they may do a good job of supporting you but they never come up to your expectations.” Everyone laughed.
Finally Carol reached up and turned out the lights. “Got to get some shuteye. We get on the road tomorrow by eight. Reveille is six.”
Denise tossed and turned more than half of the night. A combination of the fear of the future, the unsettling of what she had seen and withdrawing from alcohol kept her from sleeping.
Denise Chapter 01: Success in Hollywood
Denise Chapter 13: Denise Gets Another View of the Future
Currently there are no comments related to "Denise Chapter 14: And Still Another View". You have a special honor to be the first commenter. Thanks!
Welcome to Authspot, the spot for creative writing.
Read some stories and poems, and be sure to subscribe to our feed!
