“No. We need the crutch practice.”

They beat the manager and Denise to the other end and were seated when they got to the restaurant. Half way to the restaurant Denise realized that they had shucked the prostheses to be able to move easier. They were teaching her how to survive on one leg.

They held the evening session and by eight thirty they were back in the RV headed for another campground. Denise and Carol fixed sandwiches and a cup of soup for each of them just after they started the trip. When they finished eating Susan pulled off the road and Carol took the wheel so Susan and Debbie could eat.

Four very tired women pulled into the camp ground just before eleven. Carol pointed to the flashlight as she turned off the motor. “Plug us in.”

Denise protested. Carol replied. “Plug in or dump black water.”

Denise took the flashlight and in three minutes the lights in the RV switched from battery to AC. By the time she got back in the RV Carol had sodas poured and Susan and Debbie were pulling out the beds. Denise asked which drink was hers and Carol pointed to one. She took it and said thanks.

One by one they used the bathroom to change. The amputees went through the evening prosthesis removal and stump care. Denise watched as the three of them pulled off the prostheses and had her set them in the corner. She was less uncomfortable with them when she did it. Susan put some crème on a spot on her stump and Denise asked what that was for. “If I get one sore spot, I am on crutches. There was a spot that looked like it might be getting sore. I have to check it every night. The AK’s have more surface and better contact, they don’t seem to have as much a problem with the stump getting sore. But I have a knee to move the lower leg that they don’t have.”

“Does that make a big difference?”

“It is pretty hard for an AK to get by without being noticed. I can do it if I am really careful. And a BK can run pretty good if they spend time learning. That is really hard for an AK.”

“What is this AK, BK?”

“I’m a BK, below the knee. I am actually an LBK, left below the knee and some people add the term short because I have a short stump. Carol is a LAK, Left above the knee with a mid stump and Debbie is the same with a slightly longer stump. She has an easier time with the prosthesis because she has more control over it.”

Carol broke in. “Down the drinks and get to sleep. Wake up call is six.”

Denise Chapter 01: Success in Hollywood

Denise Chapter 14: And Still Another View

Denise Chapter 16: Denise Realizes She is Unique