For the next several days she exercised on the ropes. Her strength was steadily increasing. A week after the accident Dr. Western came in followed by a young woman pushing a cart. Something was on the cart covered with a sheet. The doctor sat down on the bed.

“Let me see the exercises.”

“How’s that,” she proudly proclaimed as she performed the prescribed activity.

“Great. Now, let’s get you ready for your legs. Joyce is going to attach something to your stumps to test your muscles and help you get ready for your artificial legs. First, let’s get you out of traction so we can work on your legs.” The nurse removed the weights from the traction and he carefully lowered her stumps. He unwrapped then and felt over them. Only a few spots were tender, unlike the first time he had examined them. He smiled, “They look really good. Lie still and don’t try to move until Joyce gets you hooked up. Then she’ll tell you what to do. I’ll be in to see you tomorrow.”

When he was gone, Joyce uncovered the cart to reveal two odd shaped items. They were each the size of large coffee cans and had several heavy springs hanging from them. She placed a pillow under Kathy’s left stump to support it, unhooked the rope and picked up one of the items. She slipped it over the shaft on the stump, picked up a wrench and tightened several bolts. The object was now attached to Kathy’s leg. It felt heavy. She then attached the cords that came out of the stump to springs on the device. When she tightened the springs, Kathy felt discomfort as the springs stretched the muscles in her stump for the first time since the accident.

“That’s uncomfortable, it pulls. Should it be?”

“Yes, but as your muscles get loosened up, it’ll feel better. Remember, you haven’t used them for a week. It’ll ease in a few hours. If it’s too bad, I can cut the pressure and the nurse can give you a shot for pain.”

“It’s not that bad. Let me see if I can work it out.”

“Fine. Let me get the other leg. If it gets too uncomfortable, call the nurse.”

She attached the second device. She took a cable from a computer on the cart and plugged it into an outlet and turned it on. Two other cables from it were plugged into the devices attached to her legs.