Help

thirty-four

F L O R E N C E

"It's been two days you need to start walking," Emilio tries to reason with me. I however want none of it. Who on earth said that two days after a spinal surgery you should be walking around? I am in pain. This is not fair.

"No," I stubbornly reply, shaking my head. I attempt to roll onto my right side, in hopes of getting away from Emilio's nagging. But he just walks around my hospital bed. I am trapped.

"Florence—,"

"I have diabetes." I cut him off.

"I know."

"And a bunch of stitches."

"I know that too."

"I also have a pounding headache, and the overwhelming urge to pee."

"I didn't need to know that."

"My point is, I am sickly. Why put me through more pain when we can sit here and watch Marvel movies?"

"Are you guilt tripping me?" He gasps.

"Yes."

"It's not working," he scoffs as he pushes the rails on the side of my bed down. "You need to walk, to be able to heal."

"No," I deadpan. I try to roll away. However, I am rudely stopped when two hands roll me back to face him.

"You said you have to pee, let's walk to the bathroom, it's just right there," he points. The bathroom is close and it doesn't seem too difficult, but that doesn't mean I want to get up.

"I can hold it."

"You'll get a kidney infection."

"Then I'll add it to the list."

"My God, why are you so stubborn?"

"I don't want to walk. It will hurt."

He sighs, sitting down on the edge of my bed. "I'll help you, and I want you to know that I would never make you do something that wasn't good for you," he says, smiling down at me. I don't smile back. I try to convey my annoyance through my frown. "That being said, this will be good for you, and Massimo wants you to start walking today."

As soon as I hear Massimo's name I want to smack Emilio. He knows that whatever Massimo says goes. "Fine." I grumble, looking anywhere but him as he grabs my shoulder and mid-back to lift me up into a sitting position.

My whole body burns and aches. Every stitch, bruise, and wound, it all burns as I move. Tears spring into my eyes as I scrunch my face up. Emilio kisses my forehead as he lifts my legs to bring them over the side of the bed. Moving to stand in front of me I keep my head down.

"Emi it hurts."

"I know, you just have to walk to the bathroom door. I will carry you back."

I nod, and grab his outstretched hands. He squeezes them before letting go and hooking his forearms under my armpits. "Okay first let's just stand. I'll lift you up, all you have to do is put your feet on the ground. Ready?" I nod.

"Three, two, one," he counts down and lifts me up enough for me to shift my butt off the bed and ground my bare feet onto the chilly tiles floor. "Good girl."

My back aches and pinches as gravity uses it's magic. I grab onto Emilio's biceps gripping onto him, feeling as if my body will give out if I don't grab on. "It hurts," I cry.

"I've got you, sweetheart. Five steps. You can do it. This is good for you."

"Doesn't feel good," I awkwardly wipe my tears on my sweatshirt. Only to have more run down my cheeks.