DREA (GxG)

5. {A lesbian's best trait}

I haven't figured it out. I've been sitting on the edge of this bath for the last five minutes, unsure how to proceed from here. The shower was a failure since I couldn't stand in it. My cast would be completely drenched if I did. Which led me to draw a bath. Now, I'm not so sure about the bath either. I chewed my lip as I glanced towards the door. "Drea?"

"Yeah?" I heard her voice from far away, and then I heard it right on the other side of the door. "You okay? Do you need me?"

"Uh, can you get Dr LaRue please?"

"Oh... okay."

I heard her retreating footsteps, then heard the bedroom door close. Five minutes later I was still sitting on the edge of the bath in only underwear when I heard the bedroom door open again. Two sets of footsteps came towards the bathroom then I heard a knock. "Julia, everything okay?"

"Steph, can you come here, please? I'm... I'm naked. Just a heads up."

"Ok. I appreciate the heads-up."

The door opened and I watched her slip through. Her eyes landed on me then the bath then back on me. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to clean myself. What does it look like?"

"And you're trying to do that with a bath? I told you not to get the casts wet and you're about to drown them."

"I wasn't. That's why I called for you. How do I do what I need to do without wetting the casts?"

"Well first," she said, pulling out a draw on the vanity and grabbing a washcloth. "You get one of these, you wet it like this... Pour some body wash or whatever and you go like this," she pressed the cloth to my shoulder and rubbed in gentle circular motions. "How many times have we done this?"

"Me and you? Too many times for me not to know what to do. I'm guessing?"

"Yes, exactly. Then you very confidently stated you didn't need my help." I frowned. "Hold out your hand." I did and she soaped my arm then moved to do my chest. It was awkward for me but for her, it was business as usual. She rinsed the cloth in the bath until it was free of soap and squeezed it dry before she used it to wipe the soap off my skin.

I swallowed painfully. Every minute of every day, I feel more and more useless. "So, I can't wash myself is what you're saying?"

"Hmmm. See why I couldn't discharge you to a hotel? See why you're going to need Drea?" She dipped the washcloth again and soaped it another time. "Hold on to my hand and stand for me."

She held out her other hand and I gripped it, pulling myself up. She helped me, drawing me up too. Then she bent over, her hand holding me around the waist so I wouldn't fall as she soaped my legs. She rinsed the cloth and wiped each of them. She soaped it another time and handed it to me. "All you from here."

I took it and thanked her as she washed her hands to leave. "Oh, by the way," she looked at me through the mirror. "I'm going over to Drea's tonight."

"Just for tonight?"

"Maybe tomorrow night too and the night after that... it all depends on if we live till morning." She nodded, shaking her head with an amused smile. Then she was gone.

I stripped out of my underwear and did my best to wash myself sitting down. It was a pain, and I would definitely need help. After I rinsed the cloth, I could barely squeeze enough water out of it with one hand. I did the best I could, though, before wiping away all the soap.

As I turned to wipe the back of my leg, I slipped and fell back into the bath with a splash. My back hit the wall with a force I swore my spine dislocated. I groaned, holding my hand up in the air away from the water. My legs were still thrown over the edge of the bath which I was thankful for, but I know I twisted it while I fell because of the pain I felt shooting up my leg.