Chapter 2 - The Foot That Hadn’t Moved in Eight Years
At 8:00 the next morning, Dr. Nathan Cole was standing in my bedroom.
He had examined me for five years.
He was also the only physician I'd never fired for telling me something I didn't want to hear.
“Move your foot.”
I tried.
Nothing.
Nathan folded his arms.
“Again.”
Nothing.
I looked away.
“You think I imagined it.”
“I think you've spent eight years wanting something badly enough to make anyone question what they saw.”
“Six people saw it.”
“That changes things.”
He crouched.
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
“A child was dancing.”
Nathan looked up.
“I'm sorry?”
“You heard me.”
“And that made your foot move?”
“I laughed.”
Nathan became more interested.
“You laughed?”
“Don't make it sound medically significant.”
“It might be.”
He tested my leg again.
Then he stood.
“I want new scans.”
“I've had scans.”
“Not since yesterday.”
“Doctor number ninety-nine already told me—”
“I don't care what ninety-nine doctors said.”
He pointed at me.
“If you produced intentional movement, even once, the diagnosis changes.”
A knock interrupted us.
Marco entered.
“Grace Bennett and her children are downstairs.”
Nathan stared.
“You invited the dancing child back?”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
“I absolutely need to see this.”
Twenty minutes later, Lily marched into the winter garden.
This time her shoes were clean.
She looked disappointed about it.
“Mom made me wash them.”
“I appreciate your mother's judgment.”
“I don't.”
Grace stood behind her.
“Lily.”
“Sorry.”
Nathan introduced himself.
Lily narrowed her eyes.
“You're a doctor?”
“Yes.”
“What number?”
He frowned.
“What?”
I answered.
“One hundred.”
Lily's eyes widened.
“Wow. You have a lot of doctors.”
“Not anymore.”
Nathan pulled a chair closer.
“Lily, Caleb says his foot moved while you were here.”
“It did.”
“You're certain?”
She nodded.
“Twice.”
“Did you touch his leg?”
“No.”
“Did anything happen immediately before?”
“He laughed.”
Nathan looked at me.
Then Lily added:
“And I told him he could move it.”
Grace sighed.
“Honey, saying something doesn't make it happen.”
Lily turned.
“Grandpa said sometimes your brain forgets things your body still remembers.”
The room changed.
Nathan leaned forward.
“Your grandfather said that?”
“Yes.”
“Who is your grandfather?”
“Dr. Thomas Bennett.”
Nathan's expression froze.
I noticed.
“You know him?”
Nathan slowly stood.
“Everyone in neurorehabilitation knows Thomas Bennett.”
Grace looked uncomfortable.
“My father retired years ago.”
Nathan stared at her.
“Your father pioneered motor-recovery research after severe spinal trauma.”
I looked at Lily.
Suddenly her confidence made sense.
“You knew something.”
She shrugged.
“Grandpa helps people move.”
Grace interrupted.
“Not anymore.”
“Why?”
“Mr. Marino—”
“Why?”
Grace hesitated.
“Because my father had a stroke three years ago.”
Lily's smile disappeared.
“He can't talk very good now.”
Nathan crouched beside her.
“But he can still teach you?”
She nodded.
“He taught me games.”
“What games?”
Lily walked over to me.
“Don't think about your foot.”
I stared at her.
“That's your medical strategy?”
“Yes.”
Nathan covered a smile.
Lily turned on her speaker.
“Think about something else.”
“Such as?”
“Standing.”
“That seems remarkably similar to thinking about my foot.”
“Fine. Think about dancing.”
“I don't dance.”
“You probably weren't good anyway.”
Marco coughed into his fist.
I glared at him.
Lily started moving to the music.
“Come on, Statue Man.”
I closed my eyes.
For the first time in eight years, I stopped commanding my body.
I listened.
Music.
Lily laughing.
Water from Audrey's fountain.
For one second, I remembered dancing with my wife.
Then Nathan whispered:
“Caleb.”
I opened my eyes.
My right foot was moving.
Not much.
But repeatedly.
Nathan dropped to his knees.
“Again.”
I stared down.
My toes shifted inside my shoe.
Grace covered her mouth.
Marco whispered something under his breath.
Nathan looked up at me.
His expression was completely different now.
“This isn't a spasm.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means somebody needs to call doctors ninety-one through ninety-nine.”
Lily grinned.
“Why?”
May you like
Nathan stood.
“Because they were wrong.”
