"This is hopeless!" she cried out as the therapist massaged and twisted her legs. "I can't feel a damn thing you're doing!"

"It's only hopeless if you don't try." the therapist told her. "Your spine wasn't severed, you know, only damaged. The doctor will run some more tests and might find out that it's not as damaged as we think. There is a chance you might walk again."

Elisha looked at her skeptically.

"It's hard work, a lot of hard work, but it's possible." the therapist said.

Dr. Scott reaffirmed what the therapist had told her when he checked in on her that afternoon.

"Yes, the tests we ran this morning looked very positive. The spinal column suffered severe trauma, but it is definately not severed, as we first thought."

Nick's smile could have lit up the room. "You mean she might be able to walk again?"

The doctor smiled. "It's up to her, to a point. We don't want to strain the spine by working it too much. But over time, with hard work and exercise, it's a definite possibility."

When the door closed behind the doctor Nick grabbed Elisha and hugged her tight. "Oh honey, that's such good news!"

"I don't know Nick." she said doubtfully. "It's so hard. I couldn't feel a thing they were doing to me today!"

"But it's only the first day!" Nick said, positively. "The nurse told me while I was waiting that you started therapy earlier than most patients because they thought you were capable of doing it."

"But they want me to do the treadmill and swimming...I can't even move my big toe! It's hopeless! I don't think I can do it!"

Nick looked at her, looked away and then looked back at her. "Who are you? That's not the Elisha I know talking. Think positive!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nick returned home while Elisha took a nap in the afternoon. He wanted to change and pick up some books for her to read.

"Hey, Nick!" his father called out. "How's Elisha doing?"

Nick went to sit out on the deck with his dad and watched his brother swimming in the pool.

"She's okay. I think she was depressed for a bit, but we worked through that. The doctor seems to think she might be able to walk again, with therapy!"

"That's great to hear Nick! She seems like a strong girl, she'll do alright."

Jane came out to the deck to join them. "She's still paralyzed though, right?"

Nick explained what the doctor had told them again. "She's gonna be fine!" he said.

"Nick, you won't like what I'm going to say but, have you thought any more about marrying Elisha?"

Nick beamed. "Yeah, I gave her the ring again and proposed again. She said yes!"

Jane frowned. "You realize what a difficult life it will be, don't you? She will be totally dependent on you. You're awfully young for that sort of responsibility."

Nick stared out at the ocean and frowned. Why couldn't she just be happy for them? "I know it will be hard, but I love her. We were meant to be together, I knew it from the first moment I saw her. We'll be alright."

Jane started to say something else and Bob placed a hand on her arm. "Nick, we support your decision. Elisha is a lovely woman, and you two are great together. It was obvious you are in love. Congratulations!"

Just as Nick was about to leave the house the phone rang. He took a quick look out back and saw that everyone was still on the deck.

"Damn!" He rushed over to grab it before whoever hung up.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Carter? This is Officer Kerry, we talked at the hospital?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Mr. Carter, we were wondering if you might be able to make a trip to the jailhouse. Miss Williford has been requesting to see you since she arrived. This isn't something we normally do, and I can understand if you are uncomfortable with it. She's been very demanding"

Nick considered for a moment. "I won't be able to talk to her at the trial, will I?"

"No." the officer replied.

"I would like to talk to her, I'll be there shortly." Nick flopped on to the sofa and dialed the hospital.

"Yes, Miss Martin is still resting."

"Okay, just tell her I'll be late but I'll be back tonight to be with her, alright? Please let her know."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nick followed the female officer down the hallway. "We've given you a private room, Mr. Carter. A guard will be right outside, just knock twice on the door when you are ready to leave."

Nick pushed the door open and heard the officer clicking the locks home.

Mandy rushed over to hug him. "Oh, Nick! You are okay! I didn't believe them, I had to see you!"

Nick pushed her away. "Get your hands off of me!" He sat in one of the wooden chairs provided.

"What's wrong Nicky?" she sat across the table from him.

"What's wrong? What on earth were you thinking when you ran into us?"

Mandy dropped her head. "I just wanted to scare her."

"YOU COULD HAVE GOD-DAMN KILLED US!" he roared.

Mandy flinched. "Come on, she's not hurt, is she?" She sounded almost flippant, Nick wanted to jump over the table and choke her.

"She's paralyzed, you bitch, you took one of the most important things in her life away from her, forever." He looked away, out the window, anywhere but at her. "Why did you do it Mandy? Did you think I would come running back to you if you had killed her? That's what you really wanted to do, wasn't it? You wanted to kill her and I would be so upset I'd run into your waiting arms." He banged his fist on the table and Mandy jumped.

Nick got up and walked to the door, he paused before he knocked to signal the guard.

"I hope you get exactly what is coming to you in court Mandy. I'd like to kill you with my bare hands right now. I hope you rot." He banged on the door and strode out.