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One in a Billion Chapter Twenty “Day Twenty”   After Donna had left for the hospital, Connie had taken Melanie to Chrissy’s room so she could try on some clothes. Melanie was so petite she could actually wear most of Chrissy’s clothes but was unable to fit her feet into Chrissy’s shoes. Connie gave her a pair of Donna’s older shoes and they fit perfectly. After finding clothes for her and Melanie getting a shower they all sat in the living room and talked. She told Connie, Josh, Billy, Candace and Jane all about herself and how she came to be there. She then explained that she was going to look for work as soon as she could and hopefully be able to get a place to stay. Connie told her that Jim, Donna’s fiancé was the owner of a factory and Donna worked there also, so they could probably help her get a job at it. After talking for a while they all retired for the night.             The next morning found Jim sleeping late and Donna waking at about 7:30. She rose up and checked to make sure Jim was ok, then got up and gathered clothes to change into and headed for the bathroom. She showered and dressed, then returned to the room to check on Jim. When she walked over to look at him he opened his eyes and said, “Good morning beautiful.” She just leaned down and kissed him. Jim used his unbroken arm to hug Donna as tight as he could with out causing himself pain. He then told her as she stood back up, that he loved her.             Donna asked Jim if he would like to have a good country breakfast from the restaurant as she wanted to go get one for herself. He told her that sounded very well to him and to make sure she brought a thermos of coffee back with it. Donna told him she would be sure to bring the coffee and she was also going to go by the house and check on Josh and the others. Jim told her that would be ok and if Josh wanted to come back with her that he would approve of it also. Donna gave him a good-bye kiss and left the room.             Shortly after Donna left the hospital, Lena came in and told Jim he was going to start therapy in about 30 minutes. She said a therapist would be by to get him and he would have to start learning to get from the bed to a wheelchair. Jim told her that would be ok although he figured it might cause him some pain in the beginning. Lena told him the therapist would be able to help him with the pain also and then she excused herself to continue her rounds.             A woman came in shortly afterwards and introduced herself as his therapist, Gwendolyn Sloan. She told him he could call her Gwen for short. Gwen said, “If you will let me I would like to have an orderly take you down to the therapy room as soon as possible and if we can get you used to a wheelchair, you maybe able to go home in a couple of days.” Jim replied with, “Well that would be really great, as a matter of fact I would hire a private therapist if I knew I could go home late this evening or tomorrow morning.” “I am wanting to get married as soon as possible and would appreciate any and all help I could get in getting out of here as soon as I can”, he added. Gwen told him, “I understand and if you can maneuver a wheelchair the way you need to and also load yourself into it from a bed and chair by this evening, I will give my approval of your release. The orderly will be in to get you shortly and I will see you in a little while.” He told her good-bye as she was heading out the door.             A few minutes went by and then there was a knock on his room door, after telling them to come in, an orderly came in pushing a wheelchair. “Hi, my name is Mike and I am here to take you to therapy”, he said. Jim told him he was more then ready to go. Mike showed Jim as he explained to him as to how he wanted him to get from the bed to the wheelchair. With one arm in a cast, it was a very trying experience for Jim. After he was finally in the wheelchair with very minimal help from Mike, Jim asked him how he had done. Mike told him considering one arm was in a cast that 38 minutes wasn’t bad at all. Jim just kept thinking of his and Donna’s wedding and the pain he was in seemed not to bother him.             When they reached the therapy room, Mike wheeled him over next to a bed. Gwen was standing next to it and told Jim she wanted him to lock his wheelchair in place and try on his own to get from the chair to the bed. Jim spent the next 45 minutes getting from the chair to the bed with no help from Mike. Mike did help Jim sit back in the chair when he first tried and almost fell forwards, but that was he was allowed to do was keep Jim from falling over. Gwen told him he could have a 15 minute break and then he could try getting back into the chair. Mike asked if he would like something to drink as he was going to step out to the concession room for a soft drink. Jim told him that sounded good, but he didn’t have any money on him at the moment, Mike said not to worry about it and was gone.             Mike returned shortly with two soft drinks and handed one to Jim. Jim thanked him and downed almost half of it before taking a breath. Mike then asked Jim if he was ready to start as Gwen had left for a bit and would return a little later. Jim said he was ready and actually a little anxious to get the training over with. He proceeded to move from the bed to the chair after handing Mike his soft drink to sit on the table. This time he made it in less then 30 minutes. After another 15 minute break he moved from the chair to the bed in a little over 21 minutes. They took another 15 minute break and then as he started to get back in the chair just as Gwen returned. “How is he doing”, she asked Mike. “Ok, he is down to 30 minutes bed to chair and 21 minutes chair to bed so far”, Mike told her. “Great, now if he can go both ways in less than 20 minutes each, he will be able to leave the hospital this evening”, she told them. Jim moved from the bed back into the chair this time in 17 minutes. He didn’t even stop for a break and returned to the bed from the chair in 19 minutes. He looked at Gwen and even though he was in some pain, he smiled and asked if that was quick enough for him to be released. Gwen told him to rest for about 15 minutes and do it again at least that fast and she would sign the release immediately.             After he rested a bit Jim repeated the moves this time both ways were 16 minutes each. Gwen smiled at him and said, “Well you have just won yourself a ticket out of here”, then added, “That is the quickest I have ever had any adult do that with one arm in the first week let alone in the first day.” Jim told her that was only because he had a wedding to plan and attend to, and that both her and Mike would be invited to it for sure. Mike helped Jim back into the chair as Gwen was filling out his release paper work. She handed the papers to Jim and told Mike to take him by the nurses’ station and then to his room to get ready to leave. Jim was very happy and the pain he was feeling almost seemed to have left him completely.             Jim noticed the clock by the nurses’ station had 12:20 on it and as Mike wheeled him into his room he saw Donna sitting in the chair watching TV. He told her he was sorry he had missed breakfast, but he would be really happy to eat lunch with her at home. Donna gave him a questioning look and Jim told her he was going to get to go home as soon as they brought the papers in for him to sign. Donna smiled and almost tipped him and the wheelchair over as she hugged him tightly. Mike told Jim he was happy for him to get to leave and that he had better get back to work. Jim thanked him and said good-bye, then Mike left. Donna told Jim they had better get him dressed if he was going to be released. She opened his suitcase and Jim told her what clothes to lie out. She then took a pair of scissors Jim kept in his suitcase and split the inner leg seam up just above the knee on one leg of a pair of jeans so it would go over the cast.             Just after they had finished getting Jim dressed and had all his stuff ready to take out, a woman came in with his release papers. She told him she was Joyce from admissions and that if he would kindly sign the papers for her she would escort him out of the hospital. Jim signed all the papers and after she gave him his copies, she told them that she would be right back to escort him out. She returned in a few minutes pushing a cart and told Donna that she could use it to haul their belongings on so she wouldn’t have to tote it. Donna thanked her and after she placed their stuff on the cart the three of them proceeded to head for the front exit. When they got their Donna went out to the parking lot and drove her van around to the entrance. Mike walked out about the same time and he helped Jim get from the chair to the van then he showed Donna how to fold the chair and helped her put it in the rear of the van. Donna placed Jim’s suitcase and the other stuff in the van and they headed home.             When they arrived home everyone at the house came out to meet them and to help get Jim and his stuff inside easily and quickly. Billy helped Jim make the transition from the van to his wheelchair and then he pushed him into the house and over near the end table beside the couch. Josh and Melanie took Jim’s suitcase and other stuff to Donna’s room as she had instructed them to. Donna and Connie went to the kitchen to start preparing dinner. Once there Connie asked Donna how Jim was doing and whether they had talked any about their wedding since he had been released from the hospital. Donna told her he had not mentioned it since she had seen him after his therapy and she didn’t mention it either due to not wanting to sound too anxious. They chatted about other things as they continued to get dinner ready for the family.           Jim asked Billy if he might help him making some calls and setting up a wedding without Donna or Connie knowing of it. Billy told him he would help and unless the girls tortured him he believed he could keep it a secret. Jim went about explaining what all he wanted and how it was supposed to be. Billy went and got both of Jim’s cell phones and they started making calls. In the meanwhile Josh and Melanie were unpacking Jim’s suitcase, hanging his clothes in one side of Donna’s closet and putting the rest of the clothes in three drawers on one side of the dresser, just as Donna had instructed them to do earlier. By the time Jim and Billy had finished with their calls and almost all arrangements for the wedding had been completed, Josh and Melanie had finished their task and returned to the living room as Donna came in announcing dinner was ready.             As Jim was being wheeled into the kitchen by Josh he noticed the clock on the wall showing it was already 4:45 pm, “too late to do much more on the wedding today”, he thought to himself. They all enjoyed a nice dinner and afterwards, Candace, Jane and Josh offered to clean up so the adults could talk for a bit by themselves. Billy, Jim, Connie, Donna and Melanie went to the living room.   Melanie told Donna and Jim about herself and that she was wanting to get a job as soon as possible as she felt she was a burden to them by not being able to pay for anything they had given her. Jim spoke up and told her, “You can start to work Monday morning if you want, I will call and set it up with Jennifer at the factory. She will be able to place you right away as they are still short handed and with Donna being off to help me, I know they will appreciate having another worker.” Jim then surprised Melanie by saying that she could use Donna’s car until she could get one of her own to drive. Donna told her when she looked at her that they had already discussed it and then Donna handed Melanie a set of keys to it.   Connie told Donna that Melanie could wear almost all of Chrissy’s clothes and wanted to know if there was anything that she wished for Melanie not to wear to let her know and she would take it out of Chrissy’s room. Donna said Melanie could wear anything in there as Chrissy would have wanted to share her stuff with someone that could use it rather then letting it sit idle. Donna asked if anyone wanted coffee or something else to drink, then she got up and started towards the kitchen. Connie stood and said she would help her, and then followed Donna to the kitchen.   As soon as they were out of hearing range, Jim asked Melanie if she would be willing to take care of the house and to look after Josh for a week while Donna and he were on their honeymoon. Melanie assured him she would be more then happy to do that. Jim then explained that he had set the wedding plans up to take place on Sunday at 2 o’clock and that if she would hold off going to work at the factory till after they returned from their honeymoon, he would make sure she was well compensated. Melanie agreed to hold off going to work and told Jim he wouldn’t have to pay her for the time they were on their honeymoon as everyone had already done so much to help her. Jim told her he would make sure she had some spending money at least. Just as he finished speaking Donna and Connie returned to the room with a tray containing cups of coffee for everyone. Josh and the two other girls came in behind them and asked if they could all go to Josh’s room to play video games. When Donna and Connie both said yes the three of them were gone so fast it was like they had disappeared in thin air.   Jim looked at his watch as he was feeling kind of tired and found it was already 9:12, he asked Donna if she would help him get ready for bed and the two of them excused themselves as Donna wheeled him out of the room. It took Donna about an hour to help Jim get bathed, dressed and into bed. Donna took a quick shower and joined him in the bed. Jim asked, “How would you feel about getting married this Sunday at 2pm.” Donna almost screamed with joy as she told him she would love it. Then she asked how could they get everything took care of that fast. Jim told her everything was already taken care of except for who she was going to use as a bridesmaid and the vehicle they would use to go on their honeymoon in. He also told her that the Cliftons and her brother’s family would be coming in late the next day for the wedding. She thanked him and told him he was the most thoughtful person she had ever known. They kissed long and passionately as Donna let her hands roam over Jim’s body and he let his hands gently massage her breast. After the kiss they each said, “Goodnight, I love you.” They fell asleep holding each other and slept through the night in the same position.

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