"It's A Wrap!" - chapter 9

WEEK TWENTY

It’s Monday morning and although I should get my ass out of bed I just lay here, lost in thought. Meg got up a while ago and is downstairs in the kitchen feeding the kids breakfast and getting them ready for school. I should be helping her since I leave in a few days and will be away for two weeks.

In exactly one week we start shooting season five of ‘Dean & Dad’. I fly back to Toronto early Friday morning for two reasons; to have a few days to get settled into my apartment and also to attend a ‘Welcome Back!’ party with the cast and crew Friday evening. It’s an annual tradition and I don’t want to miss it. I have a feeling it’s even more important I attend this year than previous year since it’ll be the first time most of them see me in my chair. It’ll be a good opportunity to (hopefully) levitate some of the (inevitable) awkwardness and hopefully we won’t have to deal with too much of that on set. I won’t deny it; I’m nervous as hell.

I check the time. It’s almost 8 o’clock. With a heavy sigh I sit up in bed, pull the covers aside and lift my legs off the bed, one by one, so I’m sitting on the edge of it.  I adjust the position of my wheelchair slightly and put one hand on the edge of the seat cushion and one hand on the bed. In one smooth move I transfer to it and after setting both feet on the footplate I wheel into the bathroom to do my morning routine. I decide to skip the shower. I showered after my workout last night.

I wheel over to the toilet and grab a new catheter from the drawer in the vanity closest to it. After pulling my limp dick out of the fly of my boxers I insert the catheter with practiced ease and watch the urine flow through the tube into the toilet bowl. I’m still not used to the fact that I need to push a tube into my dick on a fixed schedule to take a piss, but it is what it is. I’m glad it’s not a bowel routine day today. 

After I finish cathing myself I wash my hands thoroughly, then I brush my teeth and apply some deodorant. I decide to skip shaving. I kind of like the rugged look a days growth of beard gives me. And it’s a pretty good disguise. My fans are used to seeing me clean-shaven.  After wiping a washcloth over my face I wheel back to the bedroom and then into our walk-in closet. I grab a pair of well-worn jeans and a plain grey t-shirt.

Fifteen minutes later I wheel into the kitchen where Meg is just finished with packing the kids lunches. She greets me with a kiss and asks me if I mind driving the kids to school. She has an appointment with her hairdresser and if she has to drive them she won’t have time for the coffee she wants to grab on her way there. I assure her it’s no problem and after another kiss she grabs her stuff and hurries out to the garage.

This time taking the kids to school goes off without a hitch and I drop by the grocery store on my way home to buy ingredients for dinner. Between Meg and me I’m the better cook and I actually enjoy cooking. I just don’t have as much time as I’d like to actually do it, but today I have time and I want to do something special for my family.

Meg loves to bake, which I don’t. I’m not good at following recipes and since baking is much more about exact measurements and cooking times my baking usually ends in disaster and I generally leave baking to my wife. She is very good at it, but her cooking is more of the basic kind. She says that she cooks to keep the family fed while I cook the stuff we actually like to eat. I guess there’s a truth in that.

This time I opt for one of the standard carts at the supermarket. I was at the rehab center for a PT session with Andrew last week and I mentioned my struggle with the lack of wheelchair adapted shopping carts and he just laughed at me and called one of the wheelchair skills trainers over. She explained a few techniques to use regular cart and I decide to give it a go. To my surprise I manage pretty well and although it’s a bit of a pain it’s not too bad.  I’m pleased with myself when I’m settled back into the car with the trunk full of groceries. This time I’ve managed to get everything on our list. Well done me!

When I pull up to the garage Joel and George appear in the front yard, they’re heading for the van. I quickly reassemble my chair, transfer to it and wheel over to them.

“Hi guys,” I greet them. “How are you today?”

“I’m good, thanks,” Joel replies and George echoes his statement. They ask me the same question and we chat a bit before curiosity gets the best of me and I ask them where they’re going. I notice Joel is wearing a pair of dark jeans and a light blue button-down shirt. He’s definitely more dressed up than I’m used to. His normal attire is sweatpants and t-shirts. He rarely bothers with jeans if he’s just staying at home and I’ve never seen him in a shirt before.

“I’m going to work,” Joel beams, although I catch a nervous edge in his voice. “Alan called me last week and asked me if I wanted to consult on a new project which is related to the one I was working on when I got injured. The client wants me on and I agreed to give it a go.”

“That’s great, Joel!”

“Yeah, I think so too. I’m really happy about it. The meeting I’m attending is at one, so we’d better get going.”

“Okay, I’ll see you later. Um, do you have any plans this evening?”

“No, not really. Why?”

“If you want to you’re welcome to join us for dinner. I’m doing a big barbecue with all of my favorite side dishes.”

“That sounds great. When do you plan to eat?”

“Around six thirty or seven.”

“Got it. See you later.”

“Good luck at work. I’m sure you’ll have a great timer.”

“We’ll see,” Joel says with a wry smile as George uses the attendant controls on the back of his wheelchair to get him positioned correctly in the van. I busy myself with unloading my groceries and a few minutes later I wave as George steers the van out of the driveway.

…

When Meg arrives home little after noon she looks spectacular. She always does, but especially when she has been to the hairdresser.

“Hey babe,” she greets me happily. “Did it go smoothly this morning?”

“Yep, everything was fine. Even the grocery shopping. I’m glad I mentioned it to Andrew and got some pointers on how to use a regular shopping cart. I wonder why they don’t teach that at the rehab center since it’s a pretty useful skill.”

“I’m glad it worked out. So what are you cooking for dinner?”

“A barbecue with all the fixings. Oh, and I invited Joel and he accepted. I think I’ll just assist him myself and ask the PCA on duty to stay in the guesthouse or go out to have dinner or something. I want it to be just us.”

“Sounds good to me. Where is Joel by the way? I saw the van is gone.”

“At work. His boss called him and asked him to consult on a new project. It’s linked to the project he was working on at the time of his accident.”

“That’s great. I know he’s generally seemed happier since he’s been out of the rehab center, but I’ve had a feeling he’s been bored lately. Which makes sense. There’s nothing wrong with his brain so it has to get boring to just sit and watch TV all day, day after day.”

“Exactly. He’s a smart guy, no doubt about that, and the co-workers of his I spoke to the day he was released and when I joined them for beers a couple of weeks ago all seemed to really respect him both professionally and as a person. I hope it works out and he’s able to at least consult for a few hours a week. It’ll do him good just to get out of the house and interact with other people.”

“I guess we’ll find out how it went tonight,” Meg says before she changes the subject. “How about you? Are you ready to get back to work?”

“Yeah, I definitely am. I’ll miss being at home, but I think things will work out well with the new scheduling. I’ll be away for longer stretches of time, but I’ll have more time at home in between which I’m really pleased about.”

“Yeah, I think the scheduling looks good too. I have to admit I’m not thrilled that you’ll be away for two weeks at a time, but I am happy that when you’re home it’s for more than just a long weekend.”

I pull Meg into my lap and wrap my arms around her. “I love you,” I say before I kiss her soundly. She reciprocates and deepens the kiss.  We end up making out and when we pull apart we’re both panting, leaning our foreheads against each other.

“I love you too,” Meg says just before she places another kiss on my lips and gets to her feet.

…

I spend most of the afternoon preparing the barbecue which means cooking a variety of side dishes including coleslaw, two different potato salads, mac and cheese, baked beans, a green salad, corn on the cob and a couple of sauces. I also marinate steaks, prep some chicken, onion and pepper skewers and get hotdogs ready for the kids.

By 4:30 I’m pretty much done with the preparations, the fridge is packed with food, and my back is aching slightly around the site of my injury. I generally don’t have pain issues, but sometimes it does flare up. Especially if I’ve been overdoing things, which I kind of have today. I haven’t been taking many breaks and I also haven’t been very good at shifting my weight as often as I’m supposed to. Meg walks into the kitchen just as I do a weight shift and notice me wincing as I do it.

“Are you okay, babe?” she asks with worry lacing her voice.

“Yeah, I’m fine. My back hurts a bit, that’s all. I think I’m going to lie down to stretch my back. Just for an hour or so. I told Joel we’d eat around 6:30 so there’s time for that.”

“Go right ahead! I’ll set the table outside and then I’ll go fetch the kids from Melanie’s and we’ll be back in time for dinner.”

“Thanks, Babe,” I say as I wheel up to her and pull her down to me so I can kiss her. When I’m standing I’m about a foot taller than Meg and it’s still strange to be looking up at my wife. I’m not sure if I’ll ever get totally used to it.

…

At 6:15 I’m on the back porch doing last minute preparations when Joel comes wheeling up the path from the guesthouse. He’s wearing the same dark jeans as he was wearing earlier today, but the button-down shirt has been changed to a plain black V-necked t-shirt and he’s wearing his sheepskin slippers instead of shoes.

“Hi Joel,” I greet him as he rolls onto the patio. “Did you ditch the PCA?”

“Well, I was kind of hoping you’d feed me. Jerry isn’t my favorite and things will just be awkward with him around.” To be honest Jeremy isn’t my favorite either.

“I was going to suggest you ask whoever is working tonight to stay behind, so it’s all good,” I assure him as I open a bottle of beer and insert a straw to it. I hold the straw up to Joel’s lips and he takes a couple of sips.

“Thanks, Chris,” he says with a broad smile. “Just what I needed after a days work. Well, half a day that is.”

“So, how was work? Judging from your mood I’d say it was a success.”

“Things were a bit awkward and there’s still some ice that needs breaking, but in general it went better than I feared. I’m going in for another meeting on Wednesday and I’m really looking forward to it. It feels really good to be have something more constructive than watching TV to fill some of my time with.”

“I’m really happy for you, buddy,” I say.  Before we can take the conversation further Meg and the kids appear and it’s time to get the barbecue started.

It turns out to be a lovely meal. We have a few beers, some good food and share some laughs. Thankfully the kids are tired from a long day that started with school and ended with spending the afternoon with some of their best friends and go to bed right after they finish eating their dinners without protesting.

Joel is tired from what has been a big day for him. Outings are generally tiring for him and today was more exhausting than normal, so at about half past eight he excuses himself and makes his way back to his place to go to bed. He needs his rest.

Meg and I aren’t tired and we decide to move over to the wicker couch on the opposite end of the patio. I wheel over there, do my transfer and make myself comfortable as Meg gathers our wine glasses and the half empty bottle of red wine and follows me.  After pouring us both a glass of wine she sits down on the sofa next to me and cuddle.

TBC...