We get home and she takes her position on the couch. I ice the ankle through the cast and again lovingly massage her toes and what I can reach of her foot. I go out and pick up some Chinese food and a video. I help her to the table and prop her leg up in a chair while we eat. After eating we watch the video, her lying back on the couch with her foot propped on my lap. I gently stroke her toes as we both drift off to sleep.

I wake up to see the movie has ended and the screen has gone to snow. I gently wake up Jennifer and help her to the bedroom. We get into bed and again she rests her broken leg on the piles of pillows. I squeeze her in tight embrace and we again drift off into sleep.

I wake up to the sound of crying. «Honey, what's wrong? Is it your leg? Are you hurting?». «No I just had a bad dream» she replies with a sniff. «I dreamed my leg didn't get better, the doctor said I would never play tennis or run again». «Don't worry your going to be fine as long as we keep taking care of your leg» I try to reassure. «I know, but it gets so frustrating not being able to get around like I need to». «Don't worry, you're going to be just fine, it was just a dream».

It is a beautiful morning and we decide to go out for breakfast. There is a cute little sidewalk café not far from our house. We used to eat breakfast there about twice a month, but since Jen broke her leg we haven't made it.

We get ourselves ready and head off in the SUV. We park around the corner from the café and half to walk about a half a block. I compliment Jennifer on her progress with the crutches. She moves smoothly on our walking carefully holding her shattered leg out in front of her.

We get seated right away and after holding the chair for Jennifer I gently place her casted leg on another chair. We sit enjoying the weather, the breakfast, the conversation and terrific coffee. It is a beautiful cloud free day in the low 70's.

As we sit at our street side table I see a lot of people eyeing Jennifer as they walk by. I assume that some are gawking at her leg and some recognize her from the trial. After eating we were relaxing finishing our coffee. Suddenly a girl in her early to mid twenties came up to the table.

«Hi Miss Bailey, how are you doing?» she asks. «Good just enjoying my breakfast» she replies with a smile. «I've seen you on the news every night this week» the girl continues to babble. I give her a quick once over as she is a very pretty blonde about 5'6 and 110 pounds with her hair pulled back tightly.

«I know just what you're going through with your leg. I broke mine skiing winter before last» she continues on. «Oh, I'm sorry to hear that» Jennifer says politely. «I caught an edge and my leg just spun around on me, I had a tib-fib at mid shaft. I was in a cast just like yours for 2 months» she says. «How is your leg now?» Jennifer inquires. «It's getting better, but I still couldn't ski at all this last winter even after a full year» she says with a sad tone. «I have a tib-fib as well as a broken ankle» Jen told the girl. «Oh no, I heard the ankle can be worse than the leg because of it being a joint» the girl says in an apologetic tone.

«Well good luck with the trial and with your leg» the girl says as she walks away. A limp is noticeable as she leaves and I notice Jennifer is watching it too. «Will I be laid up that long?» Jennifer asks. «I mean that poor girl is still limping after a year and a half, and she doesn't have the ankle issues that I do». «Don't worry, it may take a little time but you will get better». «But I have always been so active, I can't believe I went through 8 years of Gymnastics and the worst thing I ever had was a badly sprained ankle, and then I do this to myself just walking down some steps». «I'm sorry you're feeling so down about this honey, I guess some of this is natural when you are such an active person» I again try to reassure.

We head back to the house and on the way the subject comes up about when she will be able to drive again. We decide to press the Doctor Monday for a time frame for driving. I realize Jennifer's Miata hasnít been started in the month since her accident. For that matter I haven't started my motorcycle since then either.

When we get home I get Jennifer back into the house and onto the couch. Besides taking the Miata and Motorcycle for a ride I also need to take care of some long neglected yard work today. I figure Jen can hang out in a chair and supervise me, at least that will get her off the couch for a while.

I hop into Jenniferís Miata and put the top down and head out to the road. I take it for a good 30 minute ride and load it up with gas also, since we don't want her stopping for gas if she does get to drive. When I get home I put the top up and put it back in the garage.

I go back in the house and check on Jennifer. She is lying on the couch with her leg propped up on the back of the couch watching TV. Once I am assured she is doing OK and doesn't need anything I head back out to the garage.

I kick start my Harley and listen to it run as its low methodic thump resonates through my chest. That sounds so good. After spending the last 4 weeks dealing with Jennifer, it is great to have this distraction.

After giving it a proper warm up, I drop it into gear and pull out of the driveway. The vibration of the bike resonates through my whole body. I head to some quite back streets so I donít have to concentrate on traffic and can just sit back and enjoy the ride.

I do wish Jennifer could be with me. We so love taking long rides, and even an occasional weekend outing on the bike. Unfortunately it will be at least until she gets out of her cast before she will be able to ride again. I think about Jen and all she has been through these last four weeks. That image of her lying in that hospital bed with her shattered leg hanging in the sling over her bed is seared into my brain. My poor baby, she has been so brave, when I think about the horrible pain she has been through I can't help but wonder how long it will be before her life returns to normal.

I suddenly get a feeling of guilt. Here I am out riding my bike feeling so free and my poor wife is at home lying on the couch, her shattered leg propped up on the back of the couch. How selfish can I be? What am I thinking? I left to give the bike a long overdue run to keep the carburetor from gumming up from under use. Now here I find myself enjoying the ride, the weather, the atmosphere way more than I should knowing my poor wife is stuck at home with a broken leg.

I turn the bike and head back towards the house. My mind again drifts to my loving wife. She seems so weak and vulnerable in her current condition. I think about how good she looked this morning, crutching down the street with ease. I also think about her shapely leg being wrapped in that plaster and how it is so exciting to me. I haven't yet fully laid this out to her, given all she has been through, but I think her casted leg is very sexy.

Finally I arrive back at the house and pull the bike back into the garage. I shut it off and walk into the house. I go to the couch and sit down near Jennifer's feet.

«How was your ride?» she asks with a huge smile on your face. «It was great, but I was wishing you could have been with me» I confess. «Good, glad you enjoyed it» she adds. «Renee called. Her and Rob are going to the Sox game today and have an extra pair of tickets». «Really» I reply. «I told her we would be glad to go with them, but I did want to run it by you before I committed to it». «Hmmmm, I don't know. Are you sure you're up for it? That will involve a lot of crutching and we will be gone a long time».

«I'll be fine» she says. «Besides, you have been through so much the last few weeks, you deserve to go to a ballgame». «Yeah but it will take a lot out of you, I don't want you doing this for my sake, there will be plenty of games to go to after you get better». «No please, I want to go to, we always have so much fun. I'll be fine, you just worry too much» she says in a sarcastic voice. «Well I've had a lot to worry about lately» I say as I gently kiss her toes.

So it is decided we will go to the ballgame with Renee and Rob. Jen calls them back and tells them, they will be coming by to pick us up about 11:30.

We get ourselves ready for our trip to the game. Jen gets herself dressed in a cute pair of jean shorts, a Red Sox t-shirt and a sock and sneaker on her right foot. She pulls her hair back in a tail with a scrunchy. As she emerges from the bedroom all dressed up for the game I am taken aback by her beauty.

About 11:20 I see Renee and Rob's van pull into the driveway. Jen and I head out to the van and I help her into the back of the van. We quickly decide that it was a good idea to get going as soon as we did as we find ourselves backed up in traffic. Fenway Park is an urban ballpark and parking is always an issue.

After struggling with the traffic we find ourselves parked nearly a half a mile form the ballpark. Ever the trooper Jennifer insisted on staying with us and making the trip back to the park from our parking area. As we get out of the van we are all enthusiastic about spending a day at the ballpark.

We head towards the park taking our time so Jen can keep up. I stay close by and monitor how she is doing. For the first 2 blocks she keeps up nicely. I begin to notice in the 3rd block that she is slowing up a bit and beginning to show that now familiar pained face.

By the time we get to the stadium it is becoming obvious that she is in pain again. We enter the stadium and take an elevator up to the club section. We get to our section and luckily we only have to go 5 rows down to our seats. We occupy the first 4 seats by the aisle. Jen sits in the aisle seat with me sitting to her left, Rob and Renee sit to my left.

Once we are settled into our seats Jen begins to loosen up a bit. I can tell that crutching in was pushing it for her. We settle into our seats, Jen drapes her leg over my lap while Rob gets beer for the four of us. As the game begins I slowly stroke Jennifer's toes as her shattered leg rests across my lap. She makes the most of things but I begin to wonder if she has taken on to much by coming to the ballgame.

We sit watching the game with Jen propping her injured leg over my lap. As I stroke her toes I look at her as she asks me a question about the game. Suddenly there is a crack of the bat immediately followed by everyone around us standing up with there arms in the air. My instinct tells me there is a foul ball coming our way. I am torn by my instinct, the first one says to stand up and try to catch the ball, but with Jen's leg on my lap that isn't really an option. My second instinct kicks in and tells me to cover Jen's leg from getting hit by the ball. I lean over and do my best to cover her shattered leg with my body.

I glance up to see what is happening. I see the ball falling towards the man in the seat in front of Jennifer. The ball smacks his hand sharply slipping out of his grasp, falling gently into Jennifer's awaiting hands having had all it's momentum absorbed by the man's hand.

Jennifer gleefully holds the ball over her head, much to the delight of everyone around who can see the predicament of her having a broken leg. I sit in disbelief, thinking how I had been to hundreds of games in my life and have never caught a foul ball, and here sits this woman with powder for leg bones and she has this ball fall into her hands. I laugh as I watch her pump the ball into the air over her head. As the cheering for her dies down she hands the ball to the son of the man who had the ball slip through his hands.

As the man shakes his hands trying to ward off the pain of the blow, he turns around and shakes both of our hands to thank Jen for giving his son the ball. Jen and I laugh out loud as we think about the irony of this woman with a shattered leg sheltered in a cast catching this ball that so many healthy people were trying to catch.

After the 6th inning I help Jen back up the steps into the club section so she can go to the bathroom. I wait outside the restroom for her. I can still see the pained look on her face as she crutches out of the bathroom. Slowly we head back down the stairs to our seat. We retake our seats and she again props her shattered left leg across my lap. I slowly stroke her toes as the casted leg sits in my lap.

At the seventh inning stretch I help Jen to her feet and we stand together singing «Take Me out to the Ball Game». For all the pain she has endured today we have had a great day. The Red Sox had a huge 8th inning scoring 9 runs, with the score being 12 to 2 it seems the game is all over. The 4 of us agree that we can leave any time and not miss anything.

Slowly we head back out of Fenway Park, down the elevator and into the street. We head towards the van with Jennifer and me lagging behind as she is moving a little slowly with her leg now pounding from all the activity today. I keep my hand on the small of her back ready to catch her in case of a fall.

We get to the van much to the relief of poor Jennifer. As much as she has toughed it our today it is obvious that she is in pain. As we work our way through the stop and go traffic, Renee asks if we would like to stop for some dinner on the way.

Knowing she is in pain I quickly turn down the offer but Jen overrides saying she doing fine. «Are you sure?» I ask as she sits in the other seat in the back of the van. «Yes, I have been sitting around the house long enough, let's go grab some dinner».

We pull into a sports bar and head in. It is somewhat crowded but they find a table for us right away and we are able to sit. I borrow a chair from an adjoining table and set her leg on it. We sit in the bar eating greasy foodstuffs and enjoying some adult beverages.

About 8 O'clock we head out to the van. While she is keeping up the best front, I can tell by the look on Jen's face she is in some serious pain. Our busy day has worn her out, whether she wants to admit it or not.

They drop us off at the house by 8:30. As soon as we head in I help Jen to the couch and immediately get some ice for her now throbbing ankle. We fix her up with the broken leg propped up on the back of the couch, with her ankle being iced.

After spending a couple of hours watching TV we call it an evening. I know that she went through all she did today to please me. She must be feeling bad about all I had gone through for the last few weeks. Once again we prop her leg up on the pillows when we go to bed.

I wake up Sunday to find Jen is already awake. «How are you feeling?». «OK, I probably did a little more than I should have yesterday, but if I rest it today I should be ok tomorrow».

Once again I make breakfast for her as she rests on the couch. I take care of the yard work and the other chores that got neglected with our trip to the ballgame yesterday. I spend the day in the yard with Jen spending it on the couch with me making trips in often to serve her needs.

Sunday evening I serve her dinner on the couch, hopeful that yesterdayís activities wonít be a long term issue, and just a bad day in the big picture.

We head to bed Sunday wondering what the doctor will say at the visit tomorrow. Will she begin to resume driving shortly? How much longer will she have to spend in the cast? As I doze off in her arms these thoughts bounce through my brain.

As the alarm goes off Monday morning I am comforted by the fact that Jen doesn't have to be to court until 10. But I quickly remember that is because she has a doctor's appointment at 8AM. We end up getting up at the normal time with her dressing for court, it's as if we are on the normal schedule after all.

We are the first one at the office so we get right in. Jen asks about driving and the doctor defers the question until after he can examine her. After going to x-ray I hold Jen's hand as we await word from the doctor.

«Good morning young lady» the doctor says as he heads into the room. He puts the new x-rays up on a light board and looks them over carefully. Slowly he studies them, starting at one moving down the line, and then back down the line again.

«So what do you think doc?» I ask with curiosity killing me. «It looks like the leg is coming along nicely» he says still looking at the x-rays. «The ankle isn't progressing like I had hoped, but that is not completely unexpected» he continues.

«So how much longer will I need to be in this cast?» Jen asks excitedly. «Well, it looks like we are right on track with the full leg cast for where we should be after 4 weeks. Hopefully in another 6 or 8 weeks we can get you into a short leg cast. I think it's going to be the ankle that gives us problems. Of course that's an issue with the short leg cast and we will worry about that when we take off the long one. In a couple weeks we may try to start you on Physical Therapy in anticipation of you moving to a short leg cast».

«Do you think I can start driving soon?» Jen asks. «I don't see why not, you just need to let pain dictate these things». He answers. «The key is going to be letting pain dictate what you can and cannot do, except of course when it comes to bearing weight on the leg. Even after we get you into a short cast it will still be several weeks before you are bearing any weight on that ankle I am afraid» he continues.

After all this we head out of the doctor's office and I drop Jen off at the courthouse for a another day of the trial. I can't help but wonder how the poor thing does it, after getting a load like that from the doctor to be able to go into that courtroom and fight for justice.

Jennifer is my hero.