After settling into work for a while I call our travel agent to see if we can get a Caribbean getaway booked for the near future. I call and find out he can get us into a quite Jamaican resort in 3 weeks. I decide to check with Jennifer before I ok it. I want to make sure she feels up to a long plane trip with her long leg cast before I commit us.

I leave the office so I can get home to check on Jen to see how she has done by herself today. I get home and find her basking in the sun on one of the lounge chairs on the back deck. I look through the back curtains to see her beautiful body laid out on that chair clad only in a 2 piece bathing suite and her leg cast.

Jennifer is excited. She looks at her day timer and counts out the weeks since her accident. It's been 10 weeks now since her accident. «Do you think I can get my cast off Monday when I see Dr Anderson?». «Gee I don't know honey, I guess we'll see what he has to say when we go in» I reply not wanting her to get her hopes up.

After she tells me about her relaxing day, I suggest we go out for some dinner. We go to a sports bar near our house. We go through the normal ritual of putting her leg up on another chair between us. Over our beer and chicken wings I hit her with the Jamaica proposal and she loves it. So it is decided we will be leaving 3 weeks from tomorrow, hopefully she will be out of her long leg cast by then.

We spend her first weekend after the trial relaxing around the house. I take care of a few chores such as painting over the patches where I had repaired the holes in the wall last week. On Sunday, Jennifer's old college roommate is in town with her husband so we invite them over for a BBQ.

Her friend Heidi is gorgeous. She stands 6 feet tall and I can't help but wonder what the 2 of them looked like when they went out partying in college. Of course they catch my attention when the subject of old injuries comes up as they discuss Jennifer's shattered leg. Heidi tells us how when she was 25 she was in a bad motorcycle accident. She went on to explain how it had badly broken her leg and she spent nearly 3 months in a long leg cast. I look at Heidi's shapely legs and am very turned on by the thought of it being in a long leg cast.

On Monday we go to see Dr Anderson for her biweekly checkup. Since she was just x-rayed last week after the shooting they don't x-ray her again. We sit anxiously awaiting Dr Anderson. He enters the exam room and looks at Jens x-rays one more time. «Well good morning prosecutor, great job with the trial» he says. «Thanks doctor, are you going to tell me I can get rid of this cast today?» Jennifer asks anxiously.

«It has been 10 weeks» the doctor replies. «But I think given some of the setbacks you have faced you should stay in this cast for 2 more weeks». «But doctor, she begins a plea that sounds a little desperate given her work as a prosecutor. I've been in this thing for 10 weeks now» she continues with a sniff to suck in a tear. I grasp her hand.

«I know it's been 10 weeks Jennifer, but this is a very serious fracture you have been dealing with. You have been dealing with it very bravely I might add. But I have to insist on 2 more weeks in the long cast».

Jennifer's usual reserved demeanor let itself down to see she is disappointed. After the appointment as we get into the SUV to head home, Jennifer breaks down and cries again. I am at a bit of a loss to understand her upset after all it's only 2 more weeks, after all this time she should be able to do that standing on her head.

But none the less I do my best to comfort her. I am a little worry at the level of upset she is experiencing over this news from the Doctor. When we get home I try to reassure her that 2 more weeks will go quickly. She then breaks down into the tears again. «But I'm so tired of this thing. I feel like I have been so patient with it but I just want it to go away». She says between sobs. «Now honey, we knew this would take a long time to get better and remember you will still need a short cast for a while» I try to reassure. «We? We? We is easy for you to say» she continues behind sobs. «For all I now you want me to stay in this thing» I let her continue knowing there is no stopping her now.

«You've been sporting a woody ever since the day I showed up in this thing, why should I think you want me to get better». My heart breaks at her accusation, but I have to say she has been so good through all this I knew she had to have some bad days coming.

«Honey, you have to understand, I would never wish anything bad on you. Yes, I do enjoy the cast as an added tool to our sex lives, but you have to believe me, I would much rather be playing tennis or golf with a happy and healthy Jennifer. When I ran down those stairs and saw you there with your leg twisted beneath you, I just wanted to die. I've wanted nothing more than to take your pain away, and I would have loved nothing more than for you to get the cast off today».

«I need to go to the office. Are you going to be OK by yourself today? You seem awfully upset and I don't like leaving you alone». «No I'll be fine, I may go into the office for a little while myself today» she said trying to get her mind off her disappointment.

I reluctantly leave her alone and head into the office. I am left with the bitter taste of her cruel remarks. I head home a little early and find Jen at home on the couch with her cast propped up as usual.

«Hi honey, how are you feeling?». «I'm doing good» she said with a pause. «I need to apologize for this morning. I'm sorry for the things I said, it's just that I'm so frustrated having to where this thing for 2 more weeks. I am so ready to be able to just bend my knee».

«Look honey, you have been through so much in the last 10 weeks. I am surprised you haven't been more surly than that through all this. You have been so patient with all the pain you have been through, I'm not sure I would be as pleasant as you have been if the roles were reversed».

«I'm so sorry for all I've put you through» she says beginning to weep again. «If only I had been more careful on those steps, I feel like such an idiot, I keep replaying it in my head». «Don't say another word, you have nothing to apologize for, this was all an accident and nobody's fault. You have been carrying quite the load for several weeks now, I think maybe you just let the pressure of it all catch up to you this morning».

«Thanks so much for understanding» Jennifer says. I make some popcorn and we spend Monday night on the couch watching a movie. She puts her leg in my lap and I again massage her foot and toes. From the smell that is beginning to come from the cast I'm not sure anyone would be happier to get this cast changed than me.

We go through the next 2 weeks relatively uneventfully. Jennifer takes most of the time off only going into the office 3 or 4 times in the 2 week period. We also get more excited about the trip that is quickly approaching.

The morning of her appointment I can sense the tension in Jen's demeanor. I pray to God he changes that cast out today, because I don't know how she'll react to more disappointment. As soon as we are called from the waiting room we are sent to the cast room. We now feel confident her big day has finally arrived.

Dr Anderson enters the room with a big smile. «Well I said 10 to 12 weeks in this cast when this whole adventure started, and here we are at 12 weeks. I think we are ready to get this cast off and get you into a short one» he says patting her casted thigh. «Well, let's get this over with» she says with a big smile.

A nurse comes in to assist Dr Anderson. I hold Jen's hand as the doctor starts a handheld saw. It screams with a high whine. He begins on the outside of her thigh. He slowly saws all the way down the outside the cast. He turns the saw and goes down the outside of her foot with it. He then repeats the process down the inside of her leg. A cloud of plaster dust permeates the room. The saw whine quiets as he turns it off after splitting the inside of the cast.

I am so anxious to see what her leg looks like after all this time in the cast. The doctor and the nurse are both slipping their fingers into the seam just created down the cast. With a few ripping and cracking noises and a little more plaster dust the front of the cast comes off of Jennifer's shattered leg.

Other than the pink toenails I had painted last week I scarcely recognize what I see as a leg. It is very skinny and pale except for some dark patches of dead skin together with a good growth of leg hair. «Now don't try to move it until I tell you» the doctor warns as he looks at the leg also. The doctor lifts Jennifer's leg as the nurse slips the back half of the cast from beneath her leg. Jen clasps my hand tighter and winces as the doctor sets her leg down on the pad on the table.

Looking at her leg is disappointing as I was expecting a more normal looking leg at this point. Besides having a skinny look to it the leg also has a strange swelling in the area of her shin that had broken. Her ankle looks strangely swollen.

Dr Anderson touches lightly at the area of Jen's shin that had been broken. He presses it trying to feel the bones knitting. Jennifer winces and squeezes my hand tightly. He then feels the area of her ankle gently testing it for movement. Jennifer now has tears welling in her eyes again. Instead of a feeling of relief for getting the cast removed, I have the feeling that a whole other chapter of pain is just beginning. While the Doctor probes at Jen's leg and ankle, the nurse swabs at some of the area's of dead skin on her leg.

«Well it looks like your leg is coming along at about the pace we expected. But I have to say I am a little more worried about this ankle» the doctor says. «What does that mean?» Jen asks. «We just don't know yet» the doctor says. «We will put you in a short cast for 6 to 8 weeks, perhaps you can be weight bearing in 4 to 6 weeks, so in this time it may heal some more. It's just not where I would like it to be at this point» he says with a concerned tone.

«I do think you are ready for physical therapy. Now that we got your knee out of prison we want you to get the strength back in that leg». «What about traveling? we are supposed to head down to Jamaica for a week this weekend» Jen inquires. «Well we always worry about swelling whenever you fly with a broken limb but other than that there is no reason you can't go». «So can I move my leg while the cast is off?» Jen asks excitedly. «No, don't even think of it young lady, not that you would move that ankle very much. We will have it safely packed away in a cast again shortly».

«What color cast would you like?» the nurse asks. «Oh I get to pick a color this time cool, what colors do you have?». «We have white, yellow, orange, red, pink, green, blue, purple and black» the nurse replies. «How about pink?» she asks looking at me. «Good answer, good answer» I say in Family Feud fashion.

The nurse puts another one of those stocking on Jennifer's leg. This time it stops just above the knee. She then takes a roll of the casting material and dips it in water and starts to wrap it around her lower leg and ankle. We watch as the nurse slowly encumbers her leg with the fiberglass casting. Jen itches at her now uncasted thigh saying how she can't wait to get home and shave it.

Jen tries to sit patiently while her new cast dries. She is anxious to get up and see how her knee moves after being in the cast for nearly 3 months.

«Here is your prescription for PT» Dr Anderson says. «We'll get you started on Wednesday. You'll go 3 times a week after this week. The sooner we get the strength up in that leg the better». «How long will I need to go to physical therapy?» Jennifer asks. «Well it's hard to say this early in the game but up to a year is a good timeframe to keep in mind». Jen just sits with a glazed look upon that answer.

«Ok lets get you up and see how that leg feels» he says helping her sit up. As she sits on the edge of the table her knee bends for the first time in three months. «Ow, ow, ow» she says as the leg won't bend all the way. We help her up onto her good foot and get her on the crutches. «It feels a lot lighter than the old one» she says matter of factly. She moves her knee a bit standing on the crutches. «It feels funny moving it, is that normal?» «Yes, it's been locked in one position for 3 months, it will be stiff and sore for a few days» Dr Anderson replies.

We head out of the doctors office with Jen moving a little slow getting used to her new weight and the fact that her knee can move while she's crutching.

We get home and we go almost immediately into the bathroom so we can shave Jen's thigh. We take all the hair and dead skin off and restore the soft skin I am used to on her thigh.

After cleaning her leg up we get her back on the couch and I work on massaging her knee and thigh. It has been so long since I have been able to touch her beautiful leg, I have missed it. I make us dinner while Jen marvels at the fact that she can bend her leg. It is still very stiff but works with the idea that moving it will loosen it up.

I enjoy massaging her newly liberated leg most of the evening. We are able to make love that night with more physical possibilities since her fall. We enjoy ourselves immensely.

Wednesday comes and I accompany Jennifer to her Physical therapy session. We enter and are introduced to Tina, she will be Jen's physical therapist through the long weeks and months to come.

She sits with us at a table to get to know Jen better. «OK today is July 31st» Tina says. «It's been almost exactly 3 months since your injury. We have to start setting goals and marking milestones. I have to warn you Jennifer you are going to leave here some days hating me for pushing you so hard. This is going to be a long and painful process I don't want to sugar coat it».

«Well I am very hard working and don't shy away from it» Jen says trying to reassure Tina of her commitment. «I don't care what you have accomplished in your life so far, it will be nothing compared to what you're going to go through in the next few months. I've had Navy Seals come through here and leave in tears».

Jen sits quietly taking all this in trying to figure out whether she was serious or just setting her up with expectations. I just sit back and watch the exchange to see what Jen will come back with. «Well let's get to work» Jen says enthusiastically.

«OK, first we have to set some goals and expectations. After talking with Doctor Anderson it sounds like we can set the end of September as a goal for being weight bearing. That means you will be walking by yourself, no canes, no crutches, no aides. We'll shoot for December 31st for you walking normally without a limp. Now this might be a little ambitious but we need to shoot high and settle for something a little lower if we need to. Are we ready to get started?» «Yes» Jen answers impressed by her forwardness.

«Ok first thing we will be doing is getting the muscles of this leg back into shape. Lets move over to this table and I'll put some electrical stimulation on it». Jen crutches over to the table and Tina helps Jen onto the table. Tina places some electrodes on Jen's thigh and then hooks them to a machine and turns it on.

After the machine works Jen's muscles for a while Tina then disconnects it. She then flexes Jen's leg as far as she can. I see Jen grimace as the angle of her knee closes. Tina straitens her leg and bends it again several times. Tina then gives her some resistance and has Jen try to straiten her leg against it.

After the session Tina explains we will need to ice Jen's leg and ankle after these sessions and also gave her some exercises to do at home. After PT we head strait home. I initially hoped she would feel up to going out somewhere but I could tell she was in pain and we needed to get her right home.

We get home and I make her a light dinner. I make her an icepack to put on her ankle. After dinner I massage her thigh kneading the muscles that I can feel in spasm under my hands. Jen is in a lot of pain from the day's events I have learned how to detect this from her demeanor. She says little about the pain she is in but I can tell by her restlessness she doesn't sleep much Wednesday night.

As I head to work Thursday I can't help but worry about how Jennifer is going to feel for our vacation after having another PT session tomorrow. When I get home Thursday night Jennifer has been home all day not going to the office like she had planned to.

Once again I lovingly take care of her trying to make her as comfortable as I could. I love the way Jen's leg looks in her short pink cast. I massage her foot and toes and rub moisturizer on her leg. I also massage the muscles of her thigh in anticipation of her visit to PT tomorrow. I start to get things ready to go for our trip Thursday night knowing we have to head out early Saturday.

I head out from work at noon Friday so I can get stuff together for the trip as well as to get Jen to PT. It breaks my heart to watch Jen grimace as Tina works her so hard. I know the way Tina challenged Jennifer she will never complain to Tina about any pain.

Again I massage Jen's leg and ice her ankle. I am really worried about how well she is going to do with the plane trip to Jamaica tomorrow. As I get us ready for bed I can't help but wonder whether we have bitten off too much with this trip so soon after she started PT. Although she won't go to PT next week, Tina has given Jen several exercises to do while on our trip.

We go to bed and fall asleep in each others embrace. The alarm goes off at 5:30 to get us to the airport on time. «Wake up honey, it's time to go on vacation» I tell Jen as she wipes sleep from her eyes.