I get a terrible feeling when I see that. I throw on a t-shirt and head down to Dan's room. As I round the corner to his room, I hear Jen screams. «No!». I rush to the door of Dan's room. I pound loudly. «Jen, are you in there?». «Tom» I hear her shout. I hear a thump, followed by a thud. «What was that?» I shout. «AAAAAHHHHH» she screams followed by a second thud.

I back up and slam my weight into the door, but the fortified door won't give. «TOM !!» she screams through tears. «OOOOWWW». This scream is followed by a second thud. «JEN» I shout. «Tom!» she says as I can hear a dragging sound from inside the room. The door opens before me.

Jen is on the floor in tears reaching up to the door to open it. I see Dan getting up off the bed with a pained look on his face and moving towards Jen. I step into the room and go after Dan. He swings wildly at me and I block it. I throw a right cross at his head and am amazed at the energy transferred upon contact. I catch him on the nose which erupts with crimson as he falls back onto the bed holding his face.

I rush to Jen's side. She is laying on the floor near the door clutching her casted ankle. «Honey are you OK?» I say as I kneel beside her. «My foot» she wails through sobs. «I tried to run on it». «OK honey, just relax». I try to reassure her while looking over my shoulder to make sure Dan is still incapacitated.

«What's going on here?» I hear a Jamacian accented man ask. «He tried to rape me» Jen wails through her tears. The hotel security man enters the room and he cuffs Dan and gets on his radio asking for help. I continue comforting Jen as she lay weeping on the hotel floor. I look at her casted ankle and am relieved that nothing looks unusual. «What happened honey?» I am afraid to hear her answer.

«Well when you were in the shower Dan called our room and said Becky wanted to see me. When I got down here Becky wasn't here and he groped me. When I told him no he just continued. He pushed me and I ended up on the bed. When I heard you at the door I kicked him in the balls as hard as I could with my cast. It hurt so bad. Then I tried to run for the door but I collapsed as soon as I stepped on my ankle. I got back up and tried to continue but I collapsed again. I ended up having to crawl to the door. You got here just in the nick of time».

«It's OK honey. It's all over now» I say hugging her.

I pick Jen up in my arms and carry her to the bed. As I set her on the bed some additional security men come and take Dan away. By the wince I see on her face when I place a pillow under her ankle I can tell she is still in pain. A security man asks Jen about what happened while I run to the ice machine to make an ice pack.

As I return to the room I hear her voice rising to the security man. «Hell yes I want to press charges, I want that man arrested». «Ok maam, we'll get someone here as soon as we can to take your statement» he replies in his thick accent.

I go to the bathroom and find a plastic bag to put the ice in. I make a makeshift ice pack and place it on her ankle. «Can we return to our room?» I ask the security people. «Yes that would be a good idea so we can secure this scene» he replies.

I help Jen up onto her crutches after I inspect them for damage. Once again I see her wince as she lets the leg hang down to crutch. Back in our room I help her onto the bed and place a pillow under her cast. I can see that her toes are showing some swelling and Jen complains that she can feel her ankle swelling inside the cast. I call Dr Anderson back in Boston to tell him what happens. He seems to think that ice and rest are the best options to make sure that swelling goes down before the plane flight home. While he doesn't rule out a rebreak in the ankle he seems to think there isn't much point in going to the hospital down here as long as the cast isn't damaged. Jen's next appointment is Monday anyhow so there isn't much more we can do until then.

After a Jamacian police official comes and takes Jen's statement I order room service as Jen isn't feeling up to going to dinner. We spend the evening trying to keep her comfortable and trying to entertain ourselves while she is laid up.

Thursday morning find Jen in more pain with some obvious swelling in the toes. Despite this we go down to the dinning room for breakfast with Jen keeping her leg on a chair whilst we eat. After breakfast we return to the room where I can again ice her painful ankle.

For lunch we go poolside and relax in lounge chairs. Jen doesn't let on but I can tell that besides the pain she is frustrated at not being able to enjoy the vacation like she would like. I worry whether her swelling will go down before we have to take our plane home on Saturday.

After our lunch by the pool we again return to the room and we ice Jen's ankle hoping to get the swelling to go down. For dinner we decide to take a cab ride to town to get Jen away from the hotel for a while. I can see that despite the fact her ankle is elevated on a chair Jen is still in a lot of pain. After dinner we make an early return to the hotel so we can get Jen's ankle up and iced again.

Friday, Jen feels a little better and the swelling decreases a bit. We decide to take it easy as we don't want to prompt more swelling before we had to fly home tomorrow. We frolick in bed making the most of her being generally confined to bed.

Saturday arrives and Jen feels pretty well seeming to think the swelling inside her cast has subsided. While she stays in bed taking it easy I pack our bags for the flight home. After Wednesday's incident it would be nice to be home. I promise Jen that we will make it back down here when she has 2 healthy legs.

After packing the bags we call a cab and head out to the airport. As we get out of the cab I grab the bags while Jen crutches slowly along beside me. It seems there were no skycaps around and I don't see any wheelchairs either. I find a seating area and I proceed to the ticket counter. I check our bags and go back and find Jennifer.

I can tell as she gets up that she is already in some pain, and our trip hasn't even begun. I look around again for a wheelchair with none in site. As we work our way towards the gate I stop at a services booth to see if we can find a wheelchair. Jen shows a pained look on her face as we wait. The man at the services desk calls over the radio to get a wheelchair. After about 3 minutes of this I can tell Jen is getting impatient with the wait and we decide to just head on to the gate with her on the crutches.

At the gate I get Jen into a chair and help her get her foot up onto an adjoining seat. I explain to the ticket agent that my wife needs to board early and that a wheelchair would be preferable. I join her in the adjoining chair and she rests her casted leg on my lap as we wait. After a few minutes a female airline employee approaches with a wheelchair and we help Jen into it. As soon as they call for early boarding we head onto the plane. We settle into our seat, of course Jen rests her broken leg on my lap.

The stewardess comes by and explains to Jen that she can't keep her foot like that for takeoff and landing. Jen reluctantly puts her foot back on the floor and bears with her pain as we sit through a long line of takeoff traffic. I can see by the look on Jen's face that she is experiencing more swelling in her ankle. I hold her hand as we sit through the 30 minute takeoff wait and the climb out. Finally the captain turns off the seat belt sign and Jen is free to elevate her leg again.

Although I don't say anything about it I notice as her ankle lays on my lap that there is more swelling in the toes. Jennifer rarely drinks before late afternoon, but I become concern when she orders her 3rd rum and coke on the flight home. Gently I stroke Jen's toes as her leg lays across my lap.

When the stewardess tells Jen she had to put her foot down for landing again I thought she might cry. Altough she doesn't complain I can tell Jen is in a lot of pain. She squeezes my hand tightly as we sit back for the landing.

Of course there is traffic and weather issues that forces us to circle several times. With each bump from turbulence I can see the pain on Jennifer's face. Finally we glide in for a smooth touchdown after several minutes we make it to the gate and Jennifer is allowed to get off first. Once off the plane we are met by a woman with a wheelchair. I help Jen in and we head to the baggage claim. Before we know it we have our bags and our back at our car.

We finally make it back to the house and I help Jen get into bed so she can try to take a nap. I prop her leg up for her and make her comfortable. I lay down beside her and try to snuggle her pain away. I dose off for a short time and realize she has fallen asleep. I get out of bed and try to get some things around the house like unpacking and going through the mail.

After about 30 minutes I hear a blood curteling scream from the bedroom. I drop the mail and go running. I see Jen thrashing about on the leg screaming from within a nightmare. I rush to her side and gently try to wake and reassure her.

«Honey, it's ok you're just dreaming» I try to assure her as I hold her hand. «Oh Tom, I dreamed about breaking my leg again» she blubbers. «It's ok honey, I'm right here, you're ok, you're well on your way to recovery» I try to reassure. «But I heard that horrible snap again» she continues. «It was like it happened all over again». «It's ok» I say hugging her to reassure her.

«I'm so sick of this stupid thing» she says very frustrated. «It still hurts after all this time, and I'm so sick of these stupid crutches» she says sniffing back a tear. «I just want to get better, I'm so sorry I have been so much trouble» she continues. «Don't worry, I am fine with this, we knew this would be tough and we will get through this» I again try to reassure.

«But that's so easy for you to say. You're not the one dragging this stupid cast around on your leg. You're not the one who has to wonder if you'll ever do the things you love, like running and tennis and dancing ever again. If only I had that trip down the stairs to do over again» she fades back into more tears.

«Oh honey» I say just hugging her. «I've missed the whole summer» she says. «I'll never get it back» she continues». «I know this has been so tough on you honey. But next summer at this time you will have forgotten all about this». «Next summer?» she asks. «Next summer is a lifetime away». I cuddle Jen till she fades back into sleep. She naps for another hour or so.

Saturday night's dinner iss a simple takeout affair. While in less pain I can tell Jen is depress by her ongoing situation. I get a movie for us and we watch it on the couch. I gently stroke the toes of her casted leg while we watch. Sunday, Jen is feeling better yet. While not back to where she was before last weeks incident, she is clearly feeling better than she was during and after yesterday's flight. I can see the swelling is going down in her toes also.

Monday it is time to go back to see Dr Anderson. He examines Jen's leg and looks at new x-rays. «Well it looks like you didn't open any fractures back up in last weeks excitement» he says still studying the x-rays. «I never imagined it would have hurt so bad to step on it, I guess that means I am still a little ways from walking on it huh» she asks. «Yes, you are probably still a couple weeks away maybe more like a month» he says.

«I had this horrible dream Saturday in which I completely relived my accident» Jen told the doctor. «It was so vivid, it was like the accident happened in slow motion» she continued. «Is this normal?». «Yes this is very common when someone has had a serious injury, I am surprised you haven't had more than that» he says. «I guess I have just had more time to think about it the last few weeks» she replies. «Well don't get to discouraged you have done very well with this and been very brave, the worst part should be behind you now and it's just a matter of getting you well now» he says with a smile. «Hopefully that part happens fast» she replies with a smile.

After the appointment I leave for work and Jen heads off to physical therapy. I come home to see Jen is in more pain. «How was physical therapy?» I ask her. «It was grueling, she put me on a stationary bike today it felt good to work my leg, but my ankle really hurts now». «I'm sorry honey, would you like me to get you some ice?» «That would be great honey, thanks». I fix an icepack and put it over her cast I gently kiss her. We spend most of the evening cooling off her ankle from physical therapy.

Jen takes it easy the rest of the week. Other than therapy she pretty much stays home and takes it easy. Thursday Renee takes her to the mall to get her out of the house. My thoughts drift to her parading around the mall with her casted leg.

Friday night comes and Jen feels good enough to go out despite the fact she had therapy again today. We go to a quaint Italian restaurant before going to the movies. In our conversation I defiantly get the feeling that Jen's attitude towards Tina the physical therapist is one of love hate. While the sessions are very painful for Jennifer she tries to not get mad at Tina for the grueling tasks she puts her through. She can relate to the difficult Job Tina has, since she herself finds herself making victims relive horrible experiences to build her cases. After the movie we go home and frolic on the couch. This evolves into a serious love making session that leads off our weekend.