Two girls enter the room pushing a cart with all sorts of items on it. "Hi Miss Bailey, how are you doing this morning?" one of the girls asks. "I've been better" my wife replies with a slight smile. "Well lets get this leg of yours in a cast and we'll have you on the road to getting better" says the girl.

A nurse enters the room and begins talking with Doctor Anderson. The two girls are preparing items on the cart. The nurse slowly lowers Jenny's leg from the sling and I can see her grimacing as it comes down.

I take my seat beside her and again hold her hand and reassure her. With the leg now lying on a large cushion, the nurse began to unwrap it with the Doctor looking over her shoulder. Finally it is just Jen's fragile looking leg in the splint. Doctor Anderson holds the leg while the nurse slips the splint off of it. I wipe a tear from the corner of Jen's eye.

I look at her leg for what will be the last time in a while. While it still didn't look right, her leg is much less swollen than it was just after the accident. There is bruising down her shin and all around her ankle. The Doctor looks closely at the injured leg as it lay on the cushion.

"Will I get to pick a color?" Jennifer asks one of the girls. "No I am sorry we are out of fiberglass casting materials, we are going to have to put your leg in a plaster cast". My heart quickens as I overhear this conversation. While my fascination with ladies in casts includes fiberglass, I had always enjoyed seeing plaster and it had been years since I had seen one.

I hold Jennifer's hand while the girls go to work on her leg. They begin by putting something on her leg that looks like a huge sock. They spray a myriad of towels around on the hospital bed. "This is to keep the plaster from getting all over the bed" one of the girls comments. "We usually work down in the cast room but when we have a patient that can't be move, we have to come up to a room and work".

While this is going on, the other girl begins to wrap Jennifer's leg with these bandages after she dips them in water. She starts working near Jennifer's foot and slowly works up her leg. She goes all the way past her knee and up her thigh. They leave her knee bent at about 10 degree's at the Doctor's direction. After plastering her entire leg, they put some additional plaster around her ankle and knee for additional support of the joints. To finish it off, they cut off the sock looking item at her toes and above the plaster on her thigh. They fold it back and anchor it down with a wrap of plaster in both spots.

After placing her leg in the cast, they leave it on the cushion explaining that it needs to dry before it goes back in the sling. I still hold her hand assuring her it will just get better from here.

After about an hour and a half, the nurse reenters the room and slowly and carefully places the shattered leg in the sling again and slowly raises it to it previous position. Jennifer winces with each movement of the leg.

"How are you feeling honey?" I ask Jennifer after the casting experience. "It hurts from all the movement, hopefully it will start to feel better now that it is casted. I keep hitting my button but I must have used up all I can get out of it. I need to read the depositions but it's hard to concentrate with the pain". "Don't worry about work just yet honey, it will still be there when you get better" I tell her.

"But I hate not feeling like I am in control of the situation" she says sadly. "Don't worry, sit back and enjoy the pampering and at least for a while don't worry about being in control" I encourage. "Don't forget what the Doctor said about trying to do too much too soon" I remind. "I know but..." "No but's, you're going to take it easy as long as you need to, you will be back on your feet in no time".

We sit there discussing life and half watching the TV on the wall. As we speak, I can't help but looking at the plaster cast that now entombs my wife's leg. It starts about 3 inches down from her crotch. It goes over her knee still subtly showing the contour of her leg. It continues down her leg safely protecting the shattered bones in her lower leg and then wraps around her badly injured ankle. It ends at the base of her toes leaving the beautifully painted toenails fully exposed and visible. Her leg looks so delicate and yet secure encased in the plaster and hanging from the sling over her bed.

"Knock, Knock" I hear being said from the doorway. It is Rob and Renee standing at the door looking to see if it is OK to come in. "Hi there, come on in" I reply inviting them into the room. "Hi girl, how you feeling" Renee says approaching the bed. "It feels like I lost the fight" Jennifer says making a poor attempt at being funny. "Well don't worry the pain will ease in time" Renee says. "It took about 2 to 3 weeks for the worst of my pain to go away".

"It sounds like I will be laid up for a little while" Jennifer says. "What part of the leg is broken?" Renee inquires. "The Doctor said the fibula was broken in three places the tibia in two" I interject into the conversation. "He also said the ankle was broken and she tore the ligaments in her ankle" I add with a sad tone. "Oh you poor thing" Renee says to Jenny. "It sounds like you made a mess out of it" she adds.

"Boy look at all these flowers" Rob comments. "This bouquet is from the Governor! Here is one from the United States Attorney General. Oh and here are roses from the Senator Kennedy" he continues with amazement.

"So when will you get out of here" Renee inquires seeming somewhat embarrassed by Rob's gee whiz reaction to the flowers. "Maybe today, the doc should be coming to see me again this afternoon" Jennifer says. "I am so ready to get out of here, and get home in my own bed". "I'm sure you are" Renee adds.

It is nice for Jennifer to have some company but I am sensing she is in pain and getting tired. I sit next to the bed and hold Jennifer's hand while the four of us carry on a conversation.

After a few moments, the Doctor reenters the room for a follow up. "Well perhaps we need to get going" Renee offers up. "OK, well thank you so much for coming to see me" Jennifer says sincerely as Renee hugs her. I walk the two of them to the door to bid them farewell.

"So how are you feeling young lady?" the Doctor asks Jennifer. "Well it feels a little better know that it is in the cast, but it hurts from all the movement when it got casted" Jen replies. "Well I think we may keep you another night so we can keep you on the pain management program" the Doctor says.

Jennifer thinks about protesting but she honestly doesn't feel up to a move to the house and kind of likes the idea of having the morphine drip for a while longer. "So can I get out tomorrow?". "We'll have to see but if things keep going well for you I don't see why not" he responds.

I reenter the room after bidding farewell to Rob and Renee. "So what's the verdict doc?" I ask as I retake my seat next to Jennifer. "It seems she should be able to go home tomorrow if all goes well now that the leg has been stabilized. We'll keep her on the pain management program and hopefully be ready to go home in the morning" he adds. "Good, I'm sure she will be much more comfortable at home in her own bed" I reply.

After the Doctor leaves, we talk a little more and Jennifer drifts off into sleep. I hold her hand while she sleeps mindlessly watching the ballgame on the TV. My mind can't help but wonder what the next few months will be like for us.