Peak of Desire Ch. 12

The weeks he'd spent in the rehabilitation department had provided him with the opportunity to learn how to transfer himself from the chair to his bed, maneuver himself to the toilet and shower, and also how to self catheterize.

He'd also worked with a physical therapist who'd shown him how to perform a variety of wheelchair exercises. Diagnosed with C7 incomplete quadriplegia, Cody was able to move his fingers and hands, as well as bend and straighten his elbows. This gave him the ability to use free weights, which had steadily been allowing him to improve his upper body strength.

Due to the limited muscle function in his arms, and inability to move his legs, his physical therapist had provided him with addresses to several stores which carried adaptive clothing. Designed for people with physical abilities, the specially constructed garments would enable him to dress without having to bend or rotate his muscles or joints.

The intensive therapy he'd received in hospital rehab had helped him to gain a bit of independence, but for the most part, he would still need quite a bit of assistance with daily living.

On the day of his release, Erica had first driven to Cody's apartment and after parking her car on the street, she'd then carpooled to the hospital with Helen, Noelle and Mia. They'd arrived at the medical center well before his checkout time, and after being officially discharged, Cody, along with the four women, made their way through the automatic hospital doors.

Once they were all seated in Mia's gray Nissan, she pulled away from the curb and they were on their way to his apartment. As they were driving away from the hospital, Erica felt a mixture of emotions. On one hand, she was relieved that Cody would no longer be in a hospital environment, but on the other hand, she felt uncertainty.

It'd been a month since Cody had been home, and now that he was paralyzed, there would clearly be a number of things that he would find himself unable to do. This period of adjustment would be anything but easy on him, and his inability to engage in a high level of physical activity would no doubt cause him to feel a sense of inadequacy.

It'd been her hope that with each passing week, his outlook would improve and he'd regain that naturally driven attitude, but unfortunately it seemed as if he was becoming increasingly downcast.

Of course she knew this was a life changing transition for him, so it was fully understandable that he wouldn't improve overnight, but it still filled her with great sadness that her lover seemed to be stuck in such a negative frame of mind. With Mia driving and Noelle sitting in the passengers seat, Erica and Helen were seated in the back, with Cody sandwiched between them.

Then were each holding onto one of his hands, and as they made the drive to his apartment, they made an attempt to engage in small talk. Cody, however, seemed uninterested in conversing, so after a few failed attempts to speak with him, both Helen and Erica had chosen to remain quiet.

It was clear to the both of them that he had a lot on his mind, and needed the silence to reflect on the changes in his life.

After a twenty minute drive, they arrived at Cody's apartment, and after parking the car and assisting him in getting seated in his wheelchair, they all made their way toward the security door.

As they entered the lobby, memories of that fateful evening flashed through Erica's mind, and she recalled how thirty days earlier, the paramedics had hurriedly wheeled Cody out of the building. His face had been covered by an oxygen mask, and the dress shirt he'd been wearing had been covered in blood.

He'd looked so helpless just laying there and Erica would never forget how scared she'd been. To say she'd been sick with worry wouldn't describe the level of alarm that she'd felt, and fearing that he might have been on the verge of death, she'd nearly thrown up.

As the elevator ascended floors, Erica cast a glance at Cody and briefly studied his face. She couldn't help but wonder if he was also recalling the events of that terrible night, and guessed that he most likely had to be. She lay a palm on his shoulder and gave it a compassionate rub, but he offered little more than a slight shift of his head in return.

After exiting the elevator and reaching his apartment, Noelle unlocked the door and they all entered. The first thing that Erica noticed was that a Japanese style room partition had been set up to completely separate the space between the kitchen and living room.

Since Helen and Noelle had been occupying Cody's apartment during his stay in the hospital, it was clear to Erica that they'd been the ones behind this change.

Glancing at Helen, Erica saw that there was a look of eagerness in her eyes, and as she walked alongside her son in the wheelchair, Noelle led the way toward the partition. Upon reaching it, Noelle turned to face Cody.

"Since you won't be able to access your bedroom upstairs, we figured the next best thing would be to transform the living room into a bedroom space." She gave a brief pause, then said, "I hope you like it."

She slid the wooden panels of the partition along their track, and as the bedroom cum living room space was revealed, they all checked it out. Scanning the space, Erica saw that a bed was placed length side against one of the walls. A Navajo throw blanket was stretched out across the bedsheets, and black throw pillows of various sizes were propped up against the wall to make the bed appear more like a sofa during the day.

A dresser was situated on the opposite wall next to the TV, and a floor mirror was located in front of the oversized windows. There was also an espresso colored couch, and just like every other piece of furniture in the room, it had been positioned close to one of the walls, leaving plenty of space in the center of the room for him to maneuver around.

"So, what do you think?" Noelle cast a hopeful look at her brother.

"It's nice." Placing his palms against the wheels of the chair to propel himself forward, he took in the renovated space. "Looks completely different in here. I like it, though."

Her lips tugged into a smile. "Great, I'm so glad you do."

"How'd you guys get my bed down here?"

"Nathan came over and helped us."

"That was nice of him."

"He figured it was the least he could do. You guys are rock climbing buddies after all."

"Not anymore," he sadly said.

Erica saw Noelle give her mother a quick glance, and seeing that her daughter was feeling uncomfortable, Helen quickly changed the subject.

"We got you a new mattress." She walked over to the bed, then pressed her palm against the cushiony surface. "It's memory foam."

"I had a perfectly good mattress already, mom. You didn't have to go out and spend money."

"Your physical therapist recommended it to me. She said it'll keep away the bedsores, and make your bed to chair transfers easier."

"I'll pay you back for it, of course."

"No you won't. Your sister and I split the cost."

"I'm still giving you the money for it."

"You will not," Noelle said. "This is something that mom and I wanted to do for you, so please just accept, it okay?"

He gave a little nod. "Thank you."

"No problem, little brother." She gave him an affectionate rub on the shoulder. "Hey mom, why don't you show Cody the new lighting system?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot all about that." Helen grabbed a little remote from the dresser, then hit a button on it, causing a lamp by the window to illuminate the room.

"Pretty cool, huh?" asked Noelle.

"Yeah, it's nice. Thanks a lot. I appreciate you guys setting it up."

"No problem. We were happy to do it."

"We also made some changes to the bathroom. Follow me, and I'll show you what Nathan helped us do."

She led the way to the bathroom, and once they were there, Helen began pointing out the changes.

"As you can see, the cabinet beneath the sink was ripped out. That'll give you plenty of room to wheel your chair underneath it. We also installed some grab bars next to the toilet." She then gestured toward the shower. "Luckily you have a walk in shower, so you can wheel your chair right up to the edge, then transfer to the shower chair."

"We also moved the shower head holder lower, that way you'll be able to grab it at sitting level," said Noelle.

Taking a quick glance around the interior of the bathroom, Helen said, "And that's basically it. But if you think of anything else at all, just let us know."

"Will do. I appreciate you guys doing this. It really means a lot."

"There's no need to thank us, honey. That's what we're here for." Helen bent down to place a kiss against his cheek.

"Anything to make sure you're comfortable," said Noelle as she took his hand in his and gave it a gentle rub.

After making their way back to the front of the apartment, Helen and Noelle went off into the kitchen to prepare dinner, while Cody, Erica and Mia hung out in the bedroom/living room area. Wheeling himself up to his bed, Cody maneuvered his wheelchair so that it was at a slight angle to his bed.

After locking the brakes, he scooted to the edge of the chair, then placed his right hand against the surface of the bed. He attempted to lift himself up out of the chair, but still lacking upper body strength, he found himself unable.

He gave himself a moment before trying once again, then once he was ready, he made a second go of it. This time he was able to lift his butt out of the chair, yet still found himself unable to transfer to the bed.

Heaving a sigh of frustration, he settled back into his chair. Unable to stand the sight of him struggling, Erica walked a few steps closer so that she was by his side.

"You need help, honey?"

"No, I'm fine."

Wasting not a moment longer, he made a third attempt to lift himself up and out of the wheelchair, but to his great frustration, still found himself unable. A loud curse tore from his lips, followed by a grunt of anger.

Placing her palm on his shoulder, Erica asked, "You sure you don't want me to give you a hand?"

"I said I was fine, now leave me alone," he snapped.

Feeling as if she'd just been slapped in the face, she took a few steps away from him. She stood there watching him for a few more moments, then feeling a pair of eyes on her, she turned her head to see Mia giving her a hard, long stare.

It came as no surprise to Erica that there was evil smirk on Mia's face, and feeling a deep sense of vexation, she met Mia's intent glare with one of her own.

Between Cody's sounds of irritation and the look of pure malice on Mia's face, Erica could feel hostility surrounding her, and suddenly felt the need to remove herself from the area.

After stepping out through the opening in the partition, she headed for the kitchen, where Cody's mother and sister were busy at work preparing dinner.

As she entered the roomy kitchen, she asked, "Need any help?"

Helen briefly looked up from the cutting board where she was chopping carrots. "No, I think we've pretty much got it under control. Just relax, spend time with Cody."

"Not really sure if he wants me around right now."

"Yeah, we heard him." Noelle, who was cutting meat into cubes, offered her a look of sympathy. "He's obviously feeling really frustrated and is taking it out on you, but please don't allow that to drive you away. Despite what he may have you think, he does want you around him."

"Then he needs to be nicer."

"I know, just give him some time, okay?"

Erica gave a little nod. "Are you sure I can't help you out with anything? It may be good to let him cool off for awhile."

"You could chop up some celery," said Helen.

"Okay."

After washing her hands, she got busy at chopping up the green vegetable. Then once that was done, she added the celery to a large pot.

"What kind of dish is this?" Erica asked.

"Mutton stew," said Helen. She added the cubed beef, then carrots and chopped potatoes. "You ever had it before?"

"Can't say that I have."

"You'll love it. "

"Actually, I won't be able to eat it. I'm a vegetarian."

"Really?" Her eyes widened a bit.

Unable to help feeling amused by the look of surprise on Helen's face, Erica gave a little smile. "Yep."

"Can I ask why?"

"It's the way my parents raised me."

"Interesting." She added a few shakes of salt and pepper to the pot, then used a large metal spoon to stir the bubbling contents.

"What does Cody think about you being a vegetarian?" Noelle asked.

"He doesn't seem to mind it."

"That's good."

"You aren't trying to convert him, are you?" The look on Helen's face was one of genuine worry.

"Definitely not. The last thing I wanna do is try to change him."

Helen gave a pleased nod, then placed a top on the pot.

"I can't imagine Cody as a vegetarian," said Noelle. "That would just be way too wild."

"I know, right? He would never go for it," Erica said.

With her spirits having risen a little, she now felt ready to spend time with Cody. After excusing herself from the kitchen, she made her way back toward Cody's bedroom. She was glad to see he'd finally managed to transfer himself from the wheelchair to his bed, but found herself pissed that Mia had decided to plant herself right next to him.

Ignoring the evil eye that Mia gave her, Erica took a seat on the other side of Cody. As soon as she sat down, Cody placed his hand on her thigh, averting his attention from Mia so he could look into Erica's eyes.

"I'm sorry," he softly said.

From the look he was giving her, she could see that he truly was, and taking his hand in hers, she offered it a gentle stroke.

"It's okay, I forgive you."

She gave him a quick peck on the lips, then maneuvered herself on the mattress so that her right leg was tucked underneath her, then possessively draped the left one over his leg.

The fabric of her skirt rode up a little as she did it, and she noticed that Cody's gaze drifted to the exposed skin of her thigh. As he glanced back up at her, she saw there was a look of desire in his eyes, and she lay a palm against his chest.

"Tempting me, huh?" He asked.

"Sure am. You got a problem with that?"

"Not at all." He moved his hand to her thigh, allowing it to rest there.

Clearly displeased that his attention was off of her, Mia spoke in an irritated voice. "So Cody, I was thinking I could stop by tomorrow afternoon and show you my new modeling shots. I just wanna get your opinion and see what you think."

"Sure, no problem."

"Cool. I'll stop by in the morning, before I go to work."

"Okay."

"What type of shots are they?" Erica asked.

Clearly surprised that Erica had asked a question, Mia hesitated before answering. "Why does it matter?"

"Because I'm curious." She met Mia's stare head on.

"They're fetish modeling shots."

"I already know that. I was asking for more details about the pictures themselves."

"It was a latex, leather and pvc photo shoot. Does that answer your question?"

"Hey, come on, Mia," Cody said. "She's just curious, okay? You don't have to get upset."

"I'm not upset, and she's not being curious, she's being jealous. And I don't like what she's insinuating."

"And what is that?" Erica asked.

"That I'm desperate for his attention. That my only reason for showing him the photos is to see if he'll get excited."

"I never said that."

"That's why I used the word insinuate. You're going about it in a roundabout way, but that's really what you're thinking."

"So now you can read my thoughts?"

Mia ignored the question, choosing instead to fix her hazel eyes on Erica.

Caught in the middle between the stare down the women were engaging in, Cody emitted a little sigh. "Allright, what's it gonna take for you two to get along?"

"Why don't you ask her?" said Mia. "She's the one with the insecurity problem."

"I'm not insecure."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

Casting his gaze on Mia, Cody made a request. "Can you give us a minute alone? I need to speak to Erica in private."

Mia briefly glanced at Erica, then back again at Cody before rising to her feet and heading for the kitchen. Once she was out of sight, Cody turned his gaze on Erica.

"I'm sorry about Mia. I've asked her several times to just chill out and be cool with you, but I guess she's not even willing to give it a try."

"You think?" Her voice was full of sarcasm.

"Listen, I know it's hard dealing with her, but if she tries to engage you in a fight, just ignore her."

"It's kind of hard to ignore someone who's on a constant mission to verbally attack you."

"I never said it would be easy. I'm just trying to tell you the best way to deal with her."

"Well thanks for the advice, but if anyone needs to adjust their behavior, it's her." Erica was quiet for a moment, then spoke once again. "Why are you friends with her, anyways?"

"She's fun to hang out with, and we have a good time together."

"What about the fact that she hates me? Doesn't that bother you at all?"

"Of course, that's why I've spoken to her about it."

"But she still treats me badly."

"I know."

"So what are you going to do about it? Because I'm beyond fed up with her, and I can't take this anymore."

"Babe, I've done everything I can. What else do you want me to do?"

Offering no words in return, she simply stared at him.

"What, you want me to stop being friends with her?"

"Well she obviously isn't going to change her behavior, so what else is there to do?"

"I've been friends with Mia for nine years now. I can't just throw her out of my life."

"Can't, or won't?"

Choosing to avert the question, he said, "I can't believe you're asking me this. It's not right for you to make me choose."

The look he gave her was full of such displeasure that she briefly averted her gaze, focusing her attention on the pattern of her skirt.

"How'd you like it if I made you choose between me and Jacob?" Asked Cody. "Would that make you feel good?"

She looked back up at him. "No, of course not."

"Then don't ask me to do it."

She directed her attention to the floor to ceiling windows, and after a few seconds had passed, she offered some words. "You know she wants to get with you, right?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well first off, you told me she's hated every woman you've dated. But it's not just that, I've seen the way she looks at you. She likes you."

"Impossible. She's a lesbian, remember?"

"Just because she says she's a lesbian, doesn't make it so."

"For as long as I've known Mia, she's only dated girls."

"She could still be attracted to men, though. Maybe she's bisexual."

"Yeah, I guess it's a possibility," he said, then suddenly became quiet.

His body language conveyed that he had suddenly become uncomfortable, and she found herself wondering why. Yet before she could ask another question, Cody's mother popped her head into the space where the partition doors were parted.

"Can I get you two a drink?"

"A soda would be nice," said Cody.

"What about you, Erica?"

"No thanks. I've gotta head home to get ready for work in a bit, anyhow."

"Okay." Turning her attention back to Cody, Helen said, "Be back with that soda in a bit." Then she turned and left.

"I thought you had the day off," Cody said.

"I do, from the bookstore. But I have a massage client scheduled in an hour."

"Oh, okay."

Noting his look of disappointment, she asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

He nodded."

"Allright. I don't go into work until three in the afternoon tomorrow, so I'll come by and see you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay."

She pressed her lips to his in a lingering, open mouthed kiss, then after pulling away, she tenderly stroked his cheek. "It's good to have you home again, sweetie."