Physical Therapy For The Soul

That last Wednesday in May started out strangely for Zerrick. Theresa called him at work early to tell him she wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be at the rehab center that day. He could remember only one other time she missed work and that was a day when he wasn't scheduled. It was rare for her not to come in. Zerrick was basically on his own anyway when it came to his workouts, but he would still need help with the electronic stimulus machine and any work on the table should his knee decide not to cooperate that day.

They saw each other occasionally during the week, usually having dinner at Theresa's house, but they talked on the phone almost every evening whether they saw each other at the rehab center or not.

His rehab session went well that day with no complications. Zerrick had a feeling it would not be too long before his sessions would end. His knee felt strong and he was getting his agility back, albeit with a lightweight brace for stability. He felt he would need another month or two before he would be released, but since there was no set time table, he was not sure of an exact date.

After his session, he went to Theresa's house to check on her. He let himself in with his own key she had given him. Once inside, he found her on the couch in her pajamas watching the news. Her face brightened when she saw him, but held her hands in front of her defensively.

"Don't get too close," she warned. "I don't know what I've got, but I don't want you to catch it."

She felt guilty lying to him, but she didn't know for sure if she was pregnant. Yes, she had missed a period, but she hadn't been tested yet. She hadn't told him it was the third day in a row she had thrown up, but that day had been the worst and she knew she couldn't make it to work.

Deep down, she was angry at the possibility of being pregnant. Angry at herself for not going on the pill and angry at Zerrick for perhaps not using the condoms correctly either during or after intercourse.

"Are you still queasy?" he asked, remembering she said she threw up that morning a few times.

"On and off," she replied, "but I'm feeling a little bit better now."

"That's good."

"What's good about it?"

"Just that you said you were feeling a little better, that's all." He looked at her questioningly. "Can I get you anything? Crackers? Sprite?"

"No, I'm fine. I don't need anything. I've already had some supper. I was watching the news when you came in." She then turned off the TV even though it was on low volume.

"You didn't have to turn it off because of me."

"I didn't turn it off because of you. I didn't want to watch it anymore. I can do that, can't I?"

"I guess you can," he replied sheepishly. "It's your house." He had never seen her this cranky before, even during her PMS and her periods. He was finding out that sickness brought about an effect he didn't really care to see..

"Well, I guess I'll be going," he continued, knowing he wasn't particularly welcomed at that time. "Call me if you need anything." He moved forward and kissed her on the forehead. She stiffened slightly from his touch, something he wasn't expecting. Hundreds of thoughts swirled through his mind as he tried to remember anything he did that could have angered her. He could think of nothing.

"I'll be alright," she replied, not making any move to kiss him back, not even on the cheek.

Clearly puzzled, Zerrick straightened and looked at her. "What's up?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What's the matter? What did I do?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Then why are you being so brusque with me?"

"I don't feel good."

"I'm only trying to help."

"I don't need any help. I'm fine." Her eyes narrowed as she fought to control her emotions.

"I see. You're fine, but you want nothing to do with me right now."

"I don't want anything to do with anyone right now. I'm not discriminating." Theresa was beginning to hate herself for acting this way towards him, but she couldn't help it. She could be pregnant, damn it, and nothing was going to change that.

Zerrick shook his head and didn't know what to say. "I guess I'll see you Friday at the center, then." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and left.

He thought about calling her the next day, but didn't. He had a killer day at work and didn't feel like getting his head bit off over the phone. Zerrick didn't expect her to call and she didn't.

Friday came and Theresa wasn't at the center again. Zerrick asked about her and discovered she missed the previous day, too. He went through his drills in lackluster fashion, going through the motions just trying to get them completed. He showered and changed quickly and was dialing her number on his cell phone as he walked to his car. She answered on the first ring.

"I was hoping you'd call," she said before he could say anything.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not too good. Can you stop by?"

"I'm on my way."

"Zerrick?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch the other night."

"That's okay." Not really, he thought to himself.

"No, it's not."

Silence. He didn't know what to say.

"I love you, Zerrick." He could hear her choking up on the other end.

"Are you okay, Theresa?"

"Not really," she replied. "Please come over."

"I'll be there in just a bit."

"Thank you."

Silence.

"Do you still love me?" she asked quietly.

"Of course, I love you," he said as he opened his car door. "I've never stopped loving you and I never will. You should know that by now." He closed the door and started his car. "I'll be there in just a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." More thoughts raced through his mind. How sick was she? What was wrong? The worst thoughts refused to leave. Was it something terminal? He just didn't know. At least she was talking nicely to him again.

Zerrick switched off his phone before pulling out into the warm May evening. Theresa tossed her phone onto the sofa before joining it, sitting down heavily. The tears started again as they had done throughout the day after she learned the news. It was hardly a surprise to her, but the enormity of it still floored her. A single mom. What was she going to do now?

He arrived in her house minutes later and was surprised to see her car parked in the driveway, although he deduced she had been to the doctor that day. She met him at the door with a hug and a smile and let him in.

"I'm almost surprised you came considering how I treated you Wednesday."

"You weren't feeling good. I'm not the nicest person, either, when I'm sick."

"I'm not what you would call sick." Zerrick looked at her curiously. She took his hand. "Come on, we need to talk."

She guided him into the living room and they sat down on the sofa that had become so familiar to them.

"What do you mean you're not sick? What about that flu you've had?"

"I don't have the flu," she replied quietly. She thought he would have guessed by now.

"What then? I don't understand."

She took his hand. "Zerrick, I'm pregnant."

"What?" he asked as if he hadn't heard correctly.

"I'm pregnant," she said in a calm, cool voice.

"What?" he asked again. "How?"

"Well, apparently in a fit of passion, you put your dick in me, had an orgasm, and one of your little sperms managed to escape the confines of the condom to attack one of my fertile eggs."

"You don't have to be flippant about it, Theresa. I was just asking."

He was met with a pout and stony silence.

"Geez, Theresa, are you sure? I mean, were you checked out or was it a home kit?"

"It was a home kit and I saw the doctor this morning. Yes, I really am pregnant."

He stood up and thrust his hands in his pockets before looking back to her. "How far along are you?"

"About a month."

"Have you told anyone else?"

"No. I wanted to tell you first."

"I see." He sat down beside her once more. "What are you going to do?

"What am I going to do?" she asked, her voice starting to become emotional. "I'm not the only one involved in this. You're the father. Don't put this all off on me!"

"If you had been on the pill..."

"If you knew how to use a condom!" she yelled.

They stared at each other for a moment, each angry with the other and not wanting to be. Looking down at his shoes, Zerrick broke the deadlock.

"I'm sorry. I really wasn't expecting this when I came over. I thought you were seriously ill. This is a complete surprise to me. I'm not trying to put it all on you. I just don't understand it, that's all. I mean, we were very careful with the condoms."

Theresa sighed tiredly. "Maybe there was a leak somewhere. I don't know. But, it happened and here we are."

"Yeah, here we are."

Looking at his eyes, Theresa couldn't be angry with him. He looked just as miserable as she felt. She was just as confused and upset as he was about the whole thing.

"I could really use a hug right now," she said, her voice cracking.

"I bet you could," he replied as he reached for her.

How long he held her, Zerrick didn't know. Soon, though, the tears she had fought so hard to control erupted into his shirt as her shoulders shook and convulsed. Her hormones were a mess and she needed to let loose and get rid of some of the tension. Zerrick held her close and told her he loved her in soft whispers in her ear. She clung to him desperately, holding him tighter than he could remember. That was what she really needed to hear.

After her tears and crying subsided, she left him to wipe her face and blow her nose. Minutes later, she came back, a handkerchief clutched in her left hand.

"I'm a mess," she said.

Zerrick didn't see it that way at all. Even with dark circles under her eyes, no makeup, and her hair in disarray, she still looked pretty to him. He beckoned her to him and had her sit on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled against his shoulder.

"Have you eaten anything today?" he asked. "Have you been able to?"

"I haven't felt like eating. I threw up a little bit this morning, but nothing since. Maybe it's easing up some. I am kind of hungry now, though."

"Do you want something? I could make you a salad or some soup."

"That's sweet of you to offer," she replied, kissing his cheek. "Could you heat up some soup for me? There's some in the cupboard."

"No problem," he said.

Theresa eased off his lap and stood up. Before Zerrick could leave her, she pulled him to her and kissed him. It made her sick to realize she hadn't kissed him since the previous Monday. She smiled at him wordlessly before letting him go.

He found some chicken noodle soup without any difficulty and began heating it on the stove. Rummaging through her refrigerator, he found a single can of 7up. He found a clean glass, filled it with ice and poured half of the can into the glass. The soup was hot minutes later.

"Do you want to come out here or do you want me to bring it to you?" he called from the kitchen.

"I'll come out," she replied.

He set the icy glass of 7up and the steaming bowl of soup on the table.

"You're so sweet," she said when she sat down to her supper. She looked around at the other empty place settings. "Aren't you going to have something?"

"I'm not hungry," he replied. "I'll get something later."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. You just go and enjoy your soup. It's pretty hot, so be careful."

"I will. Thank you." She took his hand.

"You're welcome."

Zerrick watched her as she slowly ate her soup and drank her soda. She looked so pale and frail to him and it looked like she had lost a few pounds, pounds she didn't need to lose. He wondered what she was thinking, what her thoughts were about being pregnant. It wasn't hard to tell she was upset at that moment, but under all the anger, what was she really, really thinking? Was she scared? Did she want the child? Did she want Zerrick to be part of their lives?

The last question scared him. He had never been a father before and didn't know what to think about being a parent. He hoped to be part of their lives and he wanted to be involved. Thoughts of marrying Theresa were there, too, but he knew he wasn't ready for marriage at that time. They really hadn't known each other that long, only four months, and that certainly wasn't long enough in his mind to entertain the idea of marriage. He definitely needed more time to think and collect his thoughts about the whole situation.

As she slurped down the last of the soup, she glanced at Zerrick and smiled. He was there for her and he still loved her, even with the news.

"Thank you," she said as she pushed the bowl away, "that was really good."

"Can I get you anything else?" he asked.

"No, I don't want to push it. I'll try to eat more tomorrow."

Zerrick took the bowl and glass away, rinsed them off, and placed them in the sink. He sat down next to her again.

"So, what are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Oh, not a thing!" she laughed. "There's absolutely nothing on my mind."

Zerrick laughed with her. "No, I'm serious. I want to know."

"Oh Zerrick," she sighed, "there's too many things to discuss right now; too many thoughts swirling through my brain. I'm so tired. All I want to do is go to bed."

"I understand, but we'll have to talk about this some more."

"Of course we will, Zerrick. We can talk about it all day tomorrow if you like. I just need to sleep right now, okay?"

"Okay."

"Stay with me tonight?" She took his hand.

"Are you sure you want me around?"

"Zerrick," she said seriously, "I'll always want you around. I need you, now more than ever."

Chapter 7

Over the next few days and weeks, it seemed as if all they did was talk and discuss their immediate situation. Because they were able to discuss it rationally and reasonably without pointing fingers and focusing entirely on their baby, they became closer than they thought possible.

It was decided that Zerrick would end his house lease and move in with Theresa as soon as possible. She had a mortgage on hers, plus it was bigger than Zerrick's and could easily accommodate all three of them. Besides, he spent more time at her house than his own anyway. They hadn't seriously discussed marriage, although it was in the back of both of their minds. They rationalized they would both be parents to their child and no marriage certificate could make that clearer. When they were ready, marriage would be part of their plan. Until then, their current living arrangement pleased them.

Zerrick was still going to rehab, although he threatened to quit when Theresa told him she thought it wouldn't be a good idea for her to continue being his therapist. She knew he was serious and decided to back down and continue overseeing his recovery. Her supervisors knew of her condition, but didn't know Zerrick was involved. They had done a great job keeping their personal life and professional conduct separate.

When the middle of July came and went, it was apparent Zerrick had received all the care the center could give him and they were set to cut him loose. Mixed emotions went through him on that last day as he said his good-byes to the staff, especially the ones in the pool area where he felt he was helped the most in the beginning of his rehab.

His departure was tough on Theresa, even though he had moved in and they saw each other every night. She hugged him a little more than she should have that last day, but she didn't care who saw it or what they said.

"I'm so proud of you," she said as she walked him to the door. He was leaving early that evening.

"You're the one who did it. You worked my ass off. You promised I would get out of here faster and you were right. I couldn't have done it without you. I've got a special treat planned for you when you get home, so don't go flashing your tits at anyone and make yourself late."

"Zerrick!" she squealed, smacking his arm. "You know you're the only one who sees them now. What kind of treat?"

"You'll find out when you get home."

"Oh," she pouted, arms crossed, "I guess I can wait."

"Yes, you will. You better get back before someone suspects something."

"Let them suspect. I don't care anymore."

"Well, anyway, I'll see you at home."

"See you."

Zerrick worked fast that evening, knowing he had little time before Theresa got home. He made stops at several stores and a storage shed before racing home. By the time he was finished, he had but minutes to spare before Theresa's car pulled into the driveway and into the garage.

She burst through the door that connected the house with the garage full of energy.

"What's the treat?" she asked after giving Zerrick a kiss.

"Well, it's something I've been working on for some time now and I think you'll like it."

"What is it?" she asked, very curious at all of the secrecy.

"Come on, then," he said, beckoning her down the hallway.

They went past their room and the spare room they used for computers until they came to another room, the room they were going to use as the new baby's room. They had already painted it a cheery yellow and green, but they had yet to purchase any furniture.

Zerrick flipped on the lights and before them stood a baby bed and a bassinet. The baby bed was stained a deep reddish color and the bassinet was a brilliant white.

"Where did you get them?" she asked, totally surprised and pleased. "They're beautiful." She went to each piece and touched them.

"Well, actually, they're mine from when I was a baby. Mom and dad had them stored in their attic and said I could have them, so I cleaned them, stained the bed and painted the bassinet. Do you like them?"

"Like them?" she squealed. "I love them. Thank you for doing that." She moved back to him and hugged him. "Thank you," she said again, her eyes starting to tear.

"Now," he continued, "get changed. I'm going to take you out and celebrate my last day of torture from you at the rehab center."

"Is that all it's been all this time? Torture?"

"Well, most of the time."

"What about when I did this?" She bent over low and showed her braless breasts to him once again.

Zerrick laughed. "You won't be able to do that for too much longer. You'll leak through your shirt."

"Don't remind me."

"Go and get changed, silly."

"I need a shower. Care to join me?" She arched her eyebrows suggestively.

He thought about it for a moment, knowing full well their dinner date would be postponed a while if he took her up on her offer. Once in the shower, they wouldn't be able to keep their hands off each other. His brains below his waist outfought his stomach on this one.

"I can't pass that up," he replied grinning.

They tried to be good in the shower at first, as each took turns cleaning the other, but Zerrick's soapy fingers kept finding Theresa's clitoris and all bets were off. It wasn't long before they were masturbating each other with their slick, slippery hands and fingers. Well, at least some parts of their bodies would be very clean.

Just before they came to climax, they rinsed off quickly before Theresa grabbed the towel rack and pointed her rear end in Zerrick's direction. He had no trouble inserting his rock hard penis inside her as she was wet and more than willing to have him inside her. It didn't take long for either, as Theresa furiously worked her clitoris as Zerrick kept up a fast rhythm from behind. As Theresa felt the pulsing of his penis from within, her own orgasm started. It hit her hard as she yelled without any control. Her strong vaginal walls pushed Zerrick out with her contractions as wave after wave, spasm after spasm went through her. These were the times when she was so glad she was a woman.

Once they subsided, Theresa turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him passionately, holding the back of his wet hair with her hand. Her breasts, that just minutes before were being cleansed thoroughly by Zerrick, were flattened between them. Her kisses were hot and fiery and you would think she was trying to start a sexual interlude instead of just finishing one. After fifteen seconds or so, she stopped and looked at him.