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disgusted when they come. Most of it is up to you and

your doctor and therapist. I'm just telling you what

I've seen over the years. what I know."

"Why do you want to do this kind of work? It

seems so hard," I said as she helped me get out of the

chair and into the tub.

"Pay's good." she said. "Besides," she continued

as I began to enjoy the soak. "I had early experience at it. My father was crippled early with arthritis and in a

wheelchair and my mother was..."

"What?" I asked when she hesitated.

She looked down at me.

"No damn good," she said and left me to bathe. She took so long to return. I wondered if she

expected I would get myself out and dried and in the

chair. I've got to get to where I can anyway, I thought

and started to do just that.

"Just hold on there. Miss Impatience," she said

charging back into the bathroom. "You're not ready

for that yet and if you go and fall and break something

else, guess who's going to be blamed?"

She was efficient about ge

tting me out, dry and

dressed. She opened the closet and asked me what I

wanted to wear.

"Don't forget," she reminded me. "the physical

therapist will be here this morning."

I chose a sweat suit outfit. After I put it on, she

stepped back and looked at me.

"You going to just leave your hair a mess after

we worked so hard getting you clean and smelling

good? Run a brush through it at least," she told me.