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What surprised me the most was I didn't think

he was older than his mid-twenties, yet Aunt Victoria had described him as the best therapist in his company. I wasn't prepared to turn my broken body over to a man who didn't look much older than I. I hoped I wasn't going to be someone's guinea pig or

the subject of someone's internship.

The look on his face when he confronted me

told me I was not exactly what he expected either. He

stared for a moment, his lips softening into a soft,

amused smile of surprise. Finally, he realized we were

both staring dumbly at each other and he practically

jumped toward me, his hand extended.

"Hi," he said. "I'm Austin Clarke."

I lifted my hand slowly and he pulled it into his

impatiently, holding it longer than I expected. Mrs. Bogart stood back in the doorway

watching a moment. "If you need anything, just

shout," she said, "I won't be far."

"Thank you," he said and turned back to me, his

eyes narrowing and his lips now forming a slightly sly

smile, almost impish. "You're disappointed I'm not

same older guy, huh?"

"Yes," I said, pulling my hand from his. "They tell me I'll always look like a teenager. I

have that complexion or maybe ifs just this carrot top.

I was thinking about dying it black, but then I'd have to dye my eyebrows and do something about these freckles. It's easier to tell everyone I take Dick Clark pills." He widened his smile in anticipation of my laughter. "They think we're related. Austin Clarke, Dick Clark?" I didn't react. "Dick Clark. 'Teenage

Bandstand,' the guy who never seems to age?" "I know who he is," I said.

He nodded and looked around the room. "Good. You've got it all here."

He put dawn his small gym bag and approached

the first machine.

"This is a leg pump. You know why we want

you to use it?"

"Stop atrophy." I recited dryly.

"Yeah, that's one thing. When the muscles of

the calves and thighs are in contraction, blood low in