After my usual wait of a few days, I phoned the nursing home to make an appointment and got the bad news. Kira was scheduled for surgery on both her legs. I asked a few questions and was put through to the surgeon himself.
"Kira has no family and so I'm telling you this as her nearest friend. And this may affect her insurance claim, I guess. Both her legs have suffered serious failure in blood supply and there are signs of necrosis. Do you know what that means?"
I confessed my ignorance, "No, I'm sorry. Please explain for me. Is it serious?"
"It is the worst thing that could happen to her. The cells in her body are self-destructing because of the failure of oxygen supply. It's similar to the condition everyone calls gangrene but gangrene is usually caused by a bacterial infection. In Kira's case, the cells are destructing autonomously because of oxygen shortage. At this time, it's only in some of her toes and one ankle joint, but we can't afford to let it spread. Toxins will enter her blood stream at some stage, and that could be fatal if the toxins reach her heart or her brain. And so I'm planning to amputate some part of her legs."
"Does she know this? Is she prepared for more surgery," I was worried about Kira's frame of mind as well as her physical health.
"Yes. I've explained as simply as I could and she's signed the consent forms. She's a brave young lady and understands very well how important this is. Please can you come in and acknowledge what I'm saying and the surgery-plan?" he asked me.
It was fixed and I dropped into the clinic that evening to sign the forms, and also to get his statement for the insurance claim.
While there, I asked to see Kira but was refused. She was already sedated in preparation for surgery at 7am next morning.
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Ten days later, I got a call from the nursing home to say that Kira was asking for me to visit. I arranged to go the next day and was in a turmoil of emotion and excitement. After all, what would be her physical condition; her emotional state; her need for affection; her need for orgasm?
On arrival, I was taken to see the surgeon and he explained, "I've needed to amputate both legs up a point above the knee. I had to find the nearest point of good blood supply, even though her central nervous connections are not functioning."
"And how is she? Physically and mentally, I mean," I enquired.
"Amazing. She has such strength of spirit and her body has healed very well. But she realizes now that she is even less able to take care of herself. She's been asking for you, so you better go and see her," he smiled at me, raised his eyebrows and nodded his head as if he knew what my visits involved.
Alice let me into Kira's room and then closed the door as she left us alone. Kira was in the usual horizontal position and I leaned over to hold her and share kisses. Her behaviour was totally as-usual. Her tongue reached into my mouth and moved around my back teeth, her hands held my face close to hers, her breasts reacted to my hands with their little breathing-movements.
