I've lived alone since I got divorced 15 years ago. I've enjoyed myself and the freedom it allows. Then a couple of years ago I was on a skiing trip with my daughter Carol. Carol is daddy's girl. She's well aware of it, of course, and takes full advantage of her position so I tell people she has me totally wrapped around her little finger which is absolutely true. There isn't a thing I wouldn't do for her. Carol, however, has never taken undo advantage of this. She has always been the perfect daughter.
There was the time when she was 16 and came by my house to show me her prom gown. I was not prepared to see my daughter in a red low cut gown going out with some guy I didn't know. But you know, I gave her a kiss and told her to have a wonderful time and simply told her how beautiful she looked in her dress. Stunning would have been more accurate but again, there are certain things you just don't say. Carol got her mother's genes where her breasts are concerned as she was, I'd guess, a rather full C cup and her gown only accentuated that fact. That was eight years ago though and she has since had her share of boyfriends, gone and graduated from college and went on to law school and got her law degree.
So two years ago she called me and asked if I still liked to ski. I told her I did but that I just hadn't done it in a while but that I'd love to go skiing with her. We decided on Wildcat Mountain in New Hampshire. Wildcat was a favorite haunt of mine when I was in high school and offers a number of black diamond trails (expert) that I like to challenge myself on.
One of the things about skiing is that when you get tired it's a very good thing to call it a day. About 3 in the afternoon I felt myself tightening up.
"Honey, I think we need to call it a day. Your old man isn't a kid anymore."
"Okay dad but can we make just one more run. I really want to do the Wildcatter one more time."
I've never been any good at saying no to her and although my good sense said to turn her down what she heard from me was agreement. I was muscle tired but mentally I felt good so overall I felt up to the challenge. I knew Carol would challenge me to a race which she knew she'd win hands down but I took her up on it of course. I was actually doing pretty well on the trip down as she was only a few yards ahead of me most of the way. As we neared the bottom, however, out of nowhere a skier came out from the side of the trail behind Carol but directly in front of me. I did avoid him but ended up, as skiers say, hugging a tree. It sounds funny but only too often it's fatal. I knew better than to take the tree head on but in trying to avoid it my right arm and leg slammed directly into it. Fortunately for me I was knocked out but I'm certain the initial pain would have been excruciating. I know that because when I woke up a little later at the aid station the throbbing searing pain was almost more than I could take. Carol was holding my hand.
"What happened?" I asked and even through the pain I knew right away exactly what had happened.
"You saw a lonely birch tree and decided to hug it."
I wanted to laugh at her attempt at levity but could only manage a weak, albeit grateful, smile. Carol was always good at figuring out exactly the right thing to say.
I was taken to the hospital in Conway where my broken right leg, the femur, was set and my broken right arm was set. The doctor said he was amazed I hadn't broken my hip as well. I told him it was the first time in my life I'd ever broken anything so my luck was actually holding. That was my attempt at gallows humor. He told me it'd be a couple of months before I had good use of my arm but even longer for my leg. He also informed me that I was not a candidate for crutches and movement for sometime would be via wheelchair only. I don't think he considered I lived alone and that by itself would present some huge problems but neither I nor Carol volunteered the information.
Once released from the hospital I had a two plus hour ride home. Carol at first tread lightly in her conversation with me but soon she was needling me mercilessly. I had been given a mild pain reliever at the hospital, a few percocets for the interim and a prescription for more.
About half an hour into our trip home I dozed off to sleep and did wake up until Carol nudged me in the ribs to wake me up.
"Dad, we need to rent you a wheelchair somewhere. Do you have any ideas?" She asked.
I thought for a moment and then said, "Well, why don't we go home and you can get the phone book and we'll look in the yellow pages. Someone's sure to have an ad for a wheelchair."
I stayed in the car when we got back to my place while Carol went in and retrieved the phone book. She was able to quickly find a pharmacy that rented wheel chairs and half an hour later we were back home wheel chair in hand.
"You know we still have a big problem." I offered.
"What's that?"
"How are we going to get me up the stair into the house."
"Oh yeah," she said and looked at me thoughtfully.
"I'll call my friend Mark and get him over here to help get me inside."
Mark came over and after a few belly laughs at my expense helped get me inside and on my sofa. We decided it was best that I stay on the first floor of my house. Although I didn't have a bathtub there I did have a small bathroom that also had a shower.
After Mark left Carol made sure I had plenty of food in my refrigerator, which I did, and that I was comfortable on the sofa. Before she left I practiced getting from the sofa into the wheel chair with the help of a cane. After a few aborted tries we figured out how I could do it.
"Dad, I need to get home, are you going to be all right?"
"Of course, I've got cable TV., the remote, a fully stocked refrigerator, what more could I need?"
"Okay, but if you need anything just call and I'll come right over. I mean I'll be over tomorrow anyway but if you need anything tonight, all right?"
"Okay honey, thanks a lot."
It was after 11 when Carol left and between the percocet and being physically tired I fell asleep within minutes of her departure. It was almost 9 before I woke up the next morning. I had to pee bad and was able to get myself into the wheelchair and to the bathroom without incident. I was wheeling myself back into the living room when the phone rang.
"Hello."
