growths on his right foot. As his head turned south to look at the foot, he realized that the evidence for his unique name had been taken from him along with a significant portion of his right leg. He stopped mid-sentence as the reality of the situation took root. After a brief pause, he continued the story, somewhat disheveled.
Tiffany sensed the discomfort in his voice and actions as he looked at his mutilated leg. She had seen this many times before. It was common practice for a new rehab patient to come to grips with his or her disability on the first day. While it saddened her inside, she knew well that the patient would be looking to her for reinforcement and encouragement. Prior to the meeting, she had reviewed Seven’s file and she knew that treating disabled veterans could be a heart-wrenching experience. She had worked with many in the past: young, able-bodied men and women in the midst of an exciting and adventurous life, only to have their entire lives disrupted and crushed in a split second. She developed an alter ego that allowed her to smile at and encourage persons whose lives had been completely destroyed. Tiffany Taylor was experienced in every aspect of her vocation.
She grinned and offered him a hearty “wow” as she began collecting the tools that she would be using in Seven’s therapy. She knew not to let a patient dwell too long on the revelation of his disability on the first day. Get him moving and focused on rehab was her go-to first-day move. She started off with an encouraging, well-rehearsed speech about how normal his life was going to be and how she was going to get him there. She sold the dream with excitement and a friendly smile. Seven found the words easy to accept as they were coming from a beautiful, perfect mouth. The rehabilitation of Seven Andrews began with a long, torturous, painful day, a prosthetic leg, and a beautiful woman.
Tiffany Taylor was every bit of twenty-five years old. Her father was a doctor, her mother a nurse. They were both retired now, living in Tampa. They watched their only daughter grow into a mature, beautiful physical therapist. Much like Seven, she always wanted to pursue her dream vocation.