Her expression tightened. “It was an incomplete spinal cord injury at the T12-L1 junction. The doctors said I was lucky. If the injury had been complete, I would have no sensation or function below the waist. As it is, I have some sensation, just no motor control of my legs.”
“Surgeries?” Sisco asked quietly.
“Three of them, trying to reduce the swelling and stabilize the spine. Although with a lot of physical therapy, including electrical stimulation therapy, I was able to regain some feeling in most of my pelvic area. Not to be indelicate, but at least I can tell when I need to use the bathroom. I had months of hospitalizations, surgeries, and rehab. By the end of the first year, I could stand upright as long as I had leg braces on and was holding a walker, but I couldn’t move my legs to actually walk. For mobility, I have to have a wheelchair.”
She lifted her arms and flexed her muscles. “At least my upper-body strength is good.” She laughed.
The others chuckled, and she caught Bert’s intense gaze, a pained expression on his face as his eyes seemed to devour her.
Mary looked around at the circle of faces, seeing understanding rather than pity, and it gave her courage to continue. “The hardest part wasn’t the physical stuff, honestly. It was accepting that my life had fundamentally changed. That I couldn’t be the person I’d been before.”
“Where did you live during all this? Were you far away from family?” Sadie asked.
“I wasn’t able to stay at my apartment during rehab, so my parents moved to the naval base and rented a two-bedroom handicapped-accessible apartment. So when I got out of the hospital and rehab, I had a place to live. My mom retired a little early from the school system she worked in, and she stayed with me. My dad was close to retirement, but he would fly back and forth from Montana to where I was stationed.
“Of course, I was medically discharged from the Navy, but since the accident happened on base, everything was covered. But when I was released from my final rehab, I had no desire to stay there. So I came back to Montana and got a job as a civilian with the Army.”
She looked over at Timothy and winced. “I’m sorry… you asked me about the van. The person who caused the accident had insurance, and I was able not only to have all of my rehab paid for but I was also given money that I used to purchase the van. It took about two months of training to use the accelerator and the brake on the steering column. Once my therapist felt sure that I could handle it, he arranged for the driver’s test so that I could be licensed to use the van.”
She looked around to see all eyes pinned on her, and thought she might feel overwhelmed. But in truth, it felt good to have gotten the story out all at one time to people who obviously cared for her. But seeing their expressions, she laughed and shook her head. “It’s okay, guys. Don’t pity me! We all have challenges. Believe me, when I was in the rehab facility, I saw people who were much worse off than I was.”
“It’s not pity,” Sadie said softly. “It’s admiration. You’ve adapted to new circumstances. Adapt and overcome.”
Mary smiled at her. “Yeah. That’s exactly it. And I’m lucky. I have family who supported me, doctors who were honest with me about what I could expect, and therapists who pushed me when I needed it. Plus, I’m stubborn.” That got a laugh from everyone. “I refused to let this define me or limit what I could do.”
Mary picked up her water and took a long drink. “I don’t like to dwell on what I don’t have. It doesn’t change anything, and it just eats you up inside. I’d rather focus on what I can do, what I have built, than what was taken from me.”
Logan nodded, his expression thoughtful. “That’s the mindset of a Keeper. Eyes forward. Finding solutions.”
“Exactly,” she agreed. “And this job? I’m just grateful that I found my way here. It’s made me feel valuable in a way I hadn’t felt since the accident. So thank you. All of you.”
The moment threatened to become too emotional, and Devlin broke the tension by raising his beer. “To Mary! May her new house always be warm, her beer always be cold, and her administrative skills continue to save our asses!”
Everyone laughed and raised their own drinks, and the conversation shifted to lighter topics. But Mary noticed that throughout her story, Bert had barely moved. He’d sat on the edge of the deck railing, his blue eyes fixed on her, and she’d felt the weight of his attention like a physical thing.
He’d listened to every word as if committing it to memory, his expression cycling through emotions she couldn’t quite read. Concern… definitely. Anger at what had happened to her. But also something that looked almost like grief, as if her pain had become his pain somehow.
When their eyes met, he didn’t look away. He held her gaze, and something passed between them that made Mary’s breath catch. Understanding, maybe. Or recognition. The acknowledgment that they saw each other, really saw each other, in a way that went beyond friendship.
Someone asked Cole about his latest flight, and the moment broke. Bert looked away, taking a long drink of his beer, and Mary tried to steady her racing heart.
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, the team started gathering their things and saying their goodbyes. They’d done an incredible job, and Mary’s house looked lived-in and welcoming rather than empty and sterile.
Logan and Landon were the first to leave. Logan was taking the first mission and was leaving for Alaska in the morning. Sisco and Devlin left together, arguing about whose turn it was to buy groceries for the bunkhouse. The Dolby brothers headed out with Todd and Timothy, all of them making plans to hit the bar in town.
Cole had a charter flight the following morning, so he left with a wave and a promise to visit once Mary was fully settled. Casper simply nodded at her and melted into the gathering darkness. Cory and Sadie were the last of the group, and Sadie gave Mary a quick hug.
“Your house is beautiful,” she said. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you for all your help today,” Mary replied, meaning it. “Both of you.”
“Anytime,” Cory said with an easy smile. “That’s what teammates do.”
Then they were gone, and it was just Mary and Bert standing on her deck as the stars began to emerge overhead.
11
“I… um… should get going too,” Bert said, but he didn’t move toward his SUV. “Unless you need help with anything else?”