The Left-Hand Path by Jeff Erno

Author:Jeff Erno [Erno, Jeff]
Language: eng
Format: epub

“OKAY, Mr. Elliot, this snazzy belt here, fashionable though it may be, is far more than just a really cool accessory. It’s what we call a transfer belt, and I’m gonna put it on you to help get you into your wheelchair. All right?”

Will stepped over to the bed and placed the belt onto the mattress, down by the foot. He then moved up to the head of the bed and slid his arm around Elliot’s shoulders. With his other arm, he scooped up Elliot’s legs, sliding under his knees. In one smooth movement, he repositioned the patient so he was sitting on the edge of the mattress with his feet flat on the floor. “Hold on right here,” Will instructed, indicating the bed rail. Once he was confident that Elliot was steady and in no danger of falling over, he quickly snatched up the belt and wrapped it around Elliot’s back and abdomen, clasping it on the side. He then positioned Elliot’s weakened right arm so that it was resting in his lap.

“Now here comes the fun part,” Will said with a little extra lilt in his voice. He slid the wheelchair over, placing it so it was angled toward them with the right side snug against the mattress. “Now I’m gonna need your help, Mr. Elliot. It might be scary the first couple times you do this, but I promise, after you get used to it, it’ll be easy as pie. What I need you to do is to reach across the wheelchair and grab hold of this arm here.” Will tapped on the left armrest of the chair. “Then I’m gonna count to three, and you’re gonna stand up. I’ll help you, so don’t worry. I’ll use the belt to guide you into the chair. You understand?”

Elliot looked Will in the face, then glanced over to the chair and back to Will. Finally, he nodded.

“Great! Okay. One… two… three….” As Elliot stood up, his strength actually surprised Will. The transfer went far smoother than he expected. “Wow, that was fantastic! You know, I’ve gotta say, you’re pretty darn good for a first-timer. Okay, now put your foot up here in the footrest.” As Elliot moved his left foot, Will grabbed hold of his right and began to slide it into the other footrest. As he did so, he felt Elliot assisting him, attempting to move the leg all by himself. “Okay, now you’re just being a show-off.”

Elliot’s genuine smile warmed Will’s heart. He felt a connection with him already, and it was just his first day. Seeing the positive way Elliot was responding gave Will hope that maybe he really did have some sort of chance to actually help Elliot. Will had worked with other stroke patients who hadn’t shown signs nearly as promising.

When they got to the bathroom, the transfer proved to be a bit more complicated, but Will pulled it off fairly easily. Elliot possessed some height, being a good four to five inches taller than Will, but he had a fairly slender frame.

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