Claimed by the Biker Giant (Maxine and Tank) novel Chapter 369

Chapter 369

Tempest POV

It has been a long year, but the time has come, and I am getting my new legs today, and I am excited.

The only worry was that everyone would be there.

What if I fall and embarrass myself in front of them all?

The person who made my legs had already done all the necessary adjustments. The person to fit them and show me how to put them on will be coming to our home, where everyone will be waiting, watching and trying to urge me on. I appreciate the support, but I thought my first fitment would be private and only see when I could walk, but they were so excited about me getting out of the wheelchair that they insisted on a welcome ‘freedom‘ party.

Dad, Mum, Storm, Skunk, Journey, Sprocket, Skittles, Doom, Wrench, Nugget, Fingers, Stinger, Jip, Bonkers, Penny, Razor, Simon Jnr, Tandy, Gramps, Grandpa Savage, his woman, Dirk, Zero, Melony, Nightingale and Blaze, they will all be there, and others I can’t remember.

The place was full, all we were waiting for was for me to put on the legs and walk. I had been practising with something Fingers had put together that simulates walking, building up my muscles and activating muscle memory. As silly as it sounds, your legs forget how to walk.

The legs arrived, and they gathered around, my at the front of the room, sitting on a chair, as Fingers did the honour of showing me how to put them on. Then Fingers removed them with ease and placed them on the floor for me to try myself. I picked up one; it was lighter than I expected, slipped my leg in, set the clasp in place, and raised and lowered the leg. Tears were filling my eyes, making it almost impossible to see the other one to put on. I wiped my eyes, took a deep breath, clipped the other one in place, then raised and lowered my legs a few times before getting used to the feeling and looking at them. With Fingers‘ help, I stood for the first time in a year.

Cheers rang around the room, and all I had done was stand up. I looked at the cheering crowd, tears flowing, and I couldn’t contain them any longer. I wiped my eyes and sat down, then stood up and sat back down, getting my knees working again and accepting my weight. It felt odd.

“Ready to try and take a step?” Fingers asked softly. I nodded.

“Remember your training, you won’t feel the ground the same way as you used to.” I nodded again and stood up, easier this time.

Storm came forward and took the other side of me, and Fingers moved to watch, allowing Storm to be the one to support me for my first steps.

“Remember to lift higher than you think you need to, until you get used to the feeling. You don’t use

+25 Points

heal–toe walking, like a real foot.” Fingers were trying to remind me of how to walk. We had gone over this a lot over the past month, mimicking the way I would walk one day.

I moved my leg, but when my foot hit the floor, I felt a sensation in my knee. Did that mean my foot landed? I accepted that, it might mean that, and lifted the other leg, and took a step. I felt the tension below my knee, where my prosthetic leg attached to me, and I would not be running any time soon. There was more to it than taking one step at a time.

“Well done, now take a few more steps, and tell me how you feel where the stump is. Does it feel painful? We need to adjust if it causes pain or irritation. The fitting might need adjusting.” I know Fingers means well, but she was fussing, and I want to try not to think about all that yet.

Storm held me tight on the arm, and one hand was ready to take my weight, reassuring me that he was there, if I needed him. He wasn’t taking any of my weight until I asked him to. I took two more steps, but it was not as easy as I had hoped. For some reason, I thought that when I got the legs back, it would be like it had been before I lost them, but it wasn’t; it will never be the same. I had to push the depressing thought behind me and accept this as it was.

“No real pain,” I answered Fingers.

“How about fit, not sloppy?”

“How can I tell if it’s sloppy or too tight?”

“When we take them off and look at the end of your legs, we need to check for swelling, which

would inform me of tightness, but expect some redness, as you adjust, like putting on new shoes,

it takes a little while for your ends to get used to being the place to take your weight.” I walked

about another ten steps with Storm’s help, then turned and returned to the chair. I was out of

breath for that small walk, and I considered myself fit.

Fingers moved forward and removed the prosthetics, checking the end of my legs for swelling, rubbing, and who knows what else.

“Perfect, I suggest you keep them on, even when you are resting and using the wheelchair, it might take you a bit longer to get used to them. I have a new routine to try tomorrow, which I hope will build your confidence to walk on your own, for longer, and build up your stamina.”

“I didn’t think that small walk would take so much out of me.”

“You managed to walk further than I had expected, you did well, girl, you did well.”

The prosthetics back on, as Fingers suggested, I sat back in my chair.

“Let me know when you want to walk around again.” I nodded, still overwhelmed by the legs and the feeling, and trying not to be disappointed, I could walk around like normal. I put too much hope and expectation on today. Fingers tried to warn me, but I guess I didn’t listen, or should I have heard, but didn’t want to believe, I wouldn’t be walking around from today onwards.

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