Day 30

As rehab continues, Burt’s energy seems to increase everyday. He is more focused, concentrated, stronger, and less fatigued. Even after the day’s therapy sessions had ended, Burt didn’t seem to need the post-therapy nap and instead went for a roll outside.

Burt had heard through the grapevine about another garden option on the hospital grounds, this one supposedly had a fountain. It was decided that this would be the destination for the afternoon. Nobody seemed to know exactly where this Shangri-La was located except that it was in the general vicinity of oncology – tread lightly in those parts.

Down a hallway and up a ramp, a left at radiology (which has the nicest waiting room in the whole place), the Sterns succeeded in finding the garden of a thousand stents. It turned out to be an offshoot of a parking lot, but you can’t be too picky.

The “fountain” was a rock with water flowing over it. It was quiet idyllic save the air-conditioning unit humming away right next to it and the roundabout drop-off zone right behind - a little slice of Zen. Burt looked around and said, “It’s lovely.” Even in his diminished condition, the sarcasm in his voice was audible.

To top it off, after their sojourn in parking lot B the Sterns found themselves locked out and had to roll to new entrance. Burt said he was learning firsthand why building codes stipulated no more then a half-inch lip on any wheelchair accessible ramp or threshold.

The Stern family made it back to the rehab unit and Burt was glad to get back in bed after a long day. He was looking forward to the Yankee game but unfortunately the broadcast schedule in western Massachusetts was not on his side, high school football instead. So, Burt settled in for a bit of a Nero Wolfe audiobook, some stretching and vocal exercises  before bed. For fans of Rex Stout’s famous fat man, Burt has just begun Black Orchids.