- several different American Drug Center articles on things like Codeine and Paracetamol etc.
- Personal blogs by different wheelchair users who shared the different struggles they experience using a wheelchair that helped me add more parts to Kattar's character.
Since I didn't do nearly enough research on pain meds before hand, I'm glad that the symptoms I gave Kattar matched, and then I could just add more detail. it's definitely better to know more though, so I highly recommend research-
I feel his gaze as he takes in the reality. The scars.
I’m not as pretty as I was on his screen saver, am I?
This time when I turn around, he knows I caught him staring.
“I don’t remember that dress,” he says a little breathlessly, smiling brightly, “It’s nice.”
I look at him, sour, my jaw set, and roll my eyes. His expression ebbs from one of surprise and confusion to almost worry. I catch him leaning forward in his chair as I start to turn away.
“Hey, ‘Lise…”
I cut him off - pretending I didn’t hear him, “Have you had anything to eat, yet?”
He looks at me for a minute in silent frustration - no that’s not fair - though he tries to hide it, I can tell it’s disappointment - maybe even hurt - before leaning back in his chair in weary defeat.
“No,” he sighs, “not yet.” He waves one thin hand toward the kitchen with a delicate lift of his wrist, “The caregivers served me breakfast earlier, but I’m sick and tired of soup and casserole. I’ve been working up the strength to make myself a sandwich, but that’s going…”
He covers his face with one hand and raises his shoulders like he’s trying to shrug off the unbearable exhaustion.
“It’s the painkillers,” he explains, “They make me sluggish and…numb.”
I can almost hear the wheels churning - the voices whispering -
But what difference does that make?
