Holly - Part 2

HOLLY (Part Two)

So many unasked questions were swimming through my mind as I drove home, like just what is a S.T.O......T.O.L....I didn't even remember what she said the brace was called. I didn't even ask what kind of brace it is! All I was thinking was that the money I could make if I could go the whole six weeks would be the answer I was looking for. Lets see, hmmmm, my living expenses are $250.00 a week, if I can do all six weeks that's five thousand dollars. Six weeks times 250 is fifteen hundred dollars, that's thirty five hundred left over. That buys me uhh, ten weeks more! But what kind of brace is it? How uncomfortable will it be that they would pay someone five thou to wear it for six weeks? It was driving me crazy all night. The next morning as I was having coffee I decided that since six weeks is just a short time in my life and although I hadn't really definitely made up my mind, I did decide that I really wanted to know more, after all it's a big company, they seem very professional and I really liked Val. I guess you could say I was talking myself into it!
The phone rang at 9:15, it was Val. "Good morning Holly," I could hear the smile in her voice. "I bet you did a lot of thinking since we talked yesterday, and that you have a thousand questions." Well.....I said, you must be a mind reader, yes I would like to ask exactly what kind of brace this is and what it looks like and... Val interrupted me with a laugh. "Holly, it sounds to me like you have decided that you would like to give it a try, right?" Well, yes, I think so but I guess I just need to know a little more before I say yes. I will tell you this Val, I'm a very determined person when I decide to do something, so If I agree to this it's for the whole six weeks. "Why don't you come back to my office later this morning, say about noon? I'll try to answer all your questions, and even let you try a prototype of the brace on, that will give you a good idea what you're getting yourself into, then you can decide, ok?"
I was a little early but the receptionist said I could go right in. Val was waiting at the door to her office with that same friendly smile. "Come on in Holly, nice to see you again." I sat down on the couch and she sat across from me. "Ok, from talking to you on the phone this morning, it's apparent that you have pretty much decided to do this but you just need to know exactly what a C.T.L.S.O. brace is, right?" Well Val, there you go again! Were you a mind reader in a former life? We both laughed. "Holly, a C.T.L.S.O. brace is used by orthopedic specialists when there has been an injury to the spine, involving the lower or middle part of the spine and also the neck. This type of brace is used when the doctor deems it necessary to immobilize the entire spinal column. In the past, this kind of brace has been bulky, hot, heavy and very uncomfortable. We have just developed a new version of this brace, it's made out of a very thin inner layer of titanium, with an outer layer of graphite, it is lined with a hypo-allergenic layer of very soft material which keeps perspiration away from the skin as much as possible. The titanium, combined with the graphite makes the brace very strong and rigid, which is necessary to keep the spine immobile, at the same time it is much lighter than anything on the market today. The best part is that it is very form fitting and not bulky at all. this means that most clothing can be worn over the brace. In the past, a person wearing a C.T.L.S.O. had to go out and buy clothing two sizes larger, but not anymore. Now don't get me wrong Holly, it's not a picnic wearing a brace like this but believe me, it's much better than in the past. The brace will begin at your hips and go all the way up to your chin in the front and up your spine in the back, all the way to the back of your head. Your head will be held erect, and immobile, at first it will seem like your head is tilted too high but that will pass as you become more used to it.
Now, just to give you an idea what it's like to wear the brace, we have a prototype here that I think will fit you. If you decide to accept our offer one will be made to the exact specifications of your own body. Would you like to try it on?" Well, sure, I said, I guess I need to find out before I make my final decision huh Val? Val laughed. "Don't worry Holly, you really will get used to wearing it and when it's over you will be glad you made the decision, I'll go get it, you take off your top and skirt, don't worry your privacy will be respected at all times, I'll be right back."
Well, I'll try it on, I thought, but I had already pretty much made mind up. It didn't matter how uncomfortable it was, I figured it was worth it if it financed me here in California a while longer. Val opened the door and walked in with the brace, it didn't look like much, some flesh colored, plastic-looking pieces with straps. "Here it is Holly" Val said, "I'll show you how it goes on. There's a front and a back, turn around, ok the back part goes here on your hips and against the back of your head, then the front goes on, like this." The front piece wasn't as bad as I thought, uh, until Val picked up the chin piece, that I hadn't noticed. "Ok Holly, now move your head back until it rests against the head piece." Val deftly attached the chin piece to the front of the brace and slid it up under my chin until it was snug, but not really tight. "Ok, that looks about right, how does it feel?" I moved a little, tried to turn my head, nothing! I felt like Robby the robot. I walked around the room. "Wow! This thing sure does the job!" I said.
"Well Holly, the most important quality about this new design is that it must be made to your own exact dimensions, of course this one isn't so the one we make for you will fit better, that way there will be no room for any movement, reducing the chance of chafing and irritating your skin almost completely. The only difference will be that the one we make for you will have a head band as well, we want to test it with all the optional attachments." I sat down on the couch, and when I leaned back, I was looking at the ceiling! Val laughed. "Hey! What's so funny?" I laughed back. "Well Holly, as you can see, there will be a few adjustments you will have to make. Cushey couches and chairs will have to be avoided, here, try this chair." She pulled over a rather straight backed chair. I tried to get up to try it out but that was easier said than done. "Whew! I see what you mean Val." With a struggle, I got myself off the couch and sat in the chair, it was much better.
"Here Holly, put your skirt and top back on and take a look at yourself in the mirror." Another chore! I couldn't look down to see what I was doing but I finally got my skirt on and pulled the top over my head, I walked over to the mirror to take a look. The only part that I could see was the chin piece, it was flesh colored but still very apparent, it came up to about an inch below my lower lip and wrapped around my jaw, but was pretty much form-fitting. I tried again to move my head up, down, side to side....nothing. I tried bending, twisting....nothing.
"Holly, before you make your final decision, I want you to know that people will stare at you and treat you differently, it's just human nature I guess, so just to give you an idea of this we are going out to lunch, my treat, ok?" "Well...sure, I never turn down a free lunch" I laughed. "Great, I know a wonderful little pub with great burgers, come on, I'll drive of course." So, down the elevator we went and out into the main lobby. I was feeling a little strange with all the people around, and Val was right, I could see people looking but they would look away as soon as our eyes met. I imagined that the people off to my side or behind me were looking too but I couldn't see them. We went out the door into the parking garage and when we got to Val's car she unlocked my door and told me to be very careful getting in because I would have to do it a little differently so that I don't bump my head and I'm glad she warned me!
The restaurant was just a few blocks away and it was just a nice little bar & grill. We went to a booth and I slid in, not unaware, out of the corner of my eyes, of the stares. "Hi girls!" the waitress said, "Heavens! what happened to you honey?" She said it with a certain amount of sympathy. I had to think quick. "Well, I was white water rafting in Colorado and we sort of crashed, so I'll be playing Darth Vader for a while." I laughed, she laughed and I felt a little better because I think everyone else in the place heard it too. We ordered burgers and iced tea and I relaxed a little. "Holly, that was a great performance! You're going to make a good actress, and that's exactly what you need to do to put yourself at ease when these situations arise." "Val, do you mind if I smoke?" I said as I reached for my purse. "Of course not Holly, I'm a smoker too." I had to feel through my purse for my cigarettes, but couldn't find them in all the clutter and couldn't look down to see what I was doing so I had to put my purse! on the table in front of me and kind of bend forward at my hips and look down along my nose to see what I was doing. "Well Val, I can see what you were talking about already, when you said I would be doing things a little differently" Val laughed as she reached over with her lighter, I guess she didn't want to see me have to search for my lighter now. "Holly, I think you will be perfect for this, and I don't want to get a hasty answer but I have a feeling that you are thinking of saying yes to our proposal." "Well Val," I said. "I didn't want to say yes until you've paid the check." We both laughed. "Seriously though, I think I will be able to do this, and I sure could use the money so...if you promise to pay the check, I'll give you my yes now, deal?" Val extended her hand and said "Deal!" We ate our burgers and talked some more, I had to learn to bend at the hips to see anything I was eating, and, I found that I had to squish my burger flat so that I could take a bite since it occurred to me that I couldn't get my mouth open very wide, but I did ok, considering.
After we got back to Val's office she helped me out of the brace, and what a relief that was! I rolled my head around and bent and twisted and it felt good! Val picked up the phone and said "Jim, do you have time now to run the scanner on Holly? Great! We will be right there." I looked at Val, wondering what she was talking about. "Holly, it used to be that you would have to be casted with plaster so that a brace could be made from the form, but we have the latest technology here, all we have to do is scan your body with a harmless laser beam to get all the information we need to make the brace. Come on, let's introduce you to Jim." We went down one floor to a room full of computers, and workbenches, and all sorts of high tech looking equipment. To make a long story short, Jim just had me stand between some high paralell bars, told me to put my arms up in a certain position and his little laser beam passed across me several times. "Ok" Jim said, "that's all there is to it, I'll have your brace ready the day after tomorrow," Val said "Thank's Jim, and thank you too Holly, now you go home and do your last couple of days of bending and twisting for a while and we will see you at....how about 10am, the day after tomorrow?

END PART TWO