The muscles in Hank’s arms and legs tensed harshly before they failed on him, sending him tumbling to the ground. He spat and cursed, batting away the hands of the nurses who tried to help him up.

“Leave me alone!” He growled, spittle flinging from his mouth. “I don’t need your help!”

The nurses, used to Hank’s bickering and stubborn demeanor, helped him anyway, setting him down on a chair. The closest nurse sighed, placing his hand on the back of his neck. “Hank, you gotta trust us. You’re not as nimble as you used to be, we have to rework your muscles first.”

“Bah!” Hank burst, crossing his arms and pouting. “Do you know who I am? I don’t need your pity or your ‘exercises’. This is useless! I was fine before, I’ll be fine again!”

“But you won’t, Hank,” the nurse exhaled, bending down next to the chair. “If you can’t walk now, you might not be able to walk again. I’m not saying it’s hopeless, but we have to do this _right_.”

Hank frowned, grumpy and huffing. The nurses rolled him back into his room.

The next day came and he didn’t make more than 3 steps. The day after, only 2 steps. By the end of the week, he managed to take 3 steps again.

“Useless!” He cried, shaking his fist in righteous anger. “Useless, I tell you!”

“Dear,” Rosalynn, Hank’s wife of many years, lowly crooned. She pat Hank’s knee soothingly. “I know these things are tedious and the nurses can be irritating, but we can’t just give up.”

Hank grumbled and huffed, sitting up tall and puffing his chest out. “I don’t see what the big deal here is! I can’t walk, I won’t walk! Get me one of them nice wheel chairs and have that worthless son-in-law of ours install a ramp on the porch.”

“Hank…” Rosalynn sighed, moving to sit on the bed with her husband and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “Think about it. You’ll have to sell the motorcycle.”

Hank stiffened but set his jaw and continued on stubbornly. “Well, you wanted me to sell it long ago anyway! You should be happy.”

“We’ll have to sit in the back pews at church.”

“That’s where they sit all your gossip group.”

Rosalynn grumbled softly, flicking the side of Hank’s forehead. He rubbed at the side of his head. “Hank! Lilac is going to give birth soon and you’re going to be a grandpa. Don’t you want to play with the little one? Take them out to the park by yourself?”

Hank inhaled sharply, his cold, determined gaze faltering with soft, glassy eyes. Rosalynn took Hank’s hands into her own. “You are so strong, dear. You just need to keep being strong. Just for a little longer…”

Hank squeezed back at Rosalyn’s hands and sighed, his head hanging low. “… Go call for that thick-headed nurse…”