The Surgeon and the Princess Karin Baine (websites to read books for free .TXT) 📖

Using the handrail at the side of the steps, she eased herself in. Once she was enveloped in that watery embrace she could finally relax. On her back now, she floated aimlessly, letting her thoughts drift away. The glittering, morphing reflection of the water on the ceiling hypnotised her into a state of calm. Here, it didn’t matter about her appearance or abilities. She could just be.

It was only the occasional splash when her constantly swishing hands keeping her afloat slapped the surface that disturbed her reverie. She could get used to coming here to unwind at night. Edward had indicated she’d need supervision but she wasn’t one of those helpless patients who couldn’t fend for herself. There’d been a time when she had been dependent on lifeguards and physios to make sure she didn’t drown but she’d worked hard to get this independence and she wasn’t going to give it up now.

Once she thought her hydrotherapy was bordering on being self-indulgent, she rolled over onto her belly and began to swim. There were those who had special prosthetics made to swim with but she was content to be unencumbered for this short time.

After a few lengths she began to tire. Her limbs and lungs were telling her they’d had enough for one day. Regardless of what Mr Lawrence thought, she did listen to her body. She wanted to improve and regain the fitness levels she’d had pre-amputation, not make things worse. At this point she didn’t know what that could be but if she overdid things there was a fear of being laid up again.

Those weeks spent in hospital, unable to do anything, followed by relearning basic things such as standing and walking, had been the worst time of her life. It had left her weak and ashamed at being so helpless, relying on strangers to help her carry out the simplest tasks. There was no way she was returning to those dark days.

The clock on the far wall told her it was getting late. As kind as Edward had been in staying on, she didn’t want to take advantage. He had work in the morning and there was likely to be someone waiting for him at home. Oddly, the thought of him going back to a cosy domestic scene while she sneaked back into the palace, where her disappearance probably wouldn’t have been noticed, bugged her.

She hauled herself up and over the edge of the pool where she’d left her clothes. Unfortunately, she hadn’t had the foresight to set a towel within reach. There was a bale of freshly laundered fluffy white towels sitting on the low-level lockers over by the door. She had two options: either put her clothes on over her wet underwear or hop over to get one. There was no point trying to put her leg on first when she was wet. She needed to dry off before she attempted that.

It wasn’t that far anyway, and she was used to getting around on one leg in her bedroom rather than put the blasted thing on and off when she needed to get something.

With the aid of the handrail, she pulled into an upright position and steadied herself. She propelled herself forward, letting her leg take the full weight of her body. It took a few seconds to centre herself again and get her balance. Things like this were tiring and frustrating. Such was her new norm after a lifetime of taking such a basic thing as having two legs for granted. If she didn’t believe things like this would get easier she’d have given up a long time ago.

Another hop brought her closer to her target but as her foot landed on the tiled floor it splashed in a small puddle of water and she lost traction. Though she frantically reached out for anything to stabilise her, she was powerless against gravity and landed with a thud.

The pain was excruciating as she hit the deck. When her body landed on the hard, wet surface it literally knocked the breath out of her. Her head had cracked against the tiles too and she lay there stunned, wondering how things had gone so wrong so quickly.

‘Georgiana? What the hell—?’ Edward’s angry voice reverberated around the walls and for a moment she thought she’d imagined it. Until he loomed over her. She groaned out of pain and the humiliation of him finding her lying here.

‘I slipped.’ She sounded pathetic and knew she looked even more so, sprawled here with her stump on show for the world to see.

‘I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Did you hurt yourself?’ He knelt beside her in the puddle of water. The genuine look of concern on his face as he brushed the wet strands of hair out of her eyes made her want to weep. She loathed seeing sympathy on people’s faces yet at the same time she was desperate for someone to see, to realise, what she was going through inside. To confide those feelings in anyone meant trusting again and she wasn’t ready for that. She could only stay strong if she listened to herself and didn’t rely on others for her happiness.

‘It’s nothing serious. I’ve felt worse.’ The dark humour was supposed to cover her uncharacteristic bout of self-pity but she could sense her chin wobbling and giving the game away. If Ed showed her any more compassion there was every chance she’d fling her arms around him and cry on his shoulder. The whole scene was mortifying and she was tempted to roll over and let the water claim her.

‘This is why I told you not to come here alone. For your own safety.’ He reached over to grab a few of the towels and covered her body to keep her warm. Oh, yeah, she was lying here in her wet underwear too. Honestly, she didn’t think she could’ve done a better job of humiliating herself if she’d