Sam and Amy

By Philip Johnson

Chapter One

His name was Sam Conklin, just over six feet tall, twenty nine years old and reasonably handsome. He had medium brown hair that parted on the right because he was left handed and he was clean shaven. Sam owned the right half of a duplex that was empty on the left half and had been empty for several weeks. When Sam was home he preferred to wear shorts even well into the fall when everybody else was pulling out the sweatshirts and he frequently shunned a shirt. Shorts and loafers were about it unless he expected company. There were four duplexes arranged in a circle around a cul de sac and that provided each duplex with some semblance of a private backyard. They were all very similar, two bedrooms and a bath and a half but they also had a small basement for storage and a washer and dryer. Because they were fairly inexpensive to own they were popular with the under forty set, though there was one crabby old couple that lived in one of the end units. Sam had decided they were bitter because they weren't under forty anymore. Considering that they were mostly younger people it was surprising that it was a fairly stable little group, mostly consisting of couples including a gay couple that lived next to the crabby older couple. Over the last couple of days the maintenance guy had been working on the back sprinkler system around the cul de sac, turning a zone on for the season and testing the sprinkler heads, fixing and repairing the ones that didn't pop up before moving to the next zone.

The for sale sign on the unit next to him came down so it was just a matter of time before he would have a new neighbor. That was one bad thing about the duplexes. Every time somebody moved out the other half of that duplex had to accept whatever moved into the unit next to them. It helped a lot to be tolerant and forgiving. After the for sale sign disappeared it continued to stay empty for a few more weeks. Sam had been working six and seven days a week so he hadn't had time to even give it much thought let alone worry about a new neighbor. When his hours were finally cut back to five days a week he felt like he was working part time.

Sam finally saw his new neighbor. She was fairly tall, longish brown hair done in a ponytail with a rubber band holding it together. She was wearing baggy sweatpants and a baggy sweatshirt and beat up white athletic shoes. Understandable while she moved in but a week later she was still dressing about the same way. Good looking? Who could tell? Not even any makeup that he could detect. The tall part was about all he could be certain of. He made a point of catching her out in front and introduced himself. She might as well know what or who was living next to her. She wasn't cold exactly but very aloof and not very inclined to make small talk but he learned her name was Amy. Well at least she wouldn't be a bother to him. It was doubtful she'd have noisy parties of that he felt sure. Sam had moved in just a few weeks before so it wasn't hard for him to remember what she was going through.

He was looking at the backyard through the small window over his kitchen sink when he heard a muffled sound and then a yelp and a cry. He stood there for a second and then wiped his hands and went out the backdoor to investigate. He didn't notice at first but when he heard her cry out again he followed the sound and found her on the ground next to a couple of low bushes. She was on her back and crying and mumbling something. "Amy what happened?"

She was still moaning and mumbling but he got, "I tripped over something."

"You okay?"

"Hell I don't know." Her tone was anything but friendly but he wrote it off to her being in pain. She caught her breath and just stared at him.

"I'm Sam your next door neighbor in case you don't remember."

"Of course I remember. You just going to stand there?"

"No I was thinking I'd go back home and finish my chores."

"And leave me here?"

"I don't know, maybe. Would you like me to help you?"

She toned it down and just said, "Yes."

"Okay. Where do you hurt?"

"My right ankle and both of my wrists."

"Then I guess I'd better carry you inside." She was looking up at him standing there in his shorts and no shirt.

"You'll what?"

"That's the best way to get you in side. Of course I could drag you in by your hair caveman style or maybe by your uninjured ankle. Another alternative would be a five hundred dollar call for an ambulance."

"My God no, I don't have any insurance yet."

"Okay." He just stood there looking at her. He knew he'd help her regardless but he didn't take kindly to being treated rudely so he was going to make her work for it. She looked at him expectantly.

"Well?"

"I was waiting for you to decide how you wanted to be transported inside. If you can't decide I can come back in an hour or so."

"Damn it carry me okay?"

"Okay." He was going to make her say please but he changed his mind.

He got on his knees, worked his arms under her and managed to get her up and pulled close to his bare chest. Her right arm went behind him automatically and she tried to hold on without using her hand or bumping her wrist. It was quite a scene at her door. He couldn't reach the doorknob and she couldn't use her hand. "You'll have to wrap your arm around my neck and hang on so I can open the door." With that done he got her in and onto the couch. He straightened up and caught his breath as he surveyed the situation. "Who can I call to come help you?"

"I don't know anybody here, I'm from St. Louis."

"Amy I think we better call an ambulance for you."

"Damn it Sam I can't afford that. I don't think I broke anything."

"I could take you in my car."

"But I'd still have to pay for everything there."

"Well yeah I imagine so."

"I don't start my job for ten more days, that's why there's no insurance."

"Then I don't know what you're going to do. At the very least we have to get some ice on your wrists and ankle. Do you have any frozen peas?"

"Why do you care what's in my freezer?"

"To use as an icepack."

"Oh. No, I hate peas." "Do you have ice made?"

"Of course."

"Where are your kitchen towels?"

"Left of the sink." Sam made a couple of icepacks and did his best to put them on her wrists. Then he squatted down and started to move her pant leg up. It figured that she would choose that day to start wearing jeans.

The outside of her ankle was puffing up nicely and looked painful. "Amy I think I have an ace bandage at home somewhere. I'll get that so we can do a better job with the ice. You're ankle is really swelling. Keep it elevated and I'll be right back."

Chapter Two

Sam returned with the ace bandage and had a package of frozen peas and it only took him a minute to get her ankle wrapped. Amy seemed to be regaining some control but her eyes were still red and puffy from crying. He got her a glass of water and had her take four ibuprofen to help with the swelling and perhaps help with the pain a little. Then Sam pulled a chair closer to her and asked her, "Okay we've made temporary adjustments but do you have a plan from this point?"

She sniffed and said, "No" and she started to cry again. She was hard to understand but between sobs he managed to get, "I miss my old house, I miss my yard, I miss my friends back home and on top of that I hurt like hell, I'm almost broke and the only person to help me is you."

"Gee thanks."

"I mean you're a guy."

"I noticed that this morning when I shaved."

"No I mean I have to pee" and she cried all the harder.

That was something that Sam hadn't even considered. Sprains he knew about from high school football. Helping a woman pee was new territory for him. He stared at her for a minute trying hard to come up with a plan but it took him a couple of minutes.

"Okay. At least for this time I'll get you a towel and we can put it between your legs. You can pee into the towel and then I'll rinse it out."

"Oh Sam that's gross."

"No it isn't. Hell I've dealt with worse things than that. You don't have much choice I'm afraid."

"Oh God this is awful. There is nothing left to go wrong now. It just can't get worse than this. God how I wish I'd never left St. Louis."

"I'll get a towel. It will be okay you'll see." He was back a second later and rolled it up and then stopped. He'd forgotten about her jeans.

He went back to her bathroom and returned with her other towel and draped it across her pelvis and she watched him in disbelief as he reached under it and started to undo her button and zipper. A man she hardly even knew was taking her pants and panties off. This had to be the worst day of her life.

Once her jeans were unfastened he had her raise her hips the best she could and he started to coax them down. Too bad they fit her hips so nicely. Baggy ones would have been a lot easier. In getting her jeans down the towel wanted to move too so he'd have to stop and reposition the towel and then work on the pants again. It took him some time but he got them down and then had to unwrap her ankle so he could slide her jeans the rest of the way off. Once that was done he had to deal with her panties. He'd removed his share of women's panties but this was awkward for him. Once again he felt under the towel and started to work them down. Amy was dying of embarrassment but she kept

silent. She had to pee too much to complain anymore. "Amy do you think you can position the towel once I get it close?"

"I don't think so."

He mumbled to himself, "I was afraid of that" and proceeded. He had to touch her he couldn't help it. His hands brushed the insides of her thighs as he worked the wadded towel up against her. "Spread your legs a little more." She couldn't believe what was happening. She resigned herself to it and spread her legs and he said, "Okay. Want me to leave the room or something?"

She laughed out loud. "My God Sam after what you just did? No that won't be necessary" and when she let go it felt to her like she was going to go forever and worried that the towel wouldn't hold it. She didn't want to pee all over her sofa. She told him when she was done and he reached under the towel that was over her hips. His thought was the rolled up towel next to her thighs would stay dry and just the center would be wet but when he retrieved it he discovered it was pretty well soaked. He disappeared into the bathroom and soon returned with a washcloth. "Amy I really should clean the insides of your thighs but I won't if you don't want me to." She didn't answer him right away. She managed to get the towel that was across her pelvis between two fingers on her left hand and whipped it off.

Looking up at the ceiling in embarrassment she whined, "Damn it Sam just do what you have to do." He was frozen in place. He was looking at her nearly shaved mound. Amy didn't want to even talk to him a day ago and here he was looking at her nude below the waist. He realized he was staring and started to gently cleanse her thighs. He left to rinse the rag and returned and proceeded with his task. How much did women clean up there after they peed? He'd seen a woman or two wipe themselves and it always seemed like they were pretty thorough.

He was doing his best but he finally asked her, "How much am I supposed to clean?"

She had tears sliding down her right cheek as she stared at the far wall and said, "Between...the lips." He didn't say anything more and went to his task. This was something more intimate and personal than he'd ever shared with his last girlfriend that was for sure. When he was done he retrieved the towel and patted the water off and covered her up again.

When he returned she was lying there staring at the ceiling again. He had remained pretty detached from most of what he'd done but seeing her there with wet cheeks, puffy eyes and her hair a mess he felt sorry for her. He knelt on the floor next to her and gently brushed her hair back from her face. That made her cry harder than she'd cried since her accident and she did her best to throw her left arm around his neck and pulled him to her. Her wrists hurt like crazy so she couldn't hold him in a normal way but she did her best and he just leaned into her and slipped his right arm around her to let her cry as long as she felt the need.

She finally took a deep breath and put her left arm back beside her and looked at the man that had just touched her so intimately.

"Sam I'm sorry I'm such a bitch. I hurt like hell and I'm so embarrassed."

"I understand. I'm sorry I wasn't a little more patient with you. Amy we just solved the immediate problems. But we have to figure out what to do next."

"Don't you know any woman around here?"

"I've only lived her a short while and I've worked so much I don't know anybody in the area, man or woman. I can take tomorrow off and then we have the weekend but after that we have a problem."

"We have a problem now. What if I wake up during the night and need something and you're home in bed?"

"I didn't think of that."

"I think I'll be better in a couple of days but that doesn't help right now. I might even be able to hop on one foot now but then what? I don't have the use of my hands."

"Are you sure I can't take you to the doctor?"

"Sam I have enough money to carry me for about thirty days. If I go to the doctor I'll be broke before I even leave his office. Besides that doesn't solve my immediate problem. They wouldn't admit me so I'd still have to come back home and be alone."

"I can only come up with one thought."

"God I hope it will work."

"It's up to you. Do you have a guest room?"

"Sure."

"Then at bedtime I'll put you to bed and I'll sleep in the guest room. We'll go like that until Sunday afternoon and see how well you do and take it from there. Now before you say anything remember that means I'll be your total caregiver. That includes bathing and even brushing your teeth."

"You hardly know me and you'd be willing to do that?"

"I can't just walk away from you. Hell I'm not even sure you could dial a phone even if you could reach it. Of course I'd do it for you."

"Moving here for a great new job seemed like such a wonderful adventure when it started. I've managed to go for twenty six years and not have a serious injury and now look. I have three of them in one day and all while I have no insurance. It just isn't fair."

Chapter Three

Sam was giving her a few minutes to think about his solution but he knew she really didn't have a choice, at least not for a day or so. Maybe that would give them time to come up with a better plan. Amy held up an arm and said, "Sam my icy towel is dripping all over."

"We have to come up with something better. It wouldn't hurt to have it off for a little bit anyway. I think I remember something about half an hour on and half an hour off but I'm not sure." He removed the ice from her wrists and took the soaking towels to the kitchen. When he came back he said, "I'll leave the one on your ankle for a while longer though. It seemed to be swelling more than your wrists." She held them up and he took one in his hand to gently warm the skin. "How does this one feel?"

"Sore."

"Move your fingers." She slowly moved them and winced.

"Okay I'll put the ice back on in a little bit."

He pulled the chair right up to the couch and sat down. "Well this is one way to get to know your neighbor a lot better."

"I don't recommend it."

"Well you were pretty cold to me in the beginning."

"I guess I was and I'm sorry. Sam I arrived scared to death. My new job will really pay a lot better than what I was used to and I knew I was cutting the finances pretty short and I guess being so poor took a toll on me. Now it looks even more bleak."

"You'll make it. The very worst it would be is you'd have to borrow some money for medical expenses."

"No the very worst would be if I didn't have you here to save me from myself. I could still be out there in the grass peeing on myself."

He leaned back in his chair and asked her, "So what is your decision?"

"Sam if you're willing to do that for me it would be wonderful."

"Okay now where would I find a hairbrush?"

"You don't need..."

"Yes I do. The better you feel the better you'll do."

"In my bedroom on my dresser."

"Bedroom on the left?"

"Yes." He came back and after struggling with her rubber band he brushed her hair back using it as therapy as much as anything. She relaxed, closed her eyes and just let him brush her hair.

After a few minutes he stopped and said, "I won't put the rubber band back on because I'd just pull your hair again."

"That's okay. Thank you for doing that."

"Amy if you're comfortable I'm going to go find a better system for your wrists."

"Sam I can't afford..."

"Never mind about any of that right now. I'll be about thirty or forty minutes. Do you need anything before I go?"

"I don't think so. If I can doze off I'll take a nap."

When he came back he slipped in quietly in case she was asleep and she was. He put the five packages of peas in the freezer, the bag of food on the counter and went home to get his shave gear and toothbrush. When he returned she was awake. "You had a little nap anyway."

"My wrists are starting to hurt more." He got the peas from the freezer and grabbed the bag with the new ace bandages and wrapped her wrists again and took the one off of her ankle for a while.

"You hungry?"

"Now that you mention it I am hungry."

"I brought us some Chinese. I figured that was something we could handle." "Oh my God that's right you have to feed me too."

"I'll warm it up. Tea?"

"That sounds soothing." It took them a while but he fed her and then he ate too while they watched the news on TV and had a second cup of tea.

It wasn't long before she said, "Sam I hate to say this but I have to pee again. Maybe tea wasn't such a good idea."

"Okay I'll get a towel." "There are more towels in the cabinet."

"Okay." Once again he slipped the towel under the towel across her belly and she emptied her bladder. He put that with the other one and then cleaned her up again. He felt more comfortable doing it that time but she was still a little embarrassed. He rinsed out the towels and took them all to the dryer. He had to save a couple for their showers in the morning. He didn't have a clue how they would go about that.

When it was closer to time for bed he asked her, "Ready to brush your teeth?"

"This is going to be so weird but let's try it." He came back and sitting on the edge of the couch with his hip against her side he leaned over her. Then putting his left hand behind her head to help her he brushed her teeth with his right hand doing his best to clean them all. When he was done he had her spit into a glass as she rinsed. With that out of the way he smiled and said, "I think we'll do just fine."

"Brushing my teeth is the easiest part." He knew she was right about that. "Amy I doubt that you want to sleep in what you're wearing but it's up to you."

"No I don't. Okay, I might as well get used to this. In my top left hand dresser drawer you'll find a mint green night shirt."

Sam felt that under the circumstances he had done a pretty good job of being as careful as he could protecting her modesty but he was about to see her completely naked. He already knew she was quite attractive and that she had very nice legs. How the hell was he going to behave himself this time? And what about bathing her tomorrow? As they became more comfortable around each other it was going to get even worse for him.

He came back out and stood there a second. How the hell would this work? "Amy do you think you could sit up for a minute?"