Ryan Phillips, a speech and language pathologist in the physical rehabilitation unit of a major university hospital, has recently been wounded by the ending of a relationship. He is called in to treat a patient suffering from a traumatic brain injury. In the course of his treatments, he begins to have feelings for the man.<br><br>But is he ready to be healed, and will the patient heal enough to be able to return the love growing between them? Can he find the words to express it?

Finding the Words

Instinctively, Ryan reached out and covered the hand with his own. 


He gently rubbed the back of André’s hand.“I know you get tired of hearing it, but it will get better. Just how much we don’t know, but if you keep work—” Ryan stopped talking. 


André had turned his hand over and grasped Ryan’s. With his thumb, he massaged the back of Ryan’s hand. He was looking deeply into the therapist’s eyes. His eyes shone with tears. 


“Tank oo, Rynat,” he struggled to say. Then he lifted his hand and tapped the left side of his chest. He nodded his head. 


As Ryan showered before bed that night, he thought of André’s touch on the back of his hand, the gesture as he tapped his chest. Could those be more than mere expressions of gratitude? Could he be trying to find the words to say something more? Did Ryan want them to mean something more?


Chapter 10