Arkady has dedicated his life to the world of ballet. He is known as the bad boy of the dance world, and is an ever rising star. Then he gets injured in what is at first thought to be a tragic accident but turns out to be so much worse. He's lost ballet, and his life feels unbalanced. A friendship with his no-nonsense physical therapist starts him on a new path. He has her friendship, a more honest relationship with his parents, his beloved dog Lou and, for the first time, maybe love in the form of an artist with a disability of his own. But the past isn't done with him yet.

Rise Again

“That doesn’t sound like you’re certain. How are your parents taking your accident? Are they emotionally there for you? Will they help you settle back into life once you’re out of the hospital?” Jack’s watching him closely, and Arkady doesn’t like it. His head feels muddled as it is from the meds. He doesn’t want to get tripped up by a therapist and end up being kept in the hospital because they think he’s mad.


“My mother was upset that I’d been hurt, my father too. Of course they are. They’re not overly emotional people, but I’d say they were there for me. They’ve been looking after my dog. They know he’s important to me,” Arkady replies.


“You like animals?” Jack has a notebook, and he writes as he talks, but Arkady can’t see what is being written down from his angle lying against the pillows. He doesn’t like Jack making notes on him like he’s some kind of science project, and he feels paranoid about what Jack might be saying about him.


Chapter 11