He opened by asking, “Aren’t you hot in all that cold weather gear? Let me help you get more comfortable.” I said, “I thought you were going ...to undress me.” Thomas got up and took his own sweater and shirt off, leaving just a wife-beater undershirt exposed. He replied, “I expect your husband to undress you,” and went on, “but you can help me with my boots. Untie them and pull them off.” I already knew what to do; turn around to face away from him, straddle his leg, unlace and tug. I did as. They brought a temporary tire that fit James's car. It was a loaner that he had to put up a deposit for. Finally, he was back on the road. James arrived at the theater at 11:02pm. Twenty-eight minutes before the doors were to open. The line for the midnight showing stretched around the building and into the darkness. Disgusted, James left his folding chair in the car and trudged to the very end of the line, somewhere just west of Siberia. Standing out there James couldn't even talk to the group. ’ ‘Frank if you were more physically fit, I would keep you by my side night and day.’ ‘Sir, I have known you most of my life. I would stand by you, until hell froze over. I am sorry I cannot do that for you. I have an appointment with one of the top orthopedic surgeons, at NYU, in two weeks. I am going to see what he says, about that shrapnel, by my spine. The VA doctors are great, and the work they do, on the men that come back, without limbs, is fantastic. I want to see what this guy says. "I don't know," I said. I really was confused. She was acting like nothing had happened at all."It's okay with me if you are," she said."Are you?" I asked."Don't be silly," she laughed."What am I supposed to be?" I asked."Be yourself," she said, suddenly serious. "Just be yourself. That's the man we all fell in love with." Fell in love with?" My voice rose an octave during that sentence."Okay, got a monster crush on, then," she said, carelessly."Are you going to sleep with every boy you get a.