Christmas Day, 2005, Part 2...

When Dorothy and I went in to see Kechi, her temperature was fine, her pulse and blood pressure were fine and she was stable. That magic word.

The plastic surgeon, Dr. Slabbert, (Dr. Nel was on vacation) had seen her and was going to have her back in the OR the next day to clean her wounds and check on their state. The physician, Dr. Pahad, examined her and said she was better than the day before and the infection finally seemed to be under control. God be praised!

Kechi was super-responsive that day, moving her legs when we talked to her, moving her head, and even trying to open her left eye. I asked permission to touch her and the nurse said yes. So I had to kit up - disposable apron, gloves - and look for a patch of uninjured skin to touch. 

I finally settled on a spot on her shoulder and stroked it gently. It was such an awesome moment for me. That was the first time I had touched Kechi since the accident...

To be continued...