Ji Huan helped the drifter to a stool by the door and sat him down. "Let's rest for now. That's enough for today."
Compared to when his cast was first removed and he couldn't even lift his foot, the drifter could now walk a few laps around the courtyard with his crutch.
"How does it feel? I bet you never realized walking could be this difficult."
The drifter watched as she crouched beside him, checking his wrist and then his ankle. He gave a soft grunt of acknowledgment.
Before, walking had been an instinct.
Now, every step required all his strength, and he had to endure the faint, persistent ache in his heel.
Something he once could have done effortlessly now took a whole morning just to manage a few laps, and he was drenched in sweat.
"It's supposed to be difficult. Recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture is the hardest of all tendon rehabilitations, bar none. This is a long, arduous battle. You're already getting better day by day, so don't be impatient. Take it slow."
