Me-Before-You-by-Jojo-Moyes

I took a step backwards, closed the door behind me, and began working my
way through the morning’s tasks.
My mother seemed to glean an almost physical satisfaction from a wellordered
house. I had been vacuuming and cleaning daily for a month now, and I
still couldn’t see the attraction. I suspected there would never be a point in my
life when I wouldn’t prefer somebody else to do it.
But on a day like today, when Will was confined to bed, and the world seemed
to have stilled outside, I could also see there was a kind of meditative pleasure in
working my way from one end of the annexe to the other. While I dusted and
polished, I took the radio from room to room with me, keeping the volume low
so that I didn’t disturb Will. Periodically I poked my head round the door, just to
see that he was breathing, and it was only when we got to one o’clock and he
still hadn’t woken up that I started to feel a little anxious.
I filled the log basket, noting that several inches of snow had now settled. I
made Will a fresh drink, and then knocked. When I knocked again, I did so
loudly.
‘Yes?’ His voice was hoarse, as if I had woken him.
‘It’s me.’ When he didn’t respond, I said, ‘Louisa. Am I okay to come in?’
‘I’m hardly doing the Dance of the Seven Veils.’
The room was shadowed, the curtains still drawn. I walked in, letting my eyes
adjust to the light. Will was on one side, one arm bent in front of him as if to
prop himself up, as he had been before when I looked in. Sometimes it was easy
to forget he would not be able to turn over by himself. His hair stuck up on one
side, and a duvet was tucked neatly around him. The smell of warm, unwashed
male filled the room – not unpleasant, but still a little startling as part of a
working day.
‘What can I do? Do you want your drink?’
‘I need to change position.’
I put the drink down on a chest of drawers, and walked over to the bed.
‘What … what do you want me to do?’
He swallowed carefully, as if it were painful. ‘Lift and turn me, then raise the
back of the bed. Here … ’ He nodded for me to come closer. ‘Put your arms
under mine, link your hands behind my back and then pull back. Keep your
backside on the bed and that way you shouldn’t strain your lower back.’