My daughter and I visited Andy before we left town  on our five hour trip 
back home. We got on the sixth floor, stepped off the elevator and he was 
10 feet to our right taking his afternoon walk with the rehab nurses so we 
walked with him a bit. We went back to his room and they did a little hand 
eye coordination testing by bouncing a ball in front of him, it then 
bounced up to his chest area and he caught it every time. Then he'd bounce 
it back. Then they just tossed it at him straight to the chest and he 
still caught it. This was a light plastic beach ball type thing. Then they 
put him back to bed. He was trying to get a little mind of his own on 
sitting down and then trying to get in bed so they put him in bed and 
strapped his hands down as they do if no one will be there to watch him. 
They asked if we'd be comfortable watching him, but we weren't staying 
real long. Anyway they got him settled and I talked with him a bit as he 
sat up in bed. He asked if the guy next door was still babbling. I leaned 
over and said yeah he's answering all our questions and then I sort of 
snickered a bit and he did too. I said though that I felt bad because I've 
never seen anyone come and visit him, the old guy that is. Andy was a bit 
restless sitting up and laying down and so forth with his hands yet tied 
to the sides. That has got to be rough. Then the phone rings. I thought it 
was from the other guys bed but they share the ringer and it was Andy's 
phone. My daughter answered it and held it to Andy's ear and such so he 
could talk, but he wanted to  get his arm free to talk but I wasn't sure 
how or if we should and so he didn't want to try to talk with someone else 
holding it up. So my daughter talked with his fiance who was on the phone 
and gave him a message and then I talked with him a little bit and then he 
managed to get one arm free and then was working on the other one and I 
told him to hold up and they were on for his safety. He left the one tied 
up but then laid on his side and got comfortable. I think that's all he 
wanted anyway. So I sat in the chair right next to his bed and talked to 
him a bit more and he was beginning to nod off a bit. I asked him if he 
wanted to take a nap, and he said no, but his eyes were closing and 
obviously tired. I told him we'd let him get some rest and we'd go for now 
and come back in a couple weeks. He reached over and grabbed for my hand 
and grasped it pretty tight and we just held hands there a second. I told 
him I loved him and I had tons of people praying for him and that I loved 
him again. He began to tear up and wipe his eyes with his other hand. I 
told him he was doing awesome, and I hated to leave cause I really liked 
visiting with him. He is still yet pretty quiet in response but he knows 
what is going on, what is being said to him, and all and he is just  still 
quite and was always somewhat  someone who was quiet  and waits for 
another to initiate conversation. I really hated to leave. I would have 
loved to just stay and watch TV with him or just talk with him and etc. I 
brought him two "In Fishermen" magazines to look at when he was up for 
it.  The rehab nurses had asked if there was anything I knew of for 
rehabilitation activity that would be more interesting for andy. I said 
"Yeah, get a fishing pole with a rubber fly on it and  he'll cast it in a 
bucket for ya". They said they may actually have something along those 
lines for rehab. I can't wait to see the progress when we go back in two 
weeks. Today marks three weeks of his accident.

Brad