Li Jie tried letting go of his cane for the third time.
The instant his right hand left the rubber grip, his body tilted half a degree to the right, like a ship stripped of its ballast. He quickly grabbed the rail, his weight making the entire bed creak.
"It'll get better," he muttered to himself, looking down at his right leg, where a bullet had once torn through his femoral artery.
Harleen poked her head through the doorway, a lollipop in her mouth.
"Practicing in secret again?"
She walked over, but instead of helping him, she just stood beside him and watched. "The doctor said being able to stand with a cane already counts as a medical miracle. Don't get greedy."
"This isn't being greedy."
Li Jie adjusted his stance again and moved the cane forward, preparing for another attempt. "Halloween's coming. I need to be able to stand while handing out candy. What would I look like sitting down to do it? Some loser beaten down by life."
"Life couldn't beat you." Harleen smiled, then slipped the lollipop into his mouth. "But I can."
"Quit bragging," Li Jie protested indistinctly around the candy. "When have you ever not been the first to..."
A nurse's footsteps sounded in the hallway. He shut his mouth and tried again.
This time, he didn't let go of the cane. First, he stood using his good leg and his hand to maintain his balance, which made him feel a little like a martial arts master. Then he slowly shifted his weight.
A dull ache spread through his right leg, as though someone were rubbing sandpaper back and forth over the bone. But he endured it without reaching for the rail.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
He stood there with his teeth clenched,