Summary

Jackson's top surgery goes well. The recovery, like recovery from any surgery, is uncomfortable, but he has the help and support of his mother and his friends. He then gets a tattoo of a dagger on his Achilles tendon to symbolize that he is now protected, even in his weakest spot. When he is healed from his tattoo and surgery, Jackson is very excited to go for his first postsurgery swim with a bare chest. While at an HPA conference, he and his friends swim in a disgusting hotel pool. It is not quite the ideal first swim he had imagined, but it is memorable and once summer comes, he has plenty more opportunities. Jackson feels so much joy at finally being able to wear whatever he wants when swimming and tries not to worry about what people might think of his scars...