The bridge was there finally, and with some trepidation she crossed it. She knew it led to a brave (hopefully) new world. She knew it would take time and a lot of work to acclimate herself to this alien land, but she also knew there could be no turning back, for the place she knew well was receding away until eventually it would be unrecognizable. So she vowed to carry on as fearlessly as she could, hoping for the best. That is all you can do, her audiologist said, showing her the cochlear implant she never imagined he had.