He’d met with a doctor about his legs the other day. While he didn’t really grasp what the doctor was saying, his Dad did, and had tried to explain it in terms Chance could understand. Today was his first day of physical therapy, and he wasn’t looking forward to it. Trish, his Dad and Charles were all hopeful, however, so he would try for them.
He found himself in his chair now, sitting at the end to a set of parallel bars. He was to work on pulling himself up, and try walking the length of the bars, which were there to support him. He was still iffy on this concept, but listened as his therapist, a friendly woman by the name of Anne, gave him the go ahead to pull himself up.
This wasn’t the part he was worried about. This part he knew he could do. He reached up, putting a hand on either bar, and slowly pulled himself up, Anne there to help him if he needed it. Trish and his Dad stood at the opposite end, watching. He held himself up on the bars for a minute, before setting his feet on the floor, and then letting his weight settle. The pain was bad, but not as bad as he had been expecting.
One, two, three steps he was able to make before he stumbled. There was a pained expression on his face, but Anne’s words and Trish’s smile were encouraging. I can do this. he thought. I have to do this. He straightened himself out and tried again, this time making an additional four steps before faltering again. With effort, he made it to the end, though with nowhere to sit he was still standing.
“Very good. You must not be as bad off as originally thought.” Anne stated. He figured it had more to do with Charles’ blood in his system, however. “Next you need to turn around, and make it back to your chair.”
He groaned. He didn’t want to do this, but he saw the hopeful look in Trish’s eyes and knew he had to continue. He carefully turned around, and started making his way back towards his chair, step by step, slowly. By the time he made it back to his chair he was sweating, and in a great deal of pain. He carefully turned himself around and sat – no, sat isn’t right. He collapsed into his chair and winced, then started rubbing his legs. He wanted some pain meds so bad….