Spending another week in the hospital with nothing but nasty food and people you don't know really wasn't Ellis' cup of tea. Thankfully, he was starting to get to know his mother again and soon, Dave. Although, he knew just as much about Dr. Nick as he did his own family and friends.
"From staying in bed for so long, they're thinkin' of takin' you to therapy. Teach you to walk 'gain," his mother had told him. He noticed her hand on top of his. He felt both uncomfortable and secure. She had a gentle warmth to her touch. He hadn't felt the need to pull away like earlier in the week, and that seemed to make her happy. "Dave an' I are goin' to the cafeteria. We'll be back soon," she told her son. He nodded, vaguely remembering which of his two past friends was which. It was easier thinking Keith was the one in the cast and Dave was the one without.
"Man, m'so sorry. I never meant to give you amnesia," a red-head with a cast on his right leg had said. Good ol' Keith. Broke his leg for the second time. Ellis looked down at him from his sitting position on the bed. Soon, a voice broke through the room, causing Ellis to close his mouth that was beginning to form a reply.
"You can't give someone amnesia. It's not contagious." Dr. Nick entered the room, causing Keith to have to roll back in his wheelchair. Keith just scoffed, rolling his eyes. Sure, he didn't like doctors just as much as the next person, but this specific doctor he hated. "So, Ellis. Are you ready for your first therapy session?" he asked and folded his hands in front of his belt. Ellis gulped.
"Uh, I didn' think tha' I needed to go this soon?" he questioned as a male nurse wheeled a chair in to transport Ellis in. Nick nodded.
"The sooner the better," he replied, making Ellis more and more nervous. Both Nick and the male nurse had helped him into the chair. It felt odd to stand. Ellis could only imagine how weird it would feel to walk.
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Soon, they made it to the a pool area with all different types of technology and wires. Ellis couldn't help but gawk at all of the expensive things. He found himself in a private shower type room. He was handed a pair of white swim trunks. Dr. Nick had left, but the male nurse was still there. God, why couldn't he have had a female nurse?
Thankfully, he was given a choice. Either the nurse could do it, as in put the swim trunks on, or he could himself. He, of course, chose to do it himself.
He sat himself down on the conveniently provided bench and shed away the tacky hospital gown. He slipped both his legs into the trunks, but found himself in a pickle when he couldn't get them up much further. He tried for about five minutes, still with no such luck. What he found odd, was that no one was even looking for him or offering any help. He sighed heavily when a hard knock came sounding through the empty space, reverberating off the walls and into his ear, causing him to jump from the sudden noise.
"Ellis? You still with us?" came the voice of his doctor. Ellis sighed slowly.
"Yeah. Just-" he began, not really wanting to say the next part. He knew he had to. "jus' havin' a problem getting it above m'knees," he said, utterly defeated. He heard the door click open and shoes squeaking against the linoleum.
"Where'd the nurse go?" Nick muttered to himself, Ellis hearing everything in the quiet room. Soon, the curtain pulled open, revealing an embarrasses Ellis. He tried to cover himself up, but failing miserably. "Grab onto my neck," he told the blushing boy, but obeyed. As he did what he was told, he straightened his spine, lifting both him and the boy as he easily slid the trunks on with no problem at all. Ellis refrained in saying something along the lines of 'show off.'
"Thanks," was all he ended up saying. Nick didn't say anything after that, only leaving the little shower and looking around for his so called 'nurse.' Ellis thought he was leaving, so reached for his wheelchair, slipping from the bench and falling to the ground with a smack. Nick was immediately by his side, lifting him up and placing him gently into his chair.
"Just because there's no nurse in a ten mile radius of this place doesn't mean you have to do this yourself. Don't be stupid," Nick informed, his voice firm. Ellis looked him in his eyes and nodded with a swallow. Nick grabbed Ellis' old gown and tossed it into the dirty bin with all the others, quickly wheeling him to the pool.
Ellis hadn't noticed until just then that Dr. Nick was now wearing just a plain grey t-shirt with blue swim trunks. He swallowed once more when he put two and two together.
Before he could think much more, he felt his body being raised up and carried to the stairs of the pool. He was light, especially since the ten months he's been in the hospital.
Nick entered the pool with Ellis in his arms. As soon as it was near waist-high, he released Ellis near the edge of the pool.
"Ca' I ask a question?" Ellis asked while touching the bottom of the pool and hanging on to his dear life on the side of the pool.
"Hmm?" Dr. Nick asked as he placed his left hand on Ellis' left bicep and his right hand on the boy's right hip.
"Why do y'all have a random pool in the hospital? Jus' fer this an' nothin' else?" he asked as Nick urged him to move his feet forward. He slowly started moving, but slipped once again. Fortunately, Nick was there to catch him.
"Careful. Just go slow. There's no need to rush," he told Ellis as his hands hovered over the flesh of the younger boy's. The doctor contemplated the question, figuring out how to answer it. Even thought it wasn't a hard one to answer. "Well yeah. Also for the older folks with their hips and everything. So, technically the same thing," he informed the other. "Okay, turn around." His hands hovered once again over the tan skin as the boy turned so his left side was placed up against the side of the pool.
"What, so you're tellin' me that none-a you doctors or nurses come here just to swim?" Ellis asked as Nick slowly pulled him away from the edge. He obliged and moved closer to his doctor just in case he needed support.
"Well, first of all, see the lights in the pool?" he asked with a finger pointing directly to it. Ellis nodded, looking to where Nick was pointing. "Those have cameras next to them. They monitor everything in this pool. So if one of us were to get caught, we would obviously get fired. And through those tinted windows up there, people can look in and see what's happening," he told the younger male. Ellis looked up, seeing what Nick was talking about.
"Okay, okay," he said understandably. Nick let Ellis go in front of him, holding him less than an arms length away. He watched the boy's movement and how his feet were moving. "How much longer will I have to stay here?" Ellis asked suddenly. Nick's eyes never moved from it's spot on Ellis' legs.
"I'd say another week or so, depends on how you're progressing," he told truthfully. He then looked up at those sad eyes in the kid's expression. "Could be worse. You could be staying another eight months." Ellis nodded at that, then looked down at Nick's hand on his hip and felt the other on his lower back. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of going home.