Chapter: 2
Jess awoke and was blinded by the brightness of the room but when his eyes adjusted he could see his mother sitting on the side of his bed.
"Jesse" she said and reached forward to hug him but stopped. "What's wrong, mom" Jesse said wondering why she wouldn't hug him. He looked in a mirror beside his bed he didn't look that badly bruised.
"What is it mom" he said again and grimaced in pain when he felt a horrible pain in his side. "Your rib is broken" she said "the doctors said it would be all right again in a couple of weeks" Jess frowned a couple of weeks he'd miss the school races, he didn't care that Leslie always won.
Than he thought, "Leslie, is she okay?" his mom laughed "yes she's fine she wasn't the one who fell into a river". Jesse let out a sigh of relief and looked into his mom's eyes "you and that girl have something special and don't ever let that go Jesse" she said "because she won't" and his mother burst into tears. "What is it mom?" Jesse said, " there's something else," she said between breaths "your paralysed from the waist down" she said her voice twisting as if she was choking.
"What?" he said his own voice beginning to crack he had seen people in wheelchairs and had always felt sorry for them. But he never expected to be in one. "No" he said "I don't believe you' Jesse said and tried to lift up his right leg but it was useless he was paralysed.
When the shock had finally passed over him Leslie visited him. They talked for a while about nothing in particular trying to avoid the accident, as all the doctors referred to it as.
But it was inevitable, Leslie told him not to be worried that she'd still always be his friend and that there was still a lot of things he could do. He could still draw he could move himself around and a whole load of other positives but Jesse still new it would never be the same.
Every day Leslie came into the hospital and told him about school and what was happening in Terabithia and how they couldn't wait for their king to arrive back home. " Hey Leslie," Jesse said "how did you get across the old bridge is broken" Leslie looked at him " did I not tell you that me and my dad built a proper bridge out of wood so you could get across" she said eyes lighting up slightly. "No you didn't," he said.
After three long weeks of boredom Jesse was released out of the hospital. He stared out of the car window the whole way to his house as if everything around him was new. When he arrived home his whole family outside greeted him before being wheeled into the house by his father.
His belongings had already been moved into his new room downstairs. He was delighted at having his own room it wasn't very big but it was bigger then his old room. When he found his sketchbook he got busy on drawing a picture of his new room.
He lied in his bed that night looking out the window at the stars. He looked at his alarm clock it was 12:30. He decided to start drawing the stars and spent hours perfecting it. At 2:30 he decided he was happy with it and fell straight asleep.
He woke up and stretched his arms he reached for his wheelchair and pulled it over to beside the bed. He pushed himself out to the kitchen and was pleased to not have to do any chores. He ate his breakfast quickly; it was much better than what he had gotten at the hospital, and wheeled himself out to the front door. He looked out at his garden and took a long breath in. Everything seemed so fresh so new.
He was just about to go back inside when he saw Leslie running across to his house. "Hi" he said, "hi" she replied. "Do you want to go down to the river?" Leslie asked, "I could show you the bridge." Jess looked at her and said, "Yea that would be good".
He pushed himself along to the end of the road and then Leslie helped him through the forest until they got to the bridge. It looked brilliant it was painted a silver colour and had an archway in the middle.
"Lets go across" Leslie said and began pushing the wheelchair to the bridge. Jesse began to feel uncomfortable and shrugged it off. But when the front wheels touched the first plank Jesse pulled the brakes hard, "what is it?" Leslie asked cocking her head to see him. "Nothing" he said "lets just go back" he finished quickly and turned himself around. "OK" Leslie said, "We'll go".
When they arrived home they went to Leslie's house. They walked through the front door and were greeted by Leslie's father, Bill. They walked into the gold room and Leslie sat down on one of the armchairs. "What do you think happened back at the river?" Leslie asked looking at Jesse thoughtfully, "I don't now I just got scared" Jesse said his cheeks turning red. "Well its understandable you'll probably get over it."