Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Make it or Break it. Obviously.
Payson screamed. It woke up her mother, who was sitting in a chair nearby dozing.
"Sweetie, what's wrong?"
"I can't feel my legs! I can't feel them!"
The scream had apparently alerted the medical staff, because as Kim Keeler was trying to calm down her hysterical daughter, Dr. Thompson walked in.
"Payson? What's wrong?"
"She can't feel her legs."
"Okay, calm down, let's take a look. The surgery seemed to go well, it's very likely this is temporary, okay? Let's not panic."
She lifted the blankets off Payson's legs and gently stroked the bottom of her foot, which twitched ever so slightly, and Dr. Thompson grinned.
"Not a lot of reaction, but it's there. The paralysis is almost certainly temporary, there's swelling due to the surgery. In a few hours you should be able to feel and wiggle your toes."
Sure enough, by the time Kristy arrived, Payson could barely stop wiggling her toes, she was so happy the surgery had gone well. She got suddenly shy when she saw the girl she had kissed that morning. Luckily, her mother decided to use Kristy's arrival as an excuse to go get more coffee without feeling guilty leaving her daughter alone.
"Um, hi."
"I see you are wiggling. It went well then?"
Payson grinned. "Uh huh. I have to stay in bed for another week, then probably six weeks in a brace before physical therapy, but if all goes well, I could start light training in four months."
Kristy grabbed her hand. "That's great, Pay, I'm so happy for you!"
"Dr. Thompson is a lifesaver. I think she understands how important it is to us. Most doctors don't understand, they can't imagine why I'd want to risk paralysis when I was doing fine in their opinion."
She stared at their entwined hands.
"Kristy, are you…do your parents know?"
"That I'm gay?"
Payson nodded.
"No. I think they'd be okay, but it's still scary."
"So um, if we wanted to keep this just… us, that would be okay with you?"
"If there's something to keep just between us, I'm happy, okay?" she lifted Payson's hand and gently kissed it.
"I can't do it, Pay."
"What do you mean?"
Payson was lying on her bed. She'd just returned from physical therapy and was exhausted, but pleased with the days' work. Kristy had been waiting on her doorstep when they returned. They'd headed back to her room as it was clear Kristy was worked up about something.
"I got the okay to ski today, and I went up the mountain…and I couldn't do it. Every time I look down the mountain, I see myself falling, and I panic. I can't do it."
Payson looked up at her girlfriend, who was pacing about the room, eyes watering.
"It's all I've been thinking about for two months, and now that I'm allowed to, I panic."
Payson thought for a minute. "Are there any of those ski places where you don't have to ride a lift to get to the top?"
"What? It's not the lift, Pay, it's the down part that's a problem."
"Answer my question."
Kristy thought for a minute. "There is one nearby where the lodge is in the middle, so you can ski down and take the lift up. I think, anyway – the bottom slopes are greens and blues so I always go up anyway to the blacks."
Payson carefully stood up. "Let's go."
"What?"
"We are going to that ski place. Let's go."
"But I, but you…"
"I am allowed to ride in cars and allowed to walk. That's all I'm going to do. You have your gear?"
Kristy nodded meekly.
"Great." Payson grabbed her heaviest coat to put over the brace she still had to wear, and headed out the door.
"Pay, this is a bunny slope."
"It's your first day back, you have to start somewhere. My first day back, I'll probably just get to walk along the beam and maybe swing once around the bars."
"Point taken."
"What kind of slope did you try out this morning?"
"A blue one, okay, I am not crazy. Which makes it even more stupid that I was scared. I've been skiing blues since I was 4 years old."
"Would it help you if I told you you looked really hot in that outfit you are wearing?"
"Um…it might." Kristy blushed.
"Okay look. I want you to look at that slope, and visualize going down it. Close your eyes, and visualize it."
Kristy obediently closed her eyes.
"Do you see yourself going down, smoothly, no problems?"
Kristy nodded hesitantly.
"Okay. Put those skis on, and ski down. I'll be watching."
"But what if I can't?"
Payson looked around. "Do you know any of the people around here?"
Kristy blinked and looked around. "What? No, why?"
"Would they know who you are?"
"Probably not standing here bundled up with my goggles on at a bunny slope, no."
Payson grabbed her coat and pulled her into a long kiss.
"I believe in you. Now go." She stepped back and watched as Kristy, still smiling from the kiss, pushed off and started down the hill.