Chapter Sixty-Four – Baby Steps

Mai winced as she took another step, biting her lip as she gripped the two bars. The pain was unbelievable, even with the painkillers running through her veins. She let out a hissed breath as she tried to shuffle her right foot forward again. She lost balance, a cry breaking free as she crumpled, but before she could touch the ground strong arms were around her. He lowered her to the tiled floor and sat with her, rubbing her arm.

"You're doing much better. You managed three steps in a row this time." Naru encouraged lightly. The room they were in was pure white, a colour Mai was getting sick of after three months. She hadn't seen the outside world in that time. She didn't even know where they were. All she knew was that Naru was with her, and he hadn't left her side besides changing clothes and bathing. He even went into standby in the chair beside her bed.

"It hurts…It hurts so much." Mai cried in frustration, balling her fists tightly. It had only take a few weeks to regain mobility in her upper body, but her legs was more difficult, not to mention her body was trying to reject the plastic and metal that had been grafted into her spine. The surgeon was hopeful that her body would accept the changes, but until then the area at the base of her neck was constantly throbbing, sending waves of static pain through her nerves.

"I'm sorry…You wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for me." Naru murmured as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Mai's, his blue eyes closing. It was a conversation they'd had many times, one that could end in one of two ways. Either Mai convinced Naru that it wasn't his fault and she'd done this to herself, or Naru would beat himself up over not being there to stop it. Mai leaned up and sealed his lips, not in the mood to argue.

"I'm glad I can kiss you again." She said instead, shivering as she remembered what it had felt like. Her imagination could never have prepared her for the sheer terror of paralysis. As soon as the metal cut through her neck her body had gone limp. She hadn't even been able to feel the pain. It was like she was a puppet and her strings had been cut. She could still see, and she could recognise her body was breathing, but she couldn't hear or speak or move. She'd been unable to feel the hands touching her, though she knew they must be. She even saw Naru, plastic shell on display, holding and kissing her hand. She'd tried so hard to say something, but she'd had no control at all.

She'd passed out at some point in the helicopter, and when she'd woken up she'd been attached to quite a few machines. A nurse had come to speak to her about a procedure, but Mai was still unable to communicate. She wasn't sure how long it had taken or who they had asked, but they must have gotten some form of consent from somewhere because Mai had been taken to an operating room and laid face down on table. There was a hole for her face, so she was looking down at the floor. She'd passed out again.

Upon waking the pain had been the worst she'd ever felt. She'd screamed seconds after opening her eyes, only barely registering her voice was working and she had enough movement to open her mouth and writhe a little. Naru had been at her side, gripping her hand as she begged him for help. Nurses had arrived to increase her pain relief dosage and help her to calm down. She had been in some form of pain ever since.

"You'll be able to do everything again. It'll take a few months, but we'll do it together." Naru replied confidently as he held his hands out. Mai nodded with a tight smile as she squeezed his hands, letting him help her up. She fell against his chest before she could get her balance, and he was patient as he held her, helping her find her feet and shifting her hands to the metal bars. Her arms held most of her weight as she prepared to take another step.