Theresa could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm never going to walk again?" she asked biting her lip to hold back the tears.
"It looks that way, there's a 70% chance that it's permanent. Do you want me to call your family for you?"
"No, if they visit can you please tell them that I'm really tired, I don't feel like any visitors right now."
"Sure, if you need anything just have the nurse page me."
"I will, can you please turn out the lights?" asked Theresa.
Theresa sat in the dark just staring down at her where her legs were. She couldn't feel them or see them and she would probably never use them. She cried for awhile and then layed back and looked at the ceiling. "Is this my Fate, to be 18 and paralyzed the rest of my life." Saying the word 'paralyzed' and hearing it come from her mouth made the tears fall again. She didn't know how long she layed there she just knew that the tears kept falling and she felt so helpless. After what seemed like only an hour the door opened.
"Theresa?" asked a familiar voice Theresa knew to be Chad.
She tried to disguise her voice as best she could. "Yeah-umm…. What are you doing back so soon?"
"I've been gone almost five hours, I'm done with my shift…are you okay?" asked Chad noticing her voice trembled and the lights were out.
"No." she blurted as she buried her head in the pillow and cried some more.
"What's wrong?" asked Chad as he immediately went to her bed side and put his hand on her back as he could feel her shaking.
All Theresa wanted was the happiness and freedom she had felt when she was kissing Chad earlier she would have done anything to make that last. She put her arms around his waist and her head on his stomach as he stood beside her bed. "I'm paralyzed." She said the last word barely coming out.
Chad gently sat down beside her and put his arms around her as she cried. "I'm never going to be able to walk…or dance… or run. My life is over.!" She said pulling away from him and covering her face with her hands.
"Theresa, that ain't true, you have your family, friends who care about you, you are getting your career started as a fashion designer, none of that will change.
"What about you? how do you feel about me? I'm a cripple." She said emphasizing the last word.
"Theresa, I feel the same way that I felt this morning, and the same way I felt about you a month ago, only stronger. I ain't gonna feel any less for you because you can't walk or dance. I care about the person inside."
Theresa leaned up and kissed Chad. "Thank you." She said looking into his eyes.
"I gots about a hour before my shift at the Book Café, I gotta go by the house and take a shower and then I'll come back, do you want me to get you anything while I'm there?" he asked smoothing her hair.
"Could you pick me up some clothes? I'm tired of wearing this gown."
"Sure."
"If you don't have time that's okay but on your way back could you pick me up a milkshake too?"
"Yeah, I'll be back in about 35 minutes, are you gonna be okay?"
"I'll be fine." Said Theresa as she sat back.
Chad drove to their house and went upstairs where he took a shower, washing all the dirt and dust away from his construction job. When he was done he got dressed and then went into Theresa's room. It was the exact way she had left it. He opened her top dresser drawer and put some underwear and bra's into he bag. He then gathered some more clothes and then he got to her pajama drawer. He could feel all of the silk night gowns and he tried to ignore the picture in his head of Theresa wearing the more revealing ones. He took a couple of the two piece pajamas when his hand ran across something hard. He grabbed the object and pulled it out to reveal Theresa's diary. He ran his hand across the cover which had a picture of her taped to it. He wanted to open it but decided against it so he put it back in the drawer and closed it. He got into his car and drove to the icecream place and got Theresa her milkshake and then drove back to the hospital.
"When can I go home?" asked Theresa as her and the doctor talked.
"Tomorrow but then I want you to get physical therapy afterwards."
"Why? I'm never going to walk again, right?"
"There's a small chance that you could, I want to know if you get feeling in your legs or if your toes start twitching, anything like that. Okay?" asked her doctor.
"Okay. I was wondering if you could bring me a wheel chair so I could go outside for a few minutes. Please?"
"Okay, but I don't want you wheeling it yourself. I'll have a nurse bring one in."
"Thanks." Said Theresa as the doctor left and Chad came in.
"Here are some of your clothes and your milk-shake." Said Chad setting the duffel bag on the floor beside her bed and handing her the milkshake.
"Thanks. I have one more favor to ask though."
"Sure, what is it?"
"Will you take me outside? The doctor said it was alright." Asked Theresa hopefully.
"Sure, I'd love to." Said Chad smiling.
"Okay, wait in the hall while I get dressed." Said Theresa reaching down and grabbing the duffel bag. Chad left and Theresa found a T-shirt. She took off her hospital gown and slipped the shirt over her head. Then she got out a pair of jeans. She put her feet inside them and pulled them up. After a couple minutes she had gotten them pulled up to the top of her thighs but she couldn't lift herself up enough to pull them up all the way. She finally got them on by arching her back and pulling hard. "You can come in now." She said as she buttoned her pants.
Chad came in with a wheel-chair and Theresa looked at it in dread. She would probably be spending her entire life in one. She wiped a tear away and then smiled. "Will you help me get in?"
"Sure." Said Chad. He gently lifted her off the bed and put her in the wheel chair. Theresa lifted her legs up with her hands and put them in the right spots.
"Okay, let's go." She said.
Chad wheeled her down the hall to the elevator. They went down in silence and when they got outside Theresa was hit by a cool breeze. It was already half way into April and Summer was soon in coming. Chad stopped her beside a bench and then sat down.
"I almost forgot how beautiful being outside is." She said breathing in the fresh air.
"Yeah, so do you know when you are going to be able to go home?" asked Chad hoping it was soon.
"Tomorrow. Mamma and I talked it over and she wants me to come live with her until I get use to everything."
"Oh." Was all Chad said since he had been looking forward to her coming home.
"If you want me to go our house tomorrow I can. It won't be a problem.." Said Theresa catching his sad face.
"Nah, that's okay, you need someone around in case you need anything.
"I can manage. I'll tell Mama that I'm going home."
"Ok, Good." He said smiling and afterwards there was an awkward silence.. "Look, about the kiss earlier this morning, I'm sorry, It shouldn't have happened, I know that you love…Ethan." He said the last word with great difficulty.
"Chad, it wasn't a mistake. I'm putting Ethan behind me. I have spent years fantasizing about being with him that I didn't see how much I had right in front of me. Kissing you was anything but a mistake." She said smiling.
Chad couldn't believe it nor could he think of anything to say so he just smiled at her.
"Well I'm getting cold and you have to be at work in ten minutes, we should go back inside."
They got back up to her room and Chad put her in bed. "I'll be back at nine, okay?" he asked grabbing his jacket.
"No, when you get off of work I want you to go home and rest. When you get done working at the Book Cafe tomorrow I'll be home and we can hang out."
Chad looked at her and smiled. "Okay, good night and sweet dreams." He said smiling. Theresa grabbed his shirt, pulled him close to her and gave him a kiss.
"Goodnight, Chad." She said smiling.
"It looks that way, there's a 70% chance that it's permanent. Do you want me to call your family for you?"
"No, if they visit can you please tell them that I'm really tired, I don't feel like any visitors right now."
"Sure, if you need anything just have the nurse page me."
"I will, can you please turn out the lights?" asked Theresa.
Theresa sat in the dark just staring down at her where her legs were. She couldn't feel them or see them and she would probably never use them. She cried for awhile and then layed back and looked at the ceiling. "Is this my Fate, to be 18 and paralyzed the rest of my life." Saying the word 'paralyzed' and hearing it come from her mouth made the tears fall again. She didn't know how long she layed there she just knew that the tears kept falling and she felt so helpless. After what seemed like only an hour the door opened.
"Theresa?" asked a familiar voice Theresa knew to be Chad.
She tried to disguise her voice as best she could. "Yeah-umm…. What are you doing back so soon?"
"I've been gone almost five hours, I'm done with my shift…are you okay?" asked Chad noticing her voice trembled and the lights were out.
"No." she blurted as she buried her head in the pillow and cried some more.
"What's wrong?" asked Chad as he immediately went to her bed side and put his hand on her back as he could feel her shaking.
All Theresa wanted was the happiness and freedom she had felt when she was kissing Chad earlier she would have done anything to make that last. She put her arms around his waist and her head on his stomach as he stood beside her bed. "I'm paralyzed." She said the last word barely coming out.
Chad gently sat down beside her and put his arms around her as she cried. "I'm never going to be able to walk…or dance… or run. My life is over.!" She said pulling away from him and covering her face with her hands.
"Theresa, that ain't true, you have your family, friends who care about you, you are getting your career started as a fashion designer, none of that will change.
"What about you? how do you feel about me? I'm a cripple." She said emphasizing the last word.
"Theresa, I feel the same way that I felt this morning, and the same way I felt about you a month ago, only stronger. I ain't gonna feel any less for you because you can't walk or dance. I care about the person inside."
Theresa leaned up and kissed Chad. "Thank you." She said looking into his eyes.
"I gots about a hour before my shift at the Book Café, I gotta go by the house and take a shower and then I'll come back, do you want me to get you anything while I'm there?" he asked smoothing her hair.
"Could you pick me up some clothes? I'm tired of wearing this gown."
"Sure."
"If you don't have time that's okay but on your way back could you pick me up a milkshake too?"
"Yeah, I'll be back in about 35 minutes, are you gonna be okay?"
"I'll be fine." Said Theresa as she sat back.
Chad drove to their house and went upstairs where he took a shower, washing all the dirt and dust away from his construction job. When he was done he got dressed and then went into Theresa's room. It was the exact way she had left it. He opened her top dresser drawer and put some underwear and bra's into he bag. He then gathered some more clothes and then he got to her pajama drawer. He could feel all of the silk night gowns and he tried to ignore the picture in his head of Theresa wearing the more revealing ones. He took a couple of the two piece pajamas when his hand ran across something hard. He grabbed the object and pulled it out to reveal Theresa's diary. He ran his hand across the cover which had a picture of her taped to it. He wanted to open it but decided against it so he put it back in the drawer and closed it. He got into his car and drove to the icecream place and got Theresa her milkshake and then drove back to the hospital.
"When can I go home?" asked Theresa as her and the doctor talked.
"Tomorrow but then I want you to get physical therapy afterwards."
"Why? I'm never going to walk again, right?"
"There's a small chance that you could, I want to know if you get feeling in your legs or if your toes start twitching, anything like that. Okay?" asked her doctor.
"Okay. I was wondering if you could bring me a wheel chair so I could go outside for a few minutes. Please?"
"Okay, but I don't want you wheeling it yourself. I'll have a nurse bring one in."
"Thanks." Said Theresa as the doctor left and Chad came in.
"Here are some of your clothes and your milk-shake." Said Chad setting the duffel bag on the floor beside her bed and handing her the milkshake.
"Thanks. I have one more favor to ask though."
"Sure, what is it?"
"Will you take me outside? The doctor said it was alright." Asked Theresa hopefully.
"Sure, I'd love to." Said Chad smiling.
"Okay, wait in the hall while I get dressed." Said Theresa reaching down and grabbing the duffel bag. Chad left and Theresa found a T-shirt. She took off her hospital gown and slipped the shirt over her head. Then she got out a pair of jeans. She put her feet inside them and pulled them up. After a couple minutes she had gotten them pulled up to the top of her thighs but she couldn't lift herself up enough to pull them up all the way. She finally got them on by arching her back and pulling hard. "You can come in now." She said as she buttoned her pants.
Chad came in with a wheel-chair and Theresa looked at it in dread. She would probably be spending her entire life in one. She wiped a tear away and then smiled. "Will you help me get in?"
"Sure." Said Chad. He gently lifted her off the bed and put her in the wheel chair. Theresa lifted her legs up with her hands and put them in the right spots.
"Okay, let's go." She said.
Chad wheeled her down the hall to the elevator. They went down in silence and when they got outside Theresa was hit by a cool breeze. It was already half way into April and Summer was soon in coming. Chad stopped her beside a bench and then sat down.
"I almost forgot how beautiful being outside is." She said breathing in the fresh air.
"Yeah, so do you know when you are going to be able to go home?" asked Chad hoping it was soon.
"Tomorrow. Mamma and I talked it over and she wants me to come live with her until I get use to everything."
"Oh." Was all Chad said since he had been looking forward to her coming home.
"If you want me to go our house tomorrow I can. It won't be a problem.." Said Theresa catching his sad face.
"Nah, that's okay, you need someone around in case you need anything.
"I can manage. I'll tell Mama that I'm going home."
"Ok, Good." He said smiling and afterwards there was an awkward silence.. "Look, about the kiss earlier this morning, I'm sorry, It shouldn't have happened, I know that you love…Ethan." He said the last word with great difficulty.
"Chad, it wasn't a mistake. I'm putting Ethan behind me. I have spent years fantasizing about being with him that I didn't see how much I had right in front of me. Kissing you was anything but a mistake." She said smiling.
Chad couldn't believe it nor could he think of anything to say so he just smiled at her.
"Well I'm getting cold and you have to be at work in ten minutes, we should go back inside."
They got back up to her room and Chad put her in bed. "I'll be back at nine, okay?" he asked grabbing his jacket.
"No, when you get off of work I want you to go home and rest. When you get done working at the Book Cafe tomorrow I'll be home and we can hang out."
Chad looked at her and smiled. "Okay, good night and sweet dreams." He said smiling. Theresa grabbed his shirt, pulled him close to her and gave him a kiss.
"Goodnight, Chad." She said smiling.
