It was finally Friday, the last day of exams, although her hard work seemed to have paid off she was not as cheerful as the others around her. Most of the school was happy and excited that the semester was over and they would have a long weekend free of any homework or school obligations. Many of the students were talking about the mid-term dance that the school was going to have later that night to celebrate surviving another semester, but as Nancy made her way to her locker she couldn't help but dread what she still had to go though today.
Coming out of her History class, Susan was reviewing her answers with Nancy who was giving short answers or simply nodding her head yes in agreement.
"Nancy you alright? Don't you think you did well on the exam?"
"I'm sure I did fine, I've just got a lot of things on my mind."
"Right, you have to go to your…"
"Yea, I do…"
Nancy snapped, then quickly realized she was once again aiming her anger at the wrong person.
"Sorry, listen your going to be late for Gym, and I still have to stop at my locker. I'll see you this afternoon when I get back."
"It's alright, I know you don't like to talk about it. It's cool. I'll see you later."
Susan smiled at her friend before leaving in the other directions heading for the gym. Nancy rolled up to her locker opened it up and put the books she no longer needed inside. With her book bag nearly empty she pulled her sweatpants out of the locker and loaded them into her bag. Just as she zipped it up she heard her name being called.
"Nancy!"
Looking up she saw Chad walking down the hall on his way to his next class.
"Hey Chad how's it going? Wait you had algebra last period, how did it go?"
"Actually pretty good. I understood almost everything on the test. I'm still not sure I did as well as I needed to, but I know I did way better then I would have if you hadn't helped me."
"It was no big deal, you just needed it put into real English not that stupid jargon that everyone thinks we understand."
"Yea, but I still appreciate all the help you gave me. I know it took up a lot of your free time."
"Not really. I don't have much of a life outside of school. I don't really go out that much. Listen I got to go, I'm going to be late, and you have another exam to take don't you?"
"Where are you going?"
"I have physical therapy this afternoon, I have to meet my cousin outside in a few minutes."
"Well I'll walk you to the door."
"It's not necessary, anyway don't you have a test to get to?"
"Sure, but I have time."
As Chad walked next to Nancy's chair he tried to make more small talk but Nancy wasn't doing much by way of answering.
"Nancy is something wrong?"
"No! Why?"
"I don't know, your just not acting like yourself."
"I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me."
"I know, but I…"
Chad was trying to find the right words but they just didn't seem to want to come out.
"Chad what?"
"I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate all the help you gave me, and if there is anything I can do for you, or anything you need help with, don't hesitate to ask."
"That's all I need is more people feeling sorry for me and trying to do everything for me. Listen I appreciate it really but what I really need is for people to leave me alone. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go and waste the next hour of my life doing something that will make absolutely no difference."
Nancy rolled away leaving a very confused and sad Chad standing in the hall. Chad knew Nancy didn't mean what she was saying. He knew the one thing she didn't need was to left alone, but the more he thought about the words she had said the more the words started to actually make sense. He knew what she wanted, and somehow he would make her understand that he would help her get what she wanted.
Exiting the school Nancy found Phoebe had already rolled the ramp down and was waiting for Nancy rolling up on the ramp she waited for Phoebe to put her into the van. Once inside Phoebe was her usually cheerful self while Nancy was very annoyed, mostly with herself. She couldn't believe she had treated Chad like complete dirt, and knew she would have to find a way to appolige to him later.
Arriving at therapy she was wheeled into her work out room and Phoebe helped her change into her sweat pants while they waited for her therapist Jamie to come into the room. Once Jamie came into the room Phoebe went outside the room sitting in a chair just outside the door.
"Alright Nancy how has your week been?"
"Fine."
"No problems? Any pain or change since your last session?"
"None."
"Alright then let's get to work."
Thirty minutes later they had accomplished almost nothing. Jamie was getting rather annoyed and knew that she had to take a different approach with Nancy to find out why Nancy wouldn't do any work.
"Alright Nancy you need to try. "
"Why?"
"What do you mean why? Don't you want to get better?"
"What difference does it make?"
Jamie could read something in Nancy's voice. She figured to try and salvage the day she would work on a different type of therapy.
"Alright let's talk. Do you want to tell me what's bothering you?"
"Nothing!"
"Nothing? Right. Listen you don't normally act like this. I know you don't like it here, and I know you wish you didn't have to come, but you usually try once you get here…."
"What's the use? Why should I try, it won't make any difference."
"What do you mean?"
"At home, it doesn't make any difference."
"Tell me about it, I can't help if you don't tell me."
"You can't help, I know you want to, but you can't."
"Let me try. "
"You want to try? Are you going to come home with me and make sure they let me do things on my own. You have taught me so much, how to work my body in and out of cloths. You taught me how to use the bathroom without any trouble. With you I can get in and out of my chair alone, but when I get home they don't let me do anything. I'm like a baby. They carry me to the bathroom, they dress me in the morning, if they could they would probably feed me through a bottle."
"Have you tried talking to them?"
"That would require them to actually listen to me. I tell them I can do it myself, they just say, 'I know but let me help'. I can't take it anymore. Why do all this work here when I can't even put the stuff into practice once I get home."
By the time Nancy finished talking she was screaming and crying histarically. Jamie took hold of Nancy and tried to get her to calm down. Jamie just held her tight until she knew she had calmed down enough.
"Alright now I want you to change your cloths, get back into your chair, then go and wash your face. I'm going to talk to Phoebe."
"You want me to do this all by myself?"
"Yes. How am I suppost to tell them to let you do things on your own, if I don't know for sure you can do it alone! Unless you don't think your ready?"
"No! I can do it."
Nancy piped up as she wiped the tears out of her eyes and reached over grabbing her pants off the chair. She waited for Jamie to leave the room, took a deep breath and then began to work each one of her legs out of her sweatpants. Once they were off she put her blue jeans back on then reached for her shoes.
As Jamie exited the room Phoebe put her magizine down and stood up in front of Jamie.
"Done already?"
"Sort of."
"Great, I'll just go in and give her a hand."
"No I'm sorry I can't let you do that."
"What?"
"Have a seat Phoebe, we need to talk."
"Nancy's alright isn't she?"
"Well yes and no."
"Alright enough double talk, what's going on?"
"I'm going to be totally and completely honest with you. You and your sisters are doing way to much for Nancy."
"No we aren't, we are only helping."
"Your helping to the point that Nancy feels that she doesn't need to do any work here. She has been working her butt off, and has learned how to do so many things, but you and your sisters help her with everything."
"Such as?"
"Nancy's very first week I taught her how to dress herself, get in and out of her chair, and how to us the bathroom herself, yet when she gets home one, if not all of you don't let her do those things. She has completely given up."
"I guess we never realized that. What can we do?"
"You have to let her do things on her own. Help only when she asks, and let her make mistakes. She's not glass, she won't break if she falls."
"Alright."
"Right now I have her changing her cloths then she needs to get herself back into her chair."
"Should I go in?"
Just as Phoebe said that the door opened and Nancy came out, her eyes were still a little red from crying.
"Ready to go?"
"I just need to go and wash my face, I'm a little sweaty."
Nancy didn't move her chair she thought for sure Phoebe would take her there and do the work for her.
"Alright, I'll meet you at the front door."
Nancy was shocked as hell by this response but none the less she took off toward the bathroom then met Phoebe and Jamie at the front door.
"See you on Monday Nancy, have a nice weekend."
"Bye Jamie."
Nancy followed Phoebe outside and toward the van. Phoebe opened the door and lowed the lift down then walked around to the drivers side of the van. Jumping into the drivers seat she turned around to see Nancy still sitting outside the van not moving.
"What do you need an inventation. Let's get a move on you need to get back to school."
It took a little longer then usual to get into the van, simply because she had never done it on her own before but after several minutes Nancy was fastened into place and they were on their way back to the school. Arriving outside the school Phoebe only helped when Nancy's wheel got stuck on the strap otherwise Nancy did all the work on her own.
"See you after school."
"Bye."
Phoebe headed straight home and called both Prue and Piper telling each of them they needed to get home as soon as possible. She wanted to have a family discussion before Nancy needed to be picked up from school.