Title: Disability Blues
Summary: Breanna Grayas was born with multiple physical issues, leaving the beautiful girl growing up in a wheelchair and in a series of hospitals for most of her life. At nineteen, four years ago, a girl a year younger than her arrived at the hospital. Now they're practically siblings, and when a group of siblings comes to input new technology, she finds someone who understands her. But will that understanding help him see beyond her physical limits?
Main Characters: Bree, Jay, Cynthia, Leon, and Holly
Disability Blues
Bree shyly brushed her bangs from her face and shrugged, leaning forward on her arms on the armrests of the wheelchair and gazing out at the setting sun beyond the beath. "I've never had anyone show interest in me beyond friendship," she admitted quietly, "I'm paralyzed as you can clearly see, and most people take one look at me and turn the other way." She smiled through her rather sad words, "guys don't like a girl who can't stand up next to them, people perceive people like me so differently that it's something I've gotten used to over the years." The young woman gazed out at the sun, her dark brown hair billowing slightly in the wind, "I may have an IQ that surpasses Einstein and am the creator of a lot of technology, but I've never met someone willing to look past my paralysis."
Jay looked at the woman sitting in the wheelchair next to him, he could tell that she meant every word of what she said and he knew what it felt like. "I used to be blind," he admitted, "it's why I can get along with disabled people as well as I can. I understand exactly how it feels to be isolated, treated differently, and not seen as any kind of partner. Cynthia's an exception," he nodded to where the black-haired woman was sitting on the sand with her dog next to her, the metal casing of her left arm glinting brightly in the moonlight.
"I love Cynthia like a sister, but it's not the same," Bree admitted quietly, "it's different seen as a disabled person who still can't stand up after six years of physical therapy and three surgeries on my spine." She leaned back in her chair, the air tube in her nose shining a little in the setting sun. "The respiratory issues don't help at all either."
"Instead of being seen as disabled, Cynthia's seen as a cripple, which isn't any better," Jay pointed out quietly, "and she's had multiple surgeries too and is a veteran at twenty-three." He leaned his arms on his bent knees, "at that age she should be out there learning her career, meeting a guy, dating, and possibly engaged. Not sitting here at this special hospital for years learning to live with a permanent limp, a partial prosthetic, and seizures. Just like you shouldn't be overlooked."
Bree chuckled, "I'm out here because they have the equipment and because they have the tools I need to do what I do best and that invents and create things."
"I know, and your friends have been worried since they called me and my siblings in for you and Cynthia."
Bree shrugged, "you're welcome to try and help, I'm always open to someone's help, but unless you or your brother happen to like either of us we've kinda stuck here Jay. Cynthia can't leave till they can fix the seizures without causing any brain damage and I'm stuck here essentially till I get sick enough that I can't keep going." She looked at him a little sadly, "I'm not all that unhappy, I have my AIs, Cynthia, Mia, and everyone else here."
Jay looked sadly back, he knew exactly what she was wanting and knew that it was the only thing he couldn't give to her. "You want a partner," he said quietly, "someone to love you and make you feel normal, that you can have everything everyone else can have."
Bree nodded softly, "yeah, and it's the one thing that can't be rushed or forced." She looked over at Cynthia who was watching Leon sprint off down the beach and into the water, "even Cynthia-"
"-Just wants a normal romance," another voice spoke as she sat down next to Jay. "Cynthia wants recognition for what she's done and a romance as well, with someone she could feel normal around."
Bree smiled, "I was wondering where you went off to Holly, researching no doubt?"
Holly smiled softly at her, "researching and setting up a few things." She pointed at Cynthia and then at her brother swimming around in the ocean, "Cynthia likes Leon, she's had her eyes on him all afternoon and evening."
"Cynthia's a free spirit," Bree shrugged before she gave a small cough and took a deep breath before continuing to speak. "She's forward and blunt regarding stuff like that, I wouldn't be surprised if she kissed him by tonight." She watched her friend force herself to her feet and limp toward the water with a smile, "she's going to take advantage of her opportunity to having a guy around that seems mildly interested in her."
Holly looked surprised, "you can tell Leon's interested in her?"
Bree laughed, "most guys are, despite her crippled status she doesn't look any different to a normal person if you catch her without the brace on and if she's sitting down somewhere. She can easily get someone's attention, but it's the keeping it is the issue she has. It's hard when she limps all the time and has seizures. It's a turn away factor that your brother seems unfazed by." She watched with a faint smile as Cynthia waded into the water after Leon, yelling something to him, "Leon's a player right?"
"Yeah, for the most part," Holly admitted while Jay listened to their conversation, "why?"
"I'm just making sure," Bree shrugged, "Cynthia will have no problem taking advantage of her time in a player's spotlight if anything she'll enjoy it..."