May 2, 1940
Ada looked at Elizabeth's braces after removing them from the girl.
"Yeah, it's little wonder you can't walk. Got your legs in these clamps." Ada assessed the braces. "No blood flowing."
Ada sighed. She returned to remove Elizabeth's other brace. "It's against nature." She spoke of the leg braces.
"Oh I'd like to cut off that leather!" Mrs. Corley spoke in an angry tone.
Elizabeth and Aimee were growing more fearful every moment, afraid that the crazy woman would hurt them!
"Cut off those strings!" Ada went on, angrily about the braces. "I'll throw that away and you'll never see it again!"
Ada felt Elizabeth's legs. "Ain't nothin' wrong with them bones. They're sound as hickory."
"My brother-in-law and sister say it's the nerves."
"Buzzard croaking!" Ada wasn't impressed. She turned to Aimee and pointed at something. "Fetch me that crock there yonder."
Aimee did so.
Mrs. Corley opened the lid on the crock to reveal a blue-ish green paste.
"What is that stuff?" Asked Elizabeth.
"It's my own recipe. It's roots and herbs and spiny-vine juices." Ada said as she began to rub the substance all over Elizabeth's legs. "It's medicines them book doctors ain't never heard of."
Elizabeth looked at Aimee and then back to watch Mrs. Corley.
"All right now." Ada said after a minute. "Walk. You can walk."
Aimee smiled.
"You can walk now." Mrs. Corley repeated. She offered Elizabeth her hands to help her stand up. "Come on."
Ada helped Elizabeth to her feet. Elizabeth tried to take a step, but she fell to the ground.
"Oh no!" Ada exclaimed.
Elizabeth fell to the ground and began sobbing. Her legs burned with pain. She was tired. She wanted to be home. She wanted to walk again but couldn't seem to be able to. Oh, her legs hurt!
Aimee cringed.
Elizabeth lay on the floor, bawling.
"Walk!" Ada Corley demanded.
"I can't!" Elizabeth protested.
"You can walk!" Barked Mrs. Corley.
"She can't walk! She's telling you the truth!" Aimee screamed.
Ada got on the floor with Elizabeth. "You got the medicine and you've got the bones. The only reason you can't walk is because you think you can't!"
"I can't!" Elizabeth screamed.
John, Ike, and Zeb pulled up in the truck outside. They hurried over to the house.
"In your brain, you're a cripple! They've poisoned your mind!" Ada grabbed Elizabeth. "I want you to get up off that floor and walk!"
"I can't!" Elizabeth screamed.
"You can! Yes, you can! And you will!" Ada forced.
Just then, the men came in.
"Please, Daddy!" Elizabeth screamed.
Immediately, John ran to his daughter and picked her up off the floor.
Ike put his arms around Aimee to protect her.
"No, please, don't take her." Mrs. Corley protested.
"Daddy!" Elizabeth screamed.
"Please don't take her. I can make her walk."
"Oh Daddy!"
"It's all right now Honey."
I can make her walk. Just leave her." Ada protested.
Zeb grabbed Elizabeth's braces that were lying on the floor.
The men left with the girls and the braces.
Zeb and Ike took the pony cart back while the girls rode in the truck with John back to the house.
Once they got the girls back home safely, John laid Elizabeth in bed. Grandpa called Curt and Mary Ellen and explained the situation to them. They hurried over.
Curt did a complete examination of Elizabeth's legs.
"Well at least there's nothing broken." Curt finally announced. "Both legs are fine."
"Thank the Lord." Olivia said. "Thank you Curt."
She then turned to Elizabeth. "What on earth possessed you two to go to Ada Corley's in the middle of the night?"
"She cured other people." Aimee said quietly.
"What'd she do to you, Honey?" John asked.
"She rubbed my legs with this green stuff."
"Elizabeth could've been injured for life." Ike condemned his daughter's actions.
Aimee looked down.
After things had settled down and they knew Elizabeth was safe, John and Olivia went to the kitchen.
"Do you think she'll walk again?" John asked.
"I'm praying every minute." Olivia kissed her husband's forehead. She knew he had some thinking to do, so she excused herself to bed.
May 3, 1940
It was after midnight when John walked down to the church. He wasn't a church-goer normally, but he knew this was the best place to come. He went inside, walked to the front of the church, knelt at the pulpit, and prayed for his daughter's complete healing.
"Lord, I pray for my Angel. Don't punish her. Please, let her walk again. Heal her legs. Heal any scary memories that she may have from the experience she had tonight. Be with her. Help her sleep and have a good day of school today. Help her know that we love her, no matter what. Amen."
At school that afternoon, the children played ball.
Elizabeth stood by the swings, smiling as she watched them play.
One of the children kicked the ball a little too far and it got caught in a couple feet from where Elizabeth was standing.
"Let me get it." Elizabeth offered.
Mrs. Fordwick stopped and watched the girl.
Elizabeth shifted herself to get the ball. "Just wait, I'll get it."
It took her a couple minutes, but she was able to reach the ball. Mrs. Fordwick watched in amazement as Elizabeth took a couple shuffles after she leaned her crutches against the swingsframe to the side. Elizabeth reached down and batted the ball with her hand back to the children.
Mrs. Fordwick smiled at her. She smiled back.
That afternoon after school, Jim Bob worked on his car. He watched as Ben pushed Elizabeth in the swing.
"Swing me higher." She said.
"That's high enough." He replied.
Grandpa walked past them. "Ben, could you come and give your grandpa a hand here?"
"Okay." Ben said, following his grandfather.
"Ben! Are you coming back?" Elizabeth asked.
"I'll be back in a second. Don't worry." Ben replied.
Mrs. Fordwick drove up. She told John and Olivia what she had seen during afternoon recess.
"That's more than good news." Olivia smiled.
"There was no question. I was standing just a few feet from her. I saw her take a step without her crutches, maybe even two!"
While Elizabeth was away, Elizabeth stopped herself in the swing. She used the swing as an aid to get over to where her crutches were. In trying to reach for the crutches, she knocked them over.
Jim Bob was in the garage watching all this.
John, Olivia, and Mrs. Fordwick were all aware of what was going on as well.
Elizabeth made eye contact with Jim Bob. She reached down to get her crutches.
"Elizabeth. Elizabeth, walk to me." Jim Bob said, suddenly full of hope. "You can do it!"
Ben and Grandpa too noticed what was going on.
Elizabeth doubted her ability. Her brother was only a couple feet from her, but she still doubted if she could make it, even that little of a distance.
Jim Bob assured her. "Come on Elizabeth, walk to me. I know you can do it!"
Olivia gasped.
Elizabeth took a little shuffle, holding onto a sturdy piece of wood.
"Walk to me." Jim Bob coaxed.
Elizabeth took a deep breath. Bravely, she hobbled forward, taking two completely independent steps into Jim Bob's arms!
Jim Bob dropped to his knees and caught her.
"She did it! She did it!" he called. "Mama, Daddy, she did it! Grandpa!"
John and Olivia hugged each other.
Ben began sobbing and hugged Zeb.
Tears streamed down Elizabeth's face.
Tears stung Jim Bob's eyes. "Elizabeth, oh Elizabeth!" For the first time since the accident, he felt worthy to talk to her. He felt worthy to be called her brother. He felt worthy to hug her and comfort her. He felt like he got his sister back!
Elizabeth gasped, still unable to believe what she had done.
"Elizabeth, oh Elizabeth!" Jim Bob squeezed his sister. "She did it! She did it!"
Tears fell down Elizabeth's face as she smiled. It felt so good to have her brother back. Good ol' Jim Bob was there for her in the moment that she needed him the most!
July 31, 1940
Elizabeth was able to walk and see the birth of her new nephew, John Curtis Willard.
September 14, 1940
It was a beautiful evening. Elizabeth was out riding Judy in circles out in the yard. Zeb and Jim Bob sat in lawn chairs, watching her.
Erin ran out the screen door. Mary Ellen was standing on the porch.
"I just got off the phone with Mama and Daddy. It's a boy! Andrew Douglas Walton!" Erin announced the birth of John-Boy and Jenny's fourth child.
"Hey!" Grandpa cheered.
Elizabeth stopped riding Judy. She tied her up and ran up the steps to join in the celebration.
By the Fall of that year, my sister was completely free of the braces on her legs and was able to once again, take part in the active life of the mountain.
"Everybody asleep?" Jim Bob asked.
"Not now." Ben mumbled.
"I was wondering something." Jim Bob said.
"Let's hear it Jim Bob." Said Jason.
"What is time?"
"Well, while I had my braces on, that was a LONG time." Elizabeth said.
"Aimee's birthday at the Godsey's was a fun time." Erin added.
"Come this time next year, Andrew will be celebrating his first birthday." Jason said.
"It'll be time for my birthday in two days." Joy said.
"Full moon in June is a'courtin' time."
"What is time? It's not in the clock?" Jim Bob asked.
"It's TIME for bed." Ben said. "Goodnight everybody."
"Goodnight Andrew!" Elizabeth called.
I dedicate this story to the late Earl Hamner. I'm thankful for this man's life and that he shared it with us.
That's the story! Hope y'all liked it! If you have any ideas for my next FanFiction, let me know. I have a couple ideas, but will take requests as well. It doesn't have to be Waltons (though that is my favorite one to write ). I also do Little House On The Prairie, Happy Days, and When Calls The Heart if you'd like. Again, thanks again for reading!