It was Monday morning the big day. Troy was excited but knew it was going to be hard. He and the guys have been anticipating this day for 8 long months. This summer was going to be like every other summer, playing basketball every day getting ready for the season. Troy still had to go to the doctor for x-rays, he wasn't too happy about that knowing the doctor can easily say no to basketball. Jack and Troy were going to miss the morning of school as they drove to the hospital. Troy was nervous inside, even though he could walk as well as he could, it still wasn't perfect. If he played basketball he could hurt his foot very easily just by jumping. Troy sat on the on the cold medal waiting for the specialist to come take his x-rays. After the x-rays Troy met Jack back in the room he was in. Anxiety filled the room.

"What if he says no?" nervousness filled Troy's voice.

"Well son we just have to hope for the best." Jack didn't want to give Troy any hope in case the outcome wasn't what he wanted it to be.

Dr. Roy came in the room, "Well hello there good to see you guy's again." he shook hand with both of them. He looked down at Troy's leg, "Well look at you walking by yourself. How are you feeling?" Dr. Roy was happy, his patient succeeded.

Troy smiled, "Good, really good happy to be back to normal as I possibly can get."

Dr. Roy gestured Troy to stand up, "Stand up, let me see how you walk and how much you can move."

Troy walked around the room a little did some bends, and other little things that he was taught in therapy. Dr. Roy couldn't help but smile.

"I am very impressed. It seems like you can move a lot more than I thought you would able too. Have you tried running?"

"No I have not tried yet."

Dr. Roy stared at his ankle and pressed it towards his leg, Troy tensed up "Does that hurt?"

"Yeah." Dr. Roy did a little more things and then things to his right ankle. It hurt him.

"I am doing these things because this is how your foot will land if you jump and try to land normal. Your ankle doesn't move like your right one, just like I expected it too." He grabbed his new x-rays and old ones and put them on the screen. He looked at them trying to see by Troy moving and walking if anything has shifted.

"Nothing has shifted but the thing is, you have no space between your joints and all of your cartilage is gone. The way you walk right now is only how good it is going to get, and you have no movement. Yes you can walk which is an outstanding accomplishment, but I don't think you are able to run or jump. When I went to push on it wouldn't budge that's why it hurt so bad. But your right one didn't hurt because it has that space and cartilage to move in any way."

Troy felt like he had just been kicked in the stomach. "So what does this mean? " Troy didn't want to ask but he knew he had too.

Dr. Roy sighed, "You can't play basketball. If you land wrong you are going to have to have surgery again and make it worse."

Jack kept a straight face; he needed to be strong for Troy.

"You can always play golf or swim if you still want to play sports."

"What if Bryce teaches me to land a different way so I won't get hurt." Everything was on the line, he had to try everything.

Dr. Roy paused and had to think, it could work.

"I don't know Troy. Just think if you get hurt, your chances of just playing for fun with your friends will be right out of the window. You could hurt it to wear you might lose all of your mobility."

Troy sighed and closed his eyes, this couldn't be happening again.

Jack: "So there is nothing he can do? No certain training no certain restrictions he can do while playing?"

Dr. Roy sighed, "I know I am sounding like the bad guy right now and I hate that I am but your ankle is just not strong enough. It is not stable to be jumping constantly and running all the time, I am sorry."

Troy leaned back on the table, "Ok." He thought for sure he was going to play. Bryce said he was doing fine but Bryce wasn't the doctor.

Troy got up from the table, "I'll meet you in the car" and left the room.

Jack looked at Dr. Roy.

Troy's was on his way out he out when he noticed he was on floor 3. Lucie! Troy thought. He didn't know if she was still in the hospital or not because he left back in November but it was worth a shot. He asked the lady at the counter, Lucie had moved to a different room because she had just checked back in a week ago. Troy went outside real quick to grab something then headed to her room. Her door was open and Troy popped his head in. She was laying there playing with her Barbies.

"Boo!"

Lucie's head popped up and she gasped.

"Troy!" she shrieked in her squeaky voice. She got out of bed and ran to Troy.

Troy bent down and held his arms open, she ran into them.

"How are you? You are getting so big!" Troy let go and looked at her, she has grown a lot in the past couple of months.

"I am great! Oh those are pretty flowers!" Troy forgot he had them in his hands.

"Oh yeah these are for you, I just picked them." He smiled and handed them to her.

Lucie grabbed them and smelt them, "No one has ever brought me flowers before! This is the best day ever!"

Troy smiled; she was so happy all of the time. He stood up.

"You are taller than I remember! You are like a ginormous giant!"

Troy laughed. "Yeah I can walk now, I don't have to sit all day and have a big thing on my leg anymore."

"Aw no fair! I like drawing on that big thing every time I saw you!"

She didn't understand, she was so cute.

"Remember I pinky promised I would come see you whenever I could walk."

"Well it took ya long enough!" She threw her arms in the air. Lucie ran back to her bed and sat on it.

Troy grabbed a chair and pulled it to the side of the bed.

"Why are you in a different room?" He was curious if she had gotten worse.

"I went home for a couple of months, and then I got the flu or something like that and had to come back. My mommy said I should get to leave tomorrow."

"Well that is good!" Troy figured her leukemia is gone since she has been out of the hospital.

"Yeah I miss my bed and my doggy."

"Aw I am sorry to hear. But when you go back home hopefully you won't have to come back here ever again."

"Yeah me too, it is so boring! "

Troy smiled and looked down.

"Why are you sad?" Troy looked up confused.

"What?"

"Why are you sad?" Lucie sat there innocently.

How could this little girl tell he was sad, "I am not allowed to play basketball the doctor won't let me."

"Well that is not very nice of him. He should go to time out for being mean."

Troy chuckled, "Its ok he is just doing his job. I just wish there was something I could do."

"Play! He won't know!"

"He will if I come back here hurt."

"Puuhh-lease, you just have to be smart! My doctor tells me I am not allowed to eat candy but I do it anyways, I just have to be careful! Easy as that!"

Troy couldn't believe a 4 year old was telling him to break the rules.

"Yeah we will see."

"If you love something you should stick to it no matter how hard it is. You have to sometimes fight harder for something's than others. I have to fight really hard to stay out of this place and guess what? I do it! So you can do it too!"

Troy was amazed by this little girl. She has never given up on what she wanted the most.

"Come on play! If you play that means I get to watch and leave the house! AND I get to wear my cheerleading uniform that I got for Christmas!"

Troy chuckled, "Well that is really sweet."

"Come on you can do it!" She jumped up and down on the bed.

Troy smiled, stood up picked her up and swung her around. He sat her back on the bed.

"Ok I will try my best to play and I will let you know how it goes and you can come to my first game."

"Pinky promises you will try your best?"

Troy held up his pinky, "Pinky promise."

Lucie smiled, Troy started to tickle her.

Troy walked into school, in a bad mood. Even though Lucie made him feel better, he was still down he didn't get the results he wanted. Everyone was sitting at the lunch table. They saw Troy walk towards them.

Chad held out his hand, "Hey man how-"

Troy just walked past him and went up the stairs. They all looked at each other.

Gabi: "I am going to go talk to him, I know where he is going."

Gabi went up to their secret spot. Troy was sitting on the bench with his head in his hands. Gabi sat next to Troy and started rubbing his back.

Gabi: "Are you ok?"

Troy sniffled, he was crying. Gabi had never seen him cry before.

Gabi whispered, "Troy what happened?"

Troy just sat there in silence. Gabi had no idea what was wrong with him, her heart was breaking seeing him like this. Gabi just sat there rubbing his back waiting for him when he was ready to talk.

"I can't play." He said in between sniffles.

Gabi sat there not knowing what to say.

"Why did he say you couldn't play?"

Troy sat there for a little before responding, "He said if I get hurt I could never possible lose all of my mobility. My ankle is too weak to bend and put a lot of pressure on it all of the time."

"I am so sorry sweetie." That is all gabby could say. Probably nothing she could do or say at this point could make him feel better. Troy didn't want to seem like a baby but he worked so hard to get to where he was and then he had it all taken away. Troy looked up at Gabi.

"I'm sorry." He took his shirt and wiped his face.

"Sorry for what?"

"Seeing me like this, it just hit me when I walked past the gym."

Gabi looked at him. He wasn't crying anymore but he had tear stained eyes, this brought tears to his eyes.

"What is wrong?" Troy was scared he did something.

"Nothing, it is just really sad I just want to see you happy." Gabi did the nervous laugh to try and shake off the tears. She wanted to say she felt bad to him but she knew he didn't want people feeling sorry for him.

"Yeah it just suck you know? I mean I am happy I can walk but playing basketball would have just been the icing on the cake."

"I know Troy, everyone is still proud of you."

Troy grabbed Gabi and pulled her into an embrace. At least he something he knew he would never lose.

"It is going to be ok."

"Yeah I know, I am just lucky to have you. Thanks for being here. I love you."

Gabi looked up at Troy. "I love you too." She kissed him.

The next day at school everyone knew, it was a sad day at East High. Troy was starting to accept the fact he can't play and move on. Nothing no one could do or say to make his day better.

Later that evening at Troy house Jack came down the stairs, Troy was sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Hey do you want to go pick out some new shoes? Dylan needs new pair; I figure you can use a pair too."

Troy gave his dad a weird look, his dad hates to shop. "What kind of shoes?"

"Any kind he needs tennis shoes. We are going to go to Academy so if you want a pair then comes on."

Troy sighed, better than sitting at the house and he was going to get something out of it. Way more than he thought he was.

Jack, Troy and Dylan went to Academy to pick out some shoes. Troy and Dylan both got athletic shoes. On the way back home Jack pulled into the parking lot of Troy's therapy center.

"What are we doing here?" Troy was confused; this was the last place he wanted to be right now.

"I have to go in and make a payment. You guys can come in if you like I don't know how long it will take."

"I'll come in!" Dylan said and got out of the car.

Troy sighed, "I guess I will too, I don't feel like being stuck in here by myself."

They went in and stood in line.

"This place is cool; they have so many different things." Dylan was scooping the place out.

"Yeah it is cool until you realize you are not strong enough to use or do anything with any of this stuff."

They got to the window. 'This didn't take long at all.' Troy thought. All of the sudden he heard someone say his name.

"Troy Bolton" Bryce came out and came up to them. His dad was done paying and turned around. Bryce shook their hands and the 'how are you's' were exchanged.

"So are you ready?" Bryce said and pointed to the room.

"Ready for what? I can't play."

"Bryce smiled, "You didn't tell him did you?"

Jack smiled and looked at Troy, "Surprise."

Troy still didn't get it. "What?"

"After you left the room yesterday Dr. Roy and I had a long talked. We finally smoothed things out an made a couple of deals out safety and playing. So there you go, you get to train with Bryce right now."

Troy mouth was wide open, "Shut up!" He got excited. "Are you serious right now? You guys planned this?"

All 3 of them shook their head, "We wanted to surprise you. I didn't want to tell you yesterday even though it killed me seeing you like that."

Troy was so stoked. "Well what are you waiting for? Go get your shoes and come in so we can start." Dylan laughed,

Troy went out to the car and got his and Dylan's new shoes. Troy couldn't believe he was getting to do this, it felt like a dream.

Bryce: "Ok here is the brace you are going to be wearing. It is strong on the sides to keep you ankle steady and give you support." Troy sat on the gym floor and put it on. He stood up and walked around in it, it felt weird

Bryce: "Are you ready?"

"Yeah." Troy breathed in deep.

"Ok. Dylan starts where you would start doing a layup. Dylan grabbed the ball and went over there.

"Ok when you when you come do the 1-2-3 steps pause on 1."

Dylan went to do it and paused.

"Ok since this is a right side layup and you usually jump off of your left leg, we are going to have to change that." He put Dylan into a position on how to do it and started to explain to Troy and Jack how that is going to work. Dylan did it a couple or more times.

"Do you want to try now?"

"Yeah." Dylan handed Troy the ball.

"Do it slow first to make sure you have the right stepping."

Troy did it slow motion, he felt so out of place. He then did it normal, as he went to do the 1-2-3 step he chickened out and stopped.

"Ah sorry it just feels so weird."

"It's ok take your time, it is better to learn this the right way."

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

Sorry I ended in such a weird/ bad place. I won't have my computer for 2 days and I wanted to get this chapter out because it has been a few days! I am sorry I have been busy with summer school. Next chapter will finish his session and I will throw some other things in there. Please review your feed back is important! Thank you to my readers and reviewers!