"I'm a little scared," Artie said, turning and looking over at Quinn, before looking back at the horse standing in front of him. He didn't think it was actually as huge as it looked, but still…it was a lot bigger than him.
"It's going to be fun!" Quinn insisted, reaching up and gently petting the horse. "I like horses! I'm really excited!"
"What if I fall down?" Artie asked, twisting his hands in his lap as one of the therapists explained the benefits of horseback riding to his mom. All they had told him was that it might make his muscles be better. He couldn't feel them, so he didn't really see why that mattered.
"I don't think they're going to let you fall down. There are so many grown-ups here…they will help you!" Quinn said, pushing him closer to the horse. "Pet him! He's really soft, Artie! Look, he's looking at you! I think he likes you!"
Artie glanced between Quinn, his mother, and the woman holding onto the horse's lead rope, before cautiously reaching out and stroking the horse with his fingertips.
"You're doing it wrong," Quinn cut in, reaching out and quickly taking the glove off his hand, before pressing his palm to the horse. "You have to do it like this," she said, moving his hand in a petting motion. "See? He likes it!"
Artie wasn't exactly sure how Quinn could tell that the large beast liked it, because he wasn't even moving, but he took her word for it.
"Ok, sweetie, they're ready for you," his mom said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Are you ready?"
Artie hesitated a moment, swallowing before nodding. Before he could say anything else, he found himself being wheeled up the ramp onto a platform, beside which the woman holding the horse lined the horse up, and two people got him ready to go, securing a wide transfer belt with green straps to his waist.
"What's that for?" he asked, timidly, as Quinn petted the horse, looking up and watching what they were doing to Artie.
"Oh, this is just so we can hold onto you when we get you up there," his therapist answered, smiling.
"Am I going to fall down?" he asked, looking down and thinking it was a long way down if he fell.
"No, we won't let you fall!" his therapist insisted, as she finished securing the straps to him. "There will be one of us on each side, holding on to make sure nothing happens."
"Ok," Artie said softly, as he removed his feet from the footrest, before slowly scooting forward in his seat. In a couple of minutes, he was sitting on the horse's back, as his legs were secured with straps to hold them in place, and another strap was placed around his waist. His therapist instructed him to lean back a bit, his back being supported by the specially-designed saddle on the horse's back, and before long, they were ready to go.
"Artie, you're doing it!" Quinn said excitedly, as she stood next to the horse while Mrs. Abrams snapped a couple of pictures, a big smile on her face as she watched her son sit, still somewhat reluctantly, on the horse's back.
"No I'm not, we're not even moving," Artie said softly, as he held on for dear life, not trusting the straps and people holding him in place.
"It's time to move," Quinn said, turning to the woman holding the horse. "Artie has to ride now."
The woman chuckled, exchanging a glance with Artie's therapist, who nodded. She slowly led the horse forward, and Artie held on even tighter as the horse took its first steps, looking back at his mom, just in time for yet another picture.
"You doing ok up there?" his therapist asked, as they slowly made their way down the indoor riding ring.
Artie nodded, his death grip loosening ever so slightly.
"Everything feeling ok?" she asked, gently adjusting his leg, while still holding onto the belt around his midsection.
He nodded again. "He's really nice," he said, softly. "He feels warm," he added, reluctantly letting go with one hand and patting the horse's neck, just above the horn of the saddle.
They continued to go around the ring, while Quinn sat in one of the chairs they had for people to wait in, with Artie's mom. Every time Artie looked over, Quinn waved, a big smile plastered on her face, and Mrs. Abrams took a picture.
"Look! He's not scared anymore! Mrs. Abrams, Artie's laughing, look!" she said, pointing in his direction as he laughed at something his therapist said. Mrs. Abrams smiled, as she watched her son, thinking that, were it not for the straps holding him onto the horse, and the women holding on from each side, no one would even have been able to tell that there was something different about him. He was just a little boy, going for a ride on a horse.
After about fifteen minutes, they returned to the raised platform, and before long he was unstrapped and back in his chair, petting the horse and thanking everyone involved.
"You did it!" Quinn said, throwing her arms around his neck, cause for yet another snap of the shutter of Mrs. Abrams' camera. "You can ride a horse now, Artie! And one of the ladies said next time if we come at a certain time I can too!" she added.
"I hope so," Artie said, smiling at her. "That was fun," he added, shifting in his chair.
In the van on the way back to the Abrams house, Artie and Quinn talked about how it had felt, sitting on the horse's back, when he took his first steps, how he felt warm when Artie petted him, and how exciting it was going to be next time, when Quinn would get to ride too.
A/N: This was written for day 2 of Quartie Week on Tumblr (quartieweek . tumblr . com)
The topic: Quartie as kids.
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