One Day At a Time ✔️

Ch. 60 Figuring Out Therapy

Drift's P.O.V.
It's been six days since the trach removal. We're  resuming Jamie's therapy or rather, adding therapy. Back at the pool in a few days,  and Sunstreaker wants Jamie to train with him even though he knows she has to start slow.  I think for a while, it's going to be more like playing. Jolt is still going to watch for a while.
"Sunstreaker already asked if he could," Jolt explains, "I gave him a paper with what he should have Jamie do for now. I'm not sure how to tackle speech therapy. Jamie should be talking."
"She's said few words. I know hearing her laugh or cry means her vocal cords weren't damaged by the ventilator or trach. I hope she will not continue to refuse to talk."
I'm hoping Sideswipe was right, and now that the trach is removed and the stoma healed, Jamie will be talking. Even if she fully recovers in four months, I still can't believe Jamie had to go through this scrap. Though her fear of the pool and her throat being touched might take longer to deal with.
"Ratchet and I know how we can get Jamie to not be afraid of her throat not being touched," Jolt adds, "she's afraid we'll be doing surgery while she's awake. Hard to know if it'll work. We have to wait until she gains weight to put a new monitor chip in."
Jolt goes back to the medbay. I sit on the couch, visioning the day Jolt and Ratchet hope to do the surgery. I didn't know Crosshairs sat next to me so until I felt his hug.
"Jolt and Ratchet will be prepared. I'm not sure if we'll be allowed in the operating room until she's asleep."
"I hope we'll be allowed in."
"It's going to be a few months before they can do the surgery. We have enough to worry about."
We hear the beep from the feeding pump.  Crosshairs takes care of the pump before the beeping wakes Jamie up. She knows about the pump and that it's set to run all night.
I can see how displeased he is seeing how tiny Jamie is. 
"I hope between this and eating food, she'll gain weight a little faster than if she was only tube fed," Crosshairs sighs, putting the equipment by the desk.

Sunstreaker's P.O.V.
"I think we should approach this as playing," Sideswipe suggests, "though I know Jamie loves weight lifting."
"That will not work when she needs to build strength."
I do like Sideswipe's idea, but I'm not sure what we can do for strength-building that's like playing. Would Jamie want to do strength-building as we did together before she left?

Sideswipe couldn't believe I took two hours to figure out how to do strength-building with Jamie. I'm adding other exercises. Swimming is on the list, but we're holding off on dealing with Jamie's fear of the pool for now. I hope not for too long. I hate how Jamie went from loving the pool to being afraid.
"How hard are you thinking about this?" Ratchet asks.
I explain to him what Sideswipe suggested and how most things I'm finding Jamie can do to build strength won't work with Sideswipe's idea. Only swimming will work, and I know we're working on Jamie's fear of the pool.
"I'm not sure if she's strong enough to throw medicine balls. Sideswipe has a good idea, but it's not possible with the exercises Jamie needs to do. Until she wants to go in the pool."
Great, so now if Jamie doesn't want to do any working out. There goes the backup plan if Crosshairs and Drift couldn't get her to want to work out. I hope Jamie isn't difficult with either therapy she needs.

"It's odd seeing you like this," I hear Crosshairs. Once again, I explain everything, "You realize that if Jamie is not in a great mood, getting her to play will be just as hard? This could be a disaster once Jamie realizes how weak she is."
Sounds like even Crosshairs and Drift are thinking this is going to be a challenge. Jolt is likely thinking speech therapy is going to be a challenge. I'm still hoping I'm wrong about recovery going to take a year. Just wait, Megatron, I will find you.

Drift's P.O.V.
I sit on the couch, with Jamie on my lap. She leans on me as I hug her. She's having a hard time with the overnight feeding and knowing how weak she is. I doubt she was unaware until now. It's Ratchet's change in her recovery plan that upsets her. I'm not sure how she'll take needing physical therapy and speech therapy. Even if Crosshairs and I can do most of the speech therapy. Jamie seldom spoke before she left in November. For all we know, Jamie won't need speech therapy, but getting her to talk so Jolt can decide is going to be hard.
"You want to go downstairs?" I ask her.
"Yes," Jamie says.
I smile, happy she's talking rather than squeezing my hand. 
I'm still taking the wheelchair with us, but Jamie walks with me. I let Crosshairs know we're coming down to the cafeteria.

Everyone we walk by smile seeing Jamie walking. They know the reason we limited how much Jamie walked was due to needing oxygen support.

Crosshairs is waiting at a table with our food.  As always, the terror twins are with him.
Jamie knows Jolt wants to start therapy today, and has trusted Sunstreaker to work with Jamie with physical therapy.
"How about art later?" Sunstreaker asks.
"Yes," Jamie replies.
The twins and Crosshairs smile. I'm not sure if we'd hear a speech impairment or not. I feel like needing speech therapy is minor compared to needing to get Jamie to gain weight and build strength. I'm not sure if she's afraid to be with others aside from the twins, Crosshairs, and me. Seems like when we think things are getting better, something new comes up. It's hard to think good progress has been made in three months.