You never know - Pjo Fanfiction

27- Don't stop until you are proud

--

"IV, physiological saline with adrenaline and glucose in 23%, gas mask, go go go!"

"How did it even get this bad? Can we save the leg?"

"I think so. But it'll be a long opperation"

"And a painful recovery. Doctor, she's just a girl. How will she make it?"

"She's strong. She's a dancer. She'll make it"

"If you say so. Scalpel, gauze, now! Let's save this girl"

"I'll make first incision. Prepare the reanimation kit in case it doesn't work, the bone is pinching the arteria"

"If it clamps it, she's dead"

"I know. Let's be careful"

"Damn! R58! Suction tubes, quickly!"

"This is a lot of blood. We need three units, O positive, now!"

"Are you still so sure she'll be alright?"

"Let's just focus on this..."

***

Pain. That was all Hazel could feel when she opened her eyes.

She straightened and looked around. A machine beeped somewhere close by. Her inner elbow was pinched by an IV. She was laying in a bed with white sheets. Her right leg was in a cast, bandaged and elevated with some king of fabric that hung from the ceeling.

The hospital. Why was she there? What happened?

She held her head, a headache pounding in it, as she slowly recalled everything that had happened.

She pulled her leg out of the elevating and tried to get out of the bed. But, as soon as her leg made contact with the ground, she howled in pain.

A couple of doctors, a blond boy and a brunnette girl with pink glasses. She reconized the male as the doctor who rode the ambulance with her.

"Woah there, sweety, how about you stay in bed?" The woman gently helped her back.

Hazel let her do her stuff because she was polite, but all she wanted to do was to pirouette her way out of the room.

"You had a big operation and lost a lot of blood. Do you understand?" The make explained.

She nodded, looking down.

"You'll need at least three weeks to fully heal the bone and the stitches, and then you'll need years of rehab and fisioteraphy to go back to your life. Still, regaining the hability to walk isn't guaranteed. Do you also understand this?"

Hazel understood, although she wished she didn't. She tried to wake up, as if it was a nightmare but she stayed very much awake. 

"So..." She whispered, her voice broken, between tears she tried to hold in "Will I ever... Maybe... Dance again?"

"No chance" The woman said "Your muscles will loose strenght. You will be weaker. Even for an adult with a strong motivation would find it hard. It's simply impossible"

All Hazel's fears were coming true. She had the big act, but now she couldn't dance.

Wait... If she couldn't dance, would she be expelled from the academy?

She collapsed against the pillow.

Her friends came next morning, but she wasn't in the mood. She was dull, grey and sad, her dreams crushed before her eyes.

"Does is hurt?" Piper asked for the fifth time.

"Yes, Piper, it does hurt" She snapped, rolling her eyes. "Just because you never broke a bone doesn't mean you can't have common sense"

"Hey, she was just asking Hazel" Jason protected her "I don't know what has gotten into you..."

Hazel broke. Her eyes flooded with tears.

"Oh, Jason, I know exactly what has gotten into me" She yelled "Crutches! For my whole life! I will never walk again. Or dance! Do you know how it feels, being told you'll never do the thing you love most and knowing you can do nothing about it?"

She sobbed against her hands.

"It was my dream! I'll be expelled!" Her sobs died down to a murmur "I wish I could dance, just one last time... I wish I could have known that it would be the last time... I would have enjoyed it more..."

The room fell silent. The girls hugged her, but she didn't feel the warmth.

When they all leaved, Frank stayed behind.

"Hey..." He waved, sitting beside her.

"Don't bother" She turned away.

"Where's the girl I know?" He asked

"You mean the one who danced?" She asked, angry.

"No, I mean the one that didn't give up" He correcter "The one I fell in love with"

"They said it's impossible"

"And since when do you listen to what they tell you? Sincerely, you always do your own thing"

"My own thing?" She asked, confused.

"Yeah, Hazel" He brushed the hair from her eyes "Listen,-"

"Sorry, I don't listen" She smiled mischeveously.

They both laughed for a minute.

"What I meant is" He  said "just believe in yourself. How much time are you in a cast?"

"Three weeks" She sighted

"Great! The act is in four weeks!"

"Frank I can't possibly learn to walk, to dance and the choreography in a week"

"So you'll learn it before. Have you ever heard about Alicia Alonso?"

"Who?" Hazel pipped curiously.

"She was a Cuban dancer. She had three eye operations and had to be bedridden for a year, yet she managed to learn 'Giselle', dancing in her mind, and when she was better she performed as a prima ballerina!"

"So, you're telling me...?"

"Hazel, keep dancing. Even if it's in your mind. Because you are the most amazing ballerina I've ever seen. Just don't let anything stop you. You know what? Never stop. Don't stop until you are proud"

"You're..." She started "Right. You're right. Why am I even giving up?"

"Exactly! You've got the part. You're a prima ballerina now. You're unstoppable"

Hazel jumped out of bed, grabbing the crutches, and stared at him.

"What are we waiting for, then?" She giggled.

Frank helped her get back to the Academy, slowly but without stopping. Then, he left to the boys dorm. But she did not go to her room. She limped all the way to the studio, where she heard the teacher speaking to her doctor.

"She's a great dancer..." She heard her teacher say "But, if what you're saying is true, we'll have to expell her. Scolarships are expensive, we can't afford to have a student who cannot dance. It's a shame, she was good. Better than good, actually. She would have even been one of the best. What a shame, what a shame..."

Hazel's face fell. Her worst nightmare was becoming true. She wanted to crouch and cry, to hide from the world.

But she did the exact opposite.

"What a shame, what a shame" She mimicked "You do not sound sorry at all. But don't fret, I do not need your condolences. Nor your advice. I will get up no matter how many times I fall. And I won't stop until I'm proud. Yeah, I'm hurt, but injuries fade over time. I'll become stronger. Teacher, if you just give me a chance, I won't let you down. Just let me prove myself"

Terpisichore seemed amazed by her bravery and smiled.

"You have until the end of year performance"