Find you flow

"My legs..."

I lay on the bed with a stinging pain. Like a thousand needles shooting up my leg. The light in the room is blinding. I can’t even remember what happened. All I know is  that I fell in the water. I look over at the door to see a man. I think he's friends with my older brother. 
“Hello?” I manage to ask. My throat is on fire.
“Oh! Good morning Ester. How are you feeling?”
“...fine,” A total lie. I feel like crap. 
“Are you sure? You almost drowned! And… your legs…” 
I pushed myself up so I could look at my legs. A surging pain shot through my legs as I moved. I winced in pain. 
“Careful! We don’t know what happened yet!” 
The man rushed over to my side. I uncover my legs and toss the blanket aside. 
“My… legs,” I mutter
The man looked at me with pity. I clenched my fist. My legs had a purple colored mark on it. It was on my ankle but crept up my shin like a tree root. It looked like it was moving. Like it was alive.
“What the hell…” I mutter
“A diver found you like this. We have no idea what caused it.”
“Where’s my brother?”
On his way.” He puts his hand on my shoulder, “It’ll be okay.”
I couldn’t help it, I tried so hard to hold back tears. 
“Ester…” He says his voice is filled with pity.
“Shut up!” I yell.
I tried to stand up to get out of bed and a pain shot up my leg. 
“Gah!” I fell over.  I can’t stand… My legs won’t listen.
“Ester calm down. It's going to be okay. Your brother is on his way.” He lifts me up back on the bed.
“What's happening to me?” I ask, tears streaming down. 
The door swings open and a strong man with black hair with blonde tips barges in. 
“Ester!” he runs over to me.
I turn away and wipe tears from my face. 
‘What happened?!” he asked, looking at my legs.
“A diver found him in the west waters. He was drowning and… his legs seem to have taken some kind of parasite.  “
“Mathew, can you please leave us?” My brother asks the man, 
He nods and leaves. 
“What happened?” My brother asks as he sits on the bed next to me.
I looked at the floor, “I was messing around and fell into the water that's all…”
“The only way into the west waters is off a cliff. Did you fall off the cliff?
“...Yes,” I technically did fall off it.
“WHy didn’t you swim to shore?”
I didn’t answer him. How can I tell him what actually happened? He would be so disappointed… 
“How did you fall?” My brother used a stern voice. His eyes were very serious. They made me want to run away. 
“Sorry… I don’t remember” My voice cracked a little as I muttered the lie. 
My brother sighed. He could probably tell I was lying. He examined my horrifying legs.
“Is that really a parasite? Looks more like a painful tattoo.” 
“No idea…”
“Does it hurt?” He poked my leg slightly. 
I jerked away. The purple seemed unaffected though. 
“Sorry. It’s so weird,” my brother stood up, “ready to go home?” 
I nod. I tried to stand up again but… I end up falling again.  My brother catches me. How humiliating… I just wanna disappear…
“The medic might have a wheelchair. Wait here,” he put me back on the bed and walked off. 
I layed back down trying to get my legs to stop hurting. They didn’t. I really hope this isn’t permanent. No, it can’t be, The world isn’t that cruel. If I lose my legs I don't know what I’ll do… I swear if those guys make me lose my legs they won't be able to walk either. 
¨Ah!” I grabbed my leg. It hurt like hell. It was …growing? The purple was creping further up. It almost reached my knee. My eyes started to water.
¨suck it up.suck it up.suck it up.suck it up.suck it up.suck it up….”I kept repeating, hoping the pain would go away. Like an anaconda choking its prey, the people curved around my knee. It swirled inwards like it was…  
…
…
I hear a sound…
…
It sounds like….
Water…?
…
…
…
…
…
…
¨Ester!” I heard my brother call out and I opened my eyes. I must have fallen asleep. 
¨I got you a wheelchair. Unless you can walk now?” 
I look at my leg. The purple grew but it wasn’t even touching my knee… I must have imagined it. Maybe the parasite is hallucinogenic? Is that even a thing? 
¨Wanna try walking?”
I nod and try to slowly stand up, my legs gave out again. Damnit. I fell but my brother grabbed my arm before I could fall. He carefully guided me to the wheelchair. Embarrassing… 
“Alright, let’s get you home so you can rest,” my brother said. 
“Are you staying?” My brother works in an underwater facility. Isn’t that ironic.
“Until you can walk.” 
He said it so confidently. What if my legs don't get better? Will I be the reason he loses his job? What if he thinks I'm weak? I hope my legs get better soon so I don’t have to keep my brother for long.