Injured

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

     “Okay, sweetie, calm down and try again.” The therapist told me. “A,” she held out the sound. She looked at me with kind eyes, trying to push back my frustration.

     “Ack,” was all I could get out. “Ack, ack, ack, ack,” I really tried. I did. The sounds just didn’t want to come out. I could do a long I and E sounds. I could make my vocal chords form a solid d. But no matter what, I couldn’t make an A.

     I was getting mad. I couldn’t control it. I wanted to punch something. I was excelling in my physical therapy. I thought that speaking again would be the easiest part. I looked at my mom who looked like she was about to cry. I knew that I wasn’t making it easier on her. She had to pay for all of this. Then again, why should I be sorry? The accident wasn’t my fault. It was that drunken guy’s. I heard he was still in a coma, and they didn’t think that he was going to make it. Serves him right.

     “I think that’s enough for today,” the therapist sighed. “We’ll try again on Thursday.” She stood and walked over to my mom and started whispering.

     My heart sank. I knew that I could do it. I mean, I did it before. What was the difference now? The doctor said I could do it. Doctors knew everything. Right? I didn’t wait on my mom. I slid into my wheelchair and rolled out to the parking lot. I was so mad that I wasn’t looking where I was going and ran smack into someone.

     “Oh my, sorry!” A familiar voice apologized. I looked up to see who I had practically run over. To my surprise it was Gwen.

     “Daniel?” she asked. “I didn’t know that you took therapy here…” she gave me a bewildered look.

     I nodded. I was surprised that she was here. She told me about her brother, but he wasn’t even with her.

     She saw the look I gave her. She motioned for me to follow her inside. I obeyed. She turned around to lock her car and sauntered inside. She held the door open for me. She sat in one of the hard plastic chairs in the lobby, and I rolled in front of her.

     “Why are you here?” the monotone translator asked. “Where’s your brother?”

     “He’s at home,” she mumbled. “I was just uh…”

     I looked at her expectantly.

     “Just uh…” she paused. “I was going to get an application for an internship.”

     “That’s great!” I grinned.

     “Really? You think so? I didn’t know if it was weird or not. I mean, it’s kind of bland, and if people heard about it they would talk. I just think I could help you know?”

     “It’s not stupid at all!” My smile grew wider. “You would be great at that with all your experience with your brother.”

     She smiled at me. My mom was calling my name, but I just ignored her. Gwen talked a little more about what she wanted to do until my mom came back inside and yelled at me. I waved her off, but Gwen didn’t.

     “Your mom seems to want you. I think I’ve bored you long enough.”

     I tried to type in a protest, but she nudged me and got up to push me out.

     “Don’t worry about it. See ya tomorrow I guess.” She waved at me as my mom wheeled me out to the car.

     When we were in the safety of our Lexus, my mom looked up and gave me a questioning glance.

     “What?” I asked as we were backing out.

     “Oh nothing,” my mom said as she was backing out.

     “No, really,”

     My mom pulled out onto the road. “Is she your girlfriend?”

     “Mom. Are you being serious?” I typed out.

     “Fine, I won’t talk about it.” She stared at the road and stayed quiet for a few minutes. I should’ve known it wouldn’t have lasted long.

     “Do you like her?”

     I rolled my eyes and folded my arms across my chest.

     “What? It’s a genuine question.”

     “No.” I stated simply. She didn’t ask any more questions which was probably good. She had gotten me thinking. I didn’t think that I liked her. I, mean, she wasn’t my type at all. We had lunch together once. That was it. Everything would go back to normal tomorrow.

     But one thought kept nudging me. Did she like me?