Different Doesn't Mean Broken

Chapter 3 - Alex

Michelle led me down a path, pointing out the swimming area, the dining hall, the other cabin areas, the rec hall and other program buildings. Everything had ramps leading inside. She turned away from the water and led me to a building with a lineup outside. I rolled my eyes. Yet again. There were kids in wheelchairs, on crutches, using walkers, or walking around all spastic. Some kids in wheelchairs were manoeuvring themselves, some were in those tall ones with a headrest and someone pushing it. I saw white canes for the blind kids. Some kids were flapping their hands around and acting like they were talking to each other.

I do not belong here. This camp is ridiculous.

"This is the infirmary," Michelle said to me. "You'll come here when it's time for your meds, and if you get sick or hurt. Just like anywhere else. You'll hand the nurse your med badge and she'll get your meds for you. When you're done, you'll go out the back door and wait for the rest of our cabin group. Do not leave without the rest of us. It's a camp rule, okay?"

I found my first infraction, and I smiled to myself as I nodded distractedly. As we got closer, I saw a girl sitting in the back and a counsellor talking to her. She flapped her hands at the counsellor who seemed to understand what her hand flapping meant and smiled at the girl. She had a pair of those forearm crutches. God I hope she's not in my cabin.

"Oh! Sally!" Michelle said, calling the counsellor over. "Our missing camper has been found!"

"Great!" The counsellor, Sally, said, coming over. "You must be Alex!"

I crossed my arms and looked at her. Crutch Girl was sitting where Sally had left her, talking to some other kid in a purple wheelchair. So she can speak? What was with the hand flapping?

"Welcome to Camp Big Pine!" Sally said with the same sickening smile everyone else had plastered to their faces.

"Can I get whatever you're on to make this marginally more tolerable?" I asked. Sally laughed.

"You're funny. I'm gonna like having you in our group!" She said, grinning. I groaned internally.

Michelle said she was returning to the registration desk and asked Sally if she would be alright with us all until lunch. Sally said she'd be fine.

They still had those annoying smiles plastered on their faces.

Sally explained the process again while I handed in my meds.

"So I have to come here every time I need to take my insulin?" I asked.

"Not exactly. But your long acting you take at bedtime, right? So you'll come here then, and for any of the oral meds you take. If you need them at meals, the nurse will bring our cabin's bin up to the dining hall for people on mealtime meds," she said happily. I wanted to puke.

Once I was done handing in my medications and being reassured my insulin would be at the dining hall for lunch, I followed Sally outside, where the rest of our group was waiting.

"Okay guys!" Sally said in a way-too-cheerful voice. "This is Alex! She finally made it!"

I stared at the group of girls sitting or standing around the back of the infirmary. Crutch Girl smiled at me and waved.

"I'm Rykel," the girl in the purple wheelchair said, smiling.

"I'm Selene," a smaller girl with very thick glasses, blonde hair in a ponytail and leaning on a cane said.

"We'll do proper introductions when we're not blocking the exit to the infirmary," Sally said. "Why don't we head back to the cabin and you guys can get your bed areas set up," Sally suggested. I liked that idea. It required not having to talk to anyone.

I let everyone go ahead of me, hoping to hang back and away from the gimps.

"Come on, Alex!" Sally called out cheerfully. Good god. I cannot handle a month of this. I have got to get out of here, which gave me an idea.

"Last one back, sleeps by the bathroom!" I called out and ran towards the cabin.

"Alex! Wait!" Sally called out. "We stay together as a group!"

I ignored her and kept going. The first rule had been broken. That had to count towards getting kicked out, right?

I kept running until I got to the cabin. I went inside and dumped my duffel bag on the bed closest to the door, effectively claiming it. I lay down on the bare mattress and kicked up my feet as I waited for the rest of the gimps to catch up. It was hot out, and I was sweaty. And shaky.

"You're an idiot," someone said, entering the cabin.

"Takes one to know one," I shot back. The girl rolled her eyes.

"You're on my bed," she said.

"I don't see your name on it," I said.

"Because you didn't look, idiot," she pointed above the bed. Sure enough, a nameplate was above the headboard. 'Caryn'. Of course. I couldn't see any reason she was here. She looked normal, like me.

I rolled my eyes and got off the bed. I grabbed my duffel off her bed and looked for the bed with my name over it.

It was beside the bathroom. No way. No fucking way.

The rest of the girls started making their way into the cabin.

Crutch Girl came down towards my bed. I was hoping she was just going to the bathroom. No such luck. She sat down on the bed beside mine.

"Nope," I said and went to the front to find Sally.

"Alex," she said as she approached the door just as I was about to push it open. She did. It has that annoying smile on her face, finally.

"I am not sleeping beside the bathroom and the gimpy girl."

Sally looked at me, took a deep breath and crossed her arms.

"Number one," she said, her jovial tone gone. "Stick with the group. That's not an suggestion. We travel as a group. We go to activities together. We have our meals together and we go for meds together. It's for your safety."

I crossed my arms.

"Number two," Sally's frown deepened. "We do not call each other names. We do not use derogatory terms like gimp or the R word. Everyone deserves respect. Am I clear?"

I rolled my eyes.

"And three, are you okay?"

I tried to roll my eyes again, but my vision was getting blurry and sweaty and shaky.

"Come on. Let's get inside and check your sugar," Sally said, concern in her voice.

She took my elbow and led me inside.

"Caryn, can Alex borrow your bed for a second? I think her sugar is going low, and I want to get her laying down fast," Sally said from the end of a really long tunnel.

"Unlike some people, I actually care. So yeah. Go ahead," Caryn said from the end of that same tunnel. The next thing I knew, I was lying down, and Sally was helping me drink a sweet drink.

"One more mouthful, Alex, and then we'll test you again," she said before letting me lie down again.

"Okay, guys, let's give Alex some space? Okay? We'll just get our own areas set up," Sally said.

I lay there staring at the ceiling. God, this sucks.