Team8s and Counting

123. I Want Wheels Too!

Dimey was developing quite nicely into a typical toddler; energetic, sometimes fussy, but as cute as a button. However, another trait of Dimey's was slowly beginning to form, that being none other than curiosity.

Dimey touched about everything he could get his hands on, whether that was a building block, crayons, or even the occasional crumbs of food that lay around the floor, which had his parents keeping their eyes and ears on the little guy more than ever.

But there was one thing that Dimey's curious mind could never steer away from, that being none other than Thread's wheelchair.

Every time his sister passed by, Dimey would always put his hands on the wheelchair, and Thread would have to be on high alert so as to not run him over by accident. Even when watching Thread from afar, he would marvel at the way it worked: the two giant wheels, moving in unison, pushing his sister around the house.

Being the curious toddler he was, Dimey could only have one thought on his mind: why did Thread have a wheelchair and he didn't?

One morning, after breakfast, Dimey toddled over to the living room where Thread was sitting in her wheelchair, drawing a picture at the coffee table. He watched her closely, his big eyes following the movements of her hands and the wheels of her chair. The sight fascinated him, and before long, he made his way over to her.

"Wheels," Dimey said, pointing at the wheelchair with a look of wonder.

Thread glanced down at her little brother and smiled. "Yep, these are my wheels, Dimey. They help me move around."

Pin, Coiny, and Needle, who were watching Dimey move around, were fascinated at his use of a new word. "I guess he must hear us say it all the time," Coiny suggested.

Then, Dimey only started to become more fascinated with the two giant wheels that his sister had, "I want wheels too!"

Thread chuckled at Dimey's innocent understanding, "You don't need wheels, Dimey. You have big strong legs that you can use to walk!"

Dimey, however, didn't like that answer. He frowned, his little face scrunching up in determination. "No, I want wheels! Like you!" He pointed at Thread's wheelchair again, his tiny finger shaking with insistence.

Thread could see that Dimey wasn't just asking out of curiosity anymore—he genuinely wanted to understand why he didn't have what she had. She knew this was a big moment for him, a moment when he would start to learn about the differences in the world around him.

"DIMEY!" Thread shouted at her little brother, "You don't need wheels! My legs don't work like yours do!"

"NO!" Dimey shouted back.

The two siblings continued to bicker with each other, while their parents were slowly witnessing the situation escalate. "Oh wonderful!" Needle said sarcastically. "Now what are we supposed to tell him?"

Pin went over to the scene, scooping up Dimey from the ground. "Dimey, I think you need to take a step back."

"NO!" He said squirming in his mothers arms. Thread, meanwhile, wheeled away from the situation, not wanting to escalate things further with her brother.

"Dimey!" Needle said sternly, "You should be thankful that you have legs that do the work of Thread's wheels. It is not easy for her!"

Coiny grabbed Needle's hand firmly, "Let's calm down, yelling at him won't make anything better."

Pin tried to reason more with Dimey, "Thread needs her wheels to move around. She can't get her legs to move like yours do."

"But why don't they work?" Dimey asked, his stone starting to calm down.

All three of his parents sighed, the memories of, well, that day, coming back to them all at once. They knew Dimey wasn't old enough to hear of what happened at the trampoline park yet.

Pin knelt down to Dimey's level, holding him close. "Dimey, sometimes things happen that we can't control. Thread's legs don't work the same way yours do because of, well...something that happened a long time ago. But it doesn't change how strong and amazing she is!"

Needle nodded, "She used to be able to use her legs just like you can, but now, she had to find a different way to be able to do the things she loves."

Dimey blinked, absorbing the information in his own toddler way. "But she's okay, right?" he asked, his voice small and unsure.

Pin smiled gently, brushing a strand of hair away from Dimey's face. "Yes, she's okay. And she's happy. She has her wheels, and we all help her out when we need to."

"But why can't I move around with wheels to?" Dimey asked, still not understanding the concept of a wheelchair.

Coiny tried his best to get him to understand, "Because...her wheels are very. It takes a lot for her to move around.

"Because... her wheels are very special," Coiny continued, choosing his words carefully. "They're not like the wheels on a toy. They're made to help Thread do everything she loves to do. But you don't need those wheels because your legs can already do all of that for you."

Dimey's frown deepened as he tried to wrap his mind around the idea. "But if I had wheels, I could go faster," he insisted.

Needle crouched down next to Pin, her voice gentle as she joined the conversation. "Dimey, your legs are perfect just the way they are. They help you run, jump, and play. Thread's wheels are her way of doing all those things."

Dimey looked from one parent to the other, his stubborn determination fading into a thoughtful silence. "So... I don't need wheels?"

Pin hugged him a little tighter. "No, sweetheart. You don't need wheels because you have your strong legs. And Thread uses her wheels because her legs aren't as strong as yours."

Just as the tensions in the room were starting to ease, Thread wheeled back into the living room, seeing if her brother had calmed down.

Coiny knelt down next to Dimey, nudging him towards her, "Now, go apologize to your sister."

Slowly, Dimey walked over to his sister, his steps small but determined. When he reached her, he looked up at Thread with wide eyes, his tiny hands fidgeting at his sides.

"Thread..." Dimey began, his voice soft and uncertain. "I'm sorry"

Thread's heart swelled with affection for her little brother. She reached down and gently took his hand in hers. "It's okay, Dimey," she said warmly. "I know you were just curious. And I'm sorry for yelling at you."

Thread pulled Dimey in for a hug, making their parents nearly cry. Coiny whispered to Pin and Needle, "I'm so glad he understands her better now, you know."

Pin nodded, "I know we're gonna have to tell him more of the story eventually...but let's just enjoy this peace between them for now."

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It was like 50-50 whether I was gonna be able to get this chapter out on time, since lighting struck something that messed with the WiFi, but hoary for the two bars of service that allowed me to use my hot spot! Looks like Dimey is starting to understand more of the world around him, so that's going to be fun for the throuple! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and get ready for the final chapter before I go on break!

- Sunny