Taylor Swift and Tree Paine Oneshots

Rehab (different version) part 3

As we rolled through the hallway, Tree walked in silence next to me, her arms crossed, face tight with concern. The cafeteria was still a few minutes away, but I could feel her eyes flicking down at my legs every so often, as if she was trying to make sense of it all. I knew this conversation wasn't over—far from it.

"So, how bad is it?" she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I glanced at her, biting the inside of my cheek. I wasn't sure how to say it in a way that would make it less painful for her to hear. But there wasn't really a good way, was there?

"Less than one percent," I said softly, my eyes falling back down to the floor.

"What?" Tree asked, not quite understanding.

"The chance of me ever walking again," I clarified, forcing a small smile. "It's less than one percent. Well, technically it's 0.01%, which... sounds about as impossible as it gets."

Tree's face paled. She stopped walking for a second, her mouth opening but no words coming out. Then, after a beat, she caught up to me, shaking her head as if trying to process it. "0.01%?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Basically, there's no chance. The damage is... well, the spinal cord is too far gone. But hey, I've always liked beating the odds, right?" I tried to inject a bit of humor into it, but it barely landed.

Tree looked at me, her brow furrowed with concern, guilt, and something that felt a lot like sadness. "Taylor..." she started, but I quickly cut her off.

"Tree, don't. It's okay. Really. I've already had time to process it, and you know what? I'm at peace with it." I met her gaze, trying to reassure her. "I mean, it sucks—there's no denying that. But... it's not the end of the world. I'm still here. I still get to perform, write music, and... I still get to live. That's more than I could've asked for after the accident."

She ran a hand through her hair, her fingers shaking slightly. "I just... I can't believe you went through all of this alone. I should've been there for you."

I sighed, knowing she'd take it hard. "You couldn't have known, Tree. And honestly, I needed the space to deal with it. If I had told you right away, you would've dropped everything, come running, and hovered over me like a mother hen." I smiled at her, hoping she'd see the truth in what I was saying. "I love you for that, but I had to figure out how to be okay with this on my own. Now, I'm ready for the next chapter."

Tree shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes again. "I just... I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe you've been going through this."

I reached out again, taking her hand in mine. "Hey, it's okay. Really. I'm still me, Tree. Just... with a couple of extra wheels and some fancy new art on my casts," I said, glancing down at the Van Gogh masterpiece on my legs. "And look at this arm," I added, lifting my heavily casted arm, the one Travis had painted with Chiefs colors. "I mean, who else can say they've got a work of art plastered on them while they heal?"

Tree let out a shaky laugh, her tears breaking through despite her best efforts. "Leave it to you to make this a joke," she said, smiling sadly.

"Well, what's the alternative? Crying about it? I've done enough of that already. Now, I've got to focus on what comes next."

Tree nodded, her eyes still brimming with emotion. "You're incredible, you know that?"

I shrugged. "Nah, I just refuse to let this take away my joy."

The nurse pushed us into the cafeteria, and I glanced around the room—people were already staring, as usual. Whispers followed me wherever I went, and I could feel the weight of their eyes. But I was getting used to it, slowly but surely.

"So, what's the next step?" Tree asked, finally settling into the reality of it all.

I smiled. "The next step is breakfast. Then... I'm gonna tackle the rest of rehab, finish healing, and figure out how to get back on stage. I might not be dancing the way I used to, but I'll be performing again, Tree. And when I do... it's gonna be one hell of a comeback."

Tree's smile widened, a flicker of hope returning to her face. "I believe you."

"Good," I said, nodding confidently. "Because I believe me too."

Even with the odds stacked against me, that tiny, impossible 0.01% chance... didn't seem so impossible after all. Not if I had anything to say about it.