The one that almost got away

Chapter 16 Kendall

I lay in my bed staring at the ceiling, tonight has been the best I have felt since before the crash. Lincoln made me feel alive again, and it made me unhappy when he had to leave after the movie. He couldn't stay for dinner, because he had homework. He told me he would come by after school tomorrow.
A smile grows on my lips, I had something to look forward to for the first time in a month. I was happy for the first time in a month.
I think back to when Lincoln told me that we could get me walking again, then it had sounded so ludicrous and impossible. But now I was clinging on to the hope that he could be right. I reach over to my night stand, flipping on my lamp. I take my blankets off, and stare at my scarred, paralyzed legs.
I hated them, they were useless to me like this. How could I be so stupid? I was never going to walk again, I was going to be stuck in my wheel chair for the rest of my life.
Hot tears slip from my eyes, and run down my cheeks. I swipe them away before they could fall to my bed. How could I accept who I am now? Eventually everyone is going to leave me, my mom, my dad... Lincoln, my whole family couldn't take care of me forever.
  I lay back down, turning off my light. Silently I weep, I was nothing anymore.
...
"Kendall!" Muffled calls come from behind my closed door. "Kendall, Lincoln is hear!" My moms voice sounds closer now.
    I look over to my alarm clock, it read 3:00 P.M and I had no interest in getting out of bed. Turning toward my wall, I sigh heavily into my pillow. My doomed future started as soon as that car had hit me. The only thing now was I had to explain to Lincoln that his idea was hopeless.
  My door slams open "Kendall, can you not hear me?" My moms voice ends with and irritated note.
"I don't really care," I mumble not caring enough to turn around to face her.
"Well you should have the respect to care," my mom pauses, entering my room she stands in front of my bed. "It's 3:00 in the afternoon, you have to get up."
  "Make me," I burn with anger, my mom was never going to understand.
"That is no way to..." Mom sighs " I'll send Lincoln up," and with that she leaves my room, not another word coming from her mouth.
A minute later I hear the faint footsteps of Lincoln as he comes into my room. He pulls up the chair that has found a permanent home in my room, just for Lincoln. He sits down, and lays a hand on my shoulder. I shrug it off, and scoot away.
"Ken, what's wrong?" Lincoln's voice is concerned, he sighs when I don't answer right away. " Kendall, please tell me what's going through your mind."
"I'm never going to walk again," my voice comes out as a whisper, I hold my breath waiting for his answer.
"That's nonsense Ken, I told you we can get you walking with--"
I sit up rapidly cutting Lincoln off, " Lincoln! Face it! I'm paralyzed for the rest of my life, there's nothing you can do to change it. I'm crippled."  Lincoln scoots back, startled by my sudden outburst.
" Kendall, I believe that you can walk again." He looks down at his hands that are fidgeting restlessly in his lap. " I have seen it before.." He pauses, and looks at me. I look away hoping to hide the surprised look on my face. " I have seen it before Kendall, it's possible my dad was paralyzed, the doctors told him he would never be able to walk again... But he does he walks, he worked every day with my mom to get himself walking again. And he does."
I look at Lincoln who was now looking at me, with tears in his eyes, he wipes them away. Scooting closer, he hesitantly takes my hands and brings them to his mouth kissing them gently.
"You're the strongest person I know, you can walk again Kendall. Show those doctors they are wrong. Show people that you aren't the mess that you think you are. Be the person you are on the field Kendall. Be unpredictable..."
  Be unpredictable...
  Those two words rung in my head, echoing like I had screamed them into a cave. Those two words woke something up inside of me, that I had forgotten had ever been there. Faith.
I look at Lincoln and nod, he's smiles and kisses me on the cheek.
"Let's get started then." He gets to his feet and brings my wheel chair over to my bed, "Today  is the day that marks the start of a long and difficult journey. It's not going to be easy" Lincoln pauses and lifts me into my chair. "It's going to be difficult, and it's going to hurt. But we will get you there," I look up at Lincoln, plastering a fake smile on my face. This was going to be the the hardest thing in my life. But I would not want to overcome it with anyone else.
...
"Okay, so first things first... We have to revive the nerves. You know, umm get the feeling back into you legs. Then from there we will teach you how to walk again." Lincoln taps his chin, something I have noticed that he does a lot when he thinks.
"So how are we going to start?" My voice shakes with nervous energy.
" I'm going to bend and move your legs for an hour every day. And then give you a massage where your back broke. Hopefully that will do it." He smiles, and sits down patting the floor.
   I sigh, and slide out of my chair to sit next to him. "Okay, now lay down." He says
I do as he says taking a deep breath as he touches my legs, I expect to feel his warm touch. But I don't, and I'm disappointed.
"Ready?"
I nod, watching as he lifts my leg and begins to bend it. Once again I think there will be pain, or even stiffness. But there is nothing.
He bends it over and over again, as if I'm riding a bike. And after about thirty minutes he moves on the my other leg. Doing the same thing in a pattern. All the while we chat, about non-related things. His school day, how I slept, what he ate for lunch. It was great talking about other things. I felt good, and I wouldn't mind this everyday.