Fire (From Crutchie to Wheels Sequel)

The Couch

(Just to clarify, Brit was sick, not Blink. I don't know why it wouldnt fix it.)

The boys just stood in shock, staring as water was being poured onto the house.

"There's no possible way Brit could have survived a fire like that," Romeo said.

Timmy was standing, crying into Specs's side. Brit didn't have many connections to the boys, but he was part of their family for 2 months. Though he did get pretty close to Crutchie.

Something inside of Crutchie wouldn't let him believe that Brit had been in there.

Once the fire was out, the boys started to inspect the rubble. Crutchie was the first to go in. He had Specs watch Jack. Crutchie walked into the charred building he used to call home. He looked around, being careful to watch his step. There was still a frame of a second story, but not much more than that.

Everything was just ashes. Crutchie walked over to where the couch used to be. All that was left was a giant pile of rubble and a few nails and dust specs.

He remembered how the day before, they had done the race. How that couch was the one he was all to familiar with. It had been blood stained from all the times the Delanceys would beat one of the boys and they were laid on the couch and treated. Crutchie remembered all the times the Delanceys beat the boys so hard that they were never the same. Like Les. Before they both got locked up in the alley, Les was a very hyper and talkative little boy. But ever since that, Les had acted like he was almost scared of the world. Like he was just done being a kid. Guess thats why he killed himself. He was just done.

The thought of Les made Crutchie teary eyed. He stumbled away from the used-to-be couch. As he backed up, he bumped into the frame of the house. It shook. A part of the second floor became loose and fell right in front of him. A huge pile of wood and nails trapped him in the corner of the lodge. He tried to just step over it but he couldnt get a good enough footing to go all the way.

"Uhm, g-guys! I'm k-kinda stuck!" Crutchie screamed.

"Oh thank God it didn't fall on you!" Jack screamed running in.

"J-jack! You're awake!"

"Yeah. You've gotta catch me up on what happened with Oscar earlier. First I'm sassing him, then next thing I know I'm sitting in a box with Romeo poking me with a stick. I already know about the fire and all. Let's get you out of there."

"Please d-don't carry me, J-jack."

"How else am I supposed to get you out of there?"

"I d-don't know. M-move all of the w-wood?"

"Yeah, because I'm really about to move 30 wooden logs that probably weigh a ton. Just let me carry you."

"J-jack, you know I d-don't like this. I'm n-not hurt. You know the only t-time anyone can c-carry me is w-when I'm hurt or asleep."

"Well, Crutch, it's either I carry you for 5 feet, or you stay stuck. I know you hate it but everyones gotta do things we don't like every once in a while."

"It's not j-just d-doing something I d-don't like. It m-makes me feel w-weak. I know I'm d-disabled, but I d-don't need p-people shoving it in my f-face all the t-time."

"Crutchie, are you feeling ok?"

"P-people who are w-weak get hurt. I d-don't like g-getting hurt. But I g-get hurt every day. I d-don't mean g-getting hurt like my c-crutch bruising my armpit, or m-my hips hurting all the t-time from uneven p-pressure. I m-mean hurt as in I'm t-tired of being v-viewed as an object you n-need to p-pity all the t-time. I'm not j-just my d-disability. I'm a p-person. And you c-carrying me m-makes me feel l-like less than a p-person. That stupid wheelchair m-made me feel l-like less than a p-person. M-most of the t-time it's t-totally fine to j-joke about it. B-but sometimes I d-don't even w-wanna think about it. "

"Crutch..."

"You know w-why Les k-killed himself? B-because he was p-paralyzed. He c-couldn't stand the thought of being d-disabled so he thought the b-best thing w-would be to k-kill himself. Look, the r-race y-yesterday was f-fun. It d-didn't make m-me feel like I was g-getting hurt. We were all laughing. But at this moment, I'm not. "

"I won't carry you."

"Thank y-you."

"You can hold onto my shoulder and I won't do anything else besides stand there. Just so you know Crutch, this is why the Doc gave you a brace. So if you were ever stuck you could take a few steps on your own."

Jack did as he said he would and Crutchie managed to get over the nails and broken wood by heavily relying on Jack's shoulder.

"W-we don't ever s-speak of this again."

"Ok. Lets go back to the guys. I'm sure they're worried about you. They thought you got crushed by the wood."

They silently walked back to the guys. The guys gave Crutchie lots of hugs.

He got to Timmy. "You look like you've been crying. Did you get hurt in there?"

Such a young oblivious boy.

"N-nah my shoulder's acting up a b-bit. Hurts a lot t-today. If you ever hurt y-your shoulder, t-try to m-make it the one that you d-don't crutch w-with."

"Ok. I'm glad you're ok."

I wish I was ok. "Yeah, m-me, too."