Line of Time

Making a Call

Chase walked back over to the table and picked up his coffee and was reminded why he had moved out at sixteen in the first place... But again he tried to forget and remember all the good things that had happened since then. He finished his coffee and after he put his mug away he saw Tino coming back into the kitchen. 

"You okay, bud?" He asked as Tino nodded and gave a small smile. Chase gave him a look and then went into his room and returned a few minutes later with an old football in his hands and placed it in front of his son. Tino looked at it for a minute before looking up at his dad. 

"I promise I'll teach you how to play, but on one condition." Chase said as Tino waited with his all his attention on his dad. 

"Before I teach you, I want you to do what you did last night." He said as Tino's face lite up.

"I get to walk again?" Tino said with a beaming smile, his dad nodded.

"We're going to at least try and make that work and if not, I'll still teach you how to throw a ball." Chase said as Tino put his arms out, wanting a hug, Chase then bent down and did so. 

"You're the best Dad ever." Tino told him. 

"I'm just doing my best." Chase said as he let him go. 

"When can we start?" Tino asked as Chase saw his excitement and smiled as he scooped him up in his arms. 

"Well, your dressed, fed and you brushed your teeth, right?" Chase asked as Tino gave him a toothy smile. Chase gave him a chuckle and then walked out the door and down the stairs. The boys were chasing each other around when they saw them come down the stairs. They yelled hellos and waved as they smiled over at them. They were surprised to see that Chase hadn't put Tino in his chair like he normally did. 

"Hey Chase, it's over there." One of them said as they pointed. 

"We know, we're trying something new." Tino said as his Dad put him down on his feet and his friends watched as Chase stepped away and they saw Tino sway back and forth on his feet, trying to keep balance. They watched in awe as they saw him walk forwards, his steps shaky and arms out in case he fell. Which he did but Chase grabbed his hands and brought him back up. Tino looked at him as he held onto his hands as Chase backed away. Tino looked at his feet as he moved his legs forwards. After a few steps, beads of sweat formed on his forehead. His friends seeing this ran up to him. 

"You can do it Tino." Lukas told him. 

"Come on." Mathias cheered. 

His friends cheered until he was a good five feet away from where he started. That was when he stopped and his eyes shut, Chase picked him up and he smiled as Tino put his head on his shoulder, he was catching his breath and seeing this. Mathias and Berwald ran over to get his chair and brought it up to them with wide smiles. 

"Thanks guys." Chase said as he put Tino down. His breathing was patchy and his cheeks were red.

"Thank . . . you." Tino said with a gasp for air. 

"No problem, that's what friends do." Mathias said with a smile as he then grabbed the handles on his chair and started running around. 

"Race car!" Lukas yelled as they all joined in and ran along side them and made noises of screeching tires and running engines as they went around the area. Chase smiled at them and then went back upstairs, he knew that they would look out for each other, he trusted them. 

When he got back into their apartment he made a call, he called Tino's doctor and told him about what Tino had done, his doctor was amazed and they discussed it for a long time until the doctor suggested physical therapy for him. After a while of explaining what it was to Chase and he realized that it was what they had done outside, only safer for Tino. He agreed to bring him to a appointment during the week.