I'd Live For You, If Only I Could (Completed)

Twenty-One

After badgering and begging and convincing my doctors for nearly an hour and a half, Scott and my mom - my dad is still out of town 'on business' - get clearance to take me out of the hospital and take me wherever they want for a day. Scott pushes my wheelchair down the hall, beaming. I keep looking between his smiling face and the ring on my hand.

"I love you." I whisper, smiling up at him. He looks down, bending over to kiss me upside down before continuing to wheel me down the hall.

"I love you, too. You have your gloves, right?" I hold my hands up to show him, nodding. "And your hat. I see that. You have your coat, and a sweater under it, right?"

"I have everything, I promise. It's not even that cold out."

"It's 10 degrees outside, and snowing. It's kinda cold out." I nod in agreement and smile when my mom comes into view at the end of the hall, waiting by the front doors. My heart races just at the thought of leaving the hospital for the first time in months.

****

I fall asleep in the backseat with Scott while my mom drives us to wherever we're going, only waking up when she shakes me lightly to tell me that we're here. I crack my eyes open and see a big building I don't recognize outside the window.

"Where are we?" I ask groggily, sitting up with help from Scott while my mom gets out my wheelchair from the back and opens it for me.

"We, my dear, are here to see Fiddler on the Roof. I've heard really good things about this theater company. They're supposed to do amazing shows."

"I love the music." I mumble, still trying  to wake up. A minute later, my mom is wheeling me through the parking lot while Scott holds my hand. Once we are inside, Scott takes over and pushes me into the theater, leaving my mom to hand over the tickets. We get to a spot with a number on the floor between two seats. Scott sits in one of the seats next to the number, where I go with my wheelchair, and tells me that the one on my other side is for my mom.

"It's going to start pretty soon. Can you see okay, babe?" he asks, lifting up the armrest on his seat to put his head on my shoulder.

"Mhm. Really well, we're in the third row. How could I not see?" He gives me a one shoulder shrug, nuzzling up to me a little more. "You comfortable, Mr. Teddy Bear?"

"Oh, sorry, am I making you uncomfortable? I'm sorry, honey." He starts to sit up, but I grab his sleeve and pull him back to where he was.

"I don't want you to move. The closer the better." I lean over to kiss him and he settles back against me. A few minutes later, my mom comes in and sits on my other side.

"You can see, right?" she asks, looking over at me to verify that I have a clear line of view to the stage.

"Yes, I can see from the third row. Honestly, do you guys think I'm blind?" I say with a laugh, nudging my mom lightly and smiling as she nudges back. "Hey, Mom?" I lower my voice so that Scott will hopefully not hear the conversation.

"What's up, sweetheart?"

"It's about D-"

"Ooh, it's about to start!" Scott squeals quietly, putting his hand on my leg to get my attention.

"Remind me after, okay? I'll answer your question then." my mom says, turning from me toward the stage as the lights dim.

****

By the time we come out of the theater, my ears are ringing from how loud the music was in the pit, being as close as we were, and I can barely keep my eyes open. Scott has to lift me into the car before he can collapse the wheelchair and put it in the back.

"Did that tire you out?" he asks once he is sitting beside me, drawing little shapes in the fog of the window the way I used to when I was little. I nod instead of answering out loud. "Are you up for going to see the city all decorated for Christmas? It is Christmas Eve, we thought we would try to make it nice and memorable." He takes me hand, rubbing a circle with his thumb.

"Why, because it might be my last?" I ask, looking away but letting Scott keep my hand.

"Honestly, yes. I don't want to think that it will be, but it could be. Everyone here knows that. I just want it to be as amazing as possible. If you're up to it, we thought we'd pick up Kirstie tonight and drive through the suburbs to see all the houses lit up and then grab dinner, maybe takeout, and you and I can go watch a movie in your room or something." I debate for a few seconds, trying to decide if I have enough energy to even keep myself awake, let alone spend the rest of the day out looking at Christmas decorations. Finally, I nod.

"I'd love to do all that. Thank you."

****