Learning to Dance in the Rain

Fight Song

Nathan POV

I can't take much more of this. Sang's recovery had gone slowly at the beginning but over the next few months, the cast came off and physical therapy started. Even though she was healing physically, I'm afraid for her mental state. I just want my smiling, happy, beautiful girl back. Not the shell she has become.

Every day she goes to physical therapy and pushes herself to the limit and sometimes past it. Besides physical therapy though she rarely does anything else besides sitting alone, reading, or staring into space trapped in memories that won't loosen their hold. The nightmares came back a couple of weeks after she came home from the hospital. We found out that one of us staying the whole night near her was the only way to keep them away completely. Since then we've been rotating out sleeping on the floor beside her bed.

We decided to call off the Ashley Waters mission. The Toma Team was more than happy to take it over for us. Family first and one of our own needed us. We would not let her down again.

I thought when she got the cast off she would feel better, happier, more hopeful but if anything it made it worse. She had to use crunches to get around and would get frustrated over the littlest thing. It only went downhill from there. She started to pull away from everyone even us. Nothing we did could reach her.

I just don't know what to do anymore. But today, hopefully this will all change. Today is the day we get to tell her that all of that hard work paid off. Today we get to tell her that she can dance again. She just went to what will be her last physical therapy session and is currently on the way back to my house with Doc. All of us are just sitting in my living room waiting. I hear the car outside and am practically bouncing in my seat with anticipation. I can tell my brothers feel the same. We just want our girl back.

"Cupcake, how did your physical therapy go?" Luke asks greeting her as she walks through the door, Doc not too far behind her.

"Good," she replies glancing around at all of us warily.

"Sang, we have something to tell you," Mr. B states. She nods before sitting down on the couch. We all settle back down.

"Well, Pookie, I've looked at all your tests and it is official. You are cleared for physical activity including dancing," Sean states cheerfully. I watch Peanut's face but it doesn't change at all.

"Okay," she replies getting up.

"Trouble, you want me to hook up the speaker?" Gabe asks. She shakes her head before heading towards the stairs. This is not the reaction any of us were expecting.

"Why not?" I ask stepping forward. She shrugs staring past me.

"Don't feel like it." I don't believe that for one second. I stare at her trying to figure it out. What is holding her back? Suddenly an emotion flashes in her eyes, and I get it. "Peanut, what are you afraid of?" She freezes before turning back to me. She drops the guard in her eyes and I instantly see the vulnerability hiding behind them.

"What if it's different?" she asks her voice no louder than a whisper. I step up in front of her placing my hand on her shoulder.

"What if it's better?" She gazes up at me and for a second I see that familiar spark that has been missing all these months. But soon it's gone again replaced by hesitation.

"Come on, Princess. Just one dance," Victor says leading her outside. We all stop in the backyard as Gabe sets up the speaker. He seems to know exactly what song to pick and starts it. Victor leaves her in the yard and heads back up to us on the porch. I just hope this works.