All for You.

Chapter 10 - I Know

Chapter 10 - I Know

— Tobias

She tosses the large, red balloon to me and I shift closer to her, the balloon barely making it five feet in front of her.

"Are you ready?" I ask her, and she nods slightly. I toss the balloon lightly, and her arms fly up, blocking the balloon with her forearms. It falls into her lap and she picks it up, tossing it back.

'

Two days later she lies in the bed, tossing the same red balloon back to him.

"Are you ready?" He asks. "Yes," she replies somewhat clearly.

He tosses the red balloon with a little more effort than before; it doesn't float as high before reaching her. She jumps, smacking the balloon as she flails her arms in panic.

"It's okay," he rushes up to her from where he was standing at the foot of her bed. "It's just a balloon. I'm sorry. You're okay." He strokes her hand and her eyes meet his as if she was trying to show her sorrow through eye contact.

'

"Try catching it with your hands." Julie says, standing in the doorway. The red balloon is beginning to get smaller on its own two weeks after is birth, and there's lots of dust stuck to it from static electricity.

Tris tosses the balloon back to me. Her strength is growing, and she makes it right to me about a foot behind the foot of her bed.

"Are you ready?" I ask her and she nods with slight ambition.

I toss the balloon high, giving her enough time to see it float down to her. She holds her arms up, her eyes not leaving the balloon. All seems well until the balloon is inches away from her, when she flinches away and screeches, the balloon falling to the floor.

"Start closer to her, then work up distance." Julie says, looking to me. Her eyes move to Tris. "The balloon won't hurt you. Work on catching it with your hands. It's just a balloon." She says in a calm voice, like she's caressing a child.

It makes me sick.

'

She sits in a chair by her window in the commonplace of Rehab. The red balloon retired, and a new, medium sized orange balloon took its place in our games of catch.

He started off by simply handing her the balloon. Then he tossed it a few inches repetitively until she caught it. Then he stood a foot away and tossed it gently until she was able to catch it without panicking and blocking it.

Progress can go forwards, but it also can go backwards.

'

He came back the next day expecting things not to change, and that she would be able to catch the balloon when he tossed it from a few feet away.

They decided that day was a good day for their game to take a rest.

'

— Third Person

The difference between Tobias and Christina was that Tobias always remembered to ask her if she was ready for the toss.

Christina, not seeing her best friend in a matter of many months, talked on and on, tossing the balloon gently, but giving Tris no warning.

It threw her at first, blocking the ball, then catching it, or ducking out of the way and having Christina retrieve it.

She took note of her mannerisms; how she always inhaled before she tossed, stopping mid-sentence to toss the balloon, then continuing on what story she was telling.

Tris loved having her friend back.

Both had missed the other dearly.

'

One month after the games of catch had started, Tris stood, holding the windowsill greatly for support, catching the green balloon that was tossed in her direction.

She struggled catching with one hand, along with maintaining her balance.

It was a big step; both standing and catching.

It was the step she was ready for.

'

The balloon was traded in for a large, soft ball. It was red, and it felt like a large cotton ball.

Progress hit a plateau; the idea of an object with an actual shape being tossed at her unbearable.

Tobias hated it.

He hated tossing an object at her that made her freak out.

He hated that he was the one to cause her that pain.

He wished he could help her understand what would and wouldn't hurt her.

'

Slowly, he walked alongside her as she used crutches to make her way down the hall to her window.

She felt like an imprisoned animal, where the only way she could escape was to get better.

She wanted to get out, but the rate of success she was gaining at gave her fear, for she was suddenly walking on one foot and able to go anywhere in the rehab center on her walks with crutches.

The nurses placed a chair by Tris's window especially for her now that she was no longer in a wheelchair. She slowly made her way over, placing each crutch with caution before swinging her right leg in front of her.

She plopped into the cream colored chair, jumping as her one crutch crashed to the ground.

The soft red ball still frightened her, but things were getting easier.

'

Another two weeks went by and it was nearing June. The inside of the hospital was freezing, but it was brutally warm outside.

Tris decided to no longer play catch with Christina when she came to visit.

She was too easily distracted.

Tobias tossed a rubber, partially deflated bright purple ball to Tris from just a foot away and she caught it, jumping in shock from her accomplishment.

She tossed it back, and was able to catch it again before dropping it on the next toss.

Discouragement floods her face as she looks at the purple ball. It slowly rolls itself under the bed until it's no longer visible to her.

"Hey," Tobias lifts her chin lightly so her eyes meet his. She's insistent as her discouragement floods over to him through her eye-contact. "You're doing great. Three months ago, you flipped out on a balloon. Look at you now."

"Flipping out over a rubber ball. Yeah, I understand the encouragement." She remarks.

"I love you, you know." He presses his forehead to hers, their noses slipping past the other's.

"I know." She closes her eyes, leaning into him.