All for You.

Chapter 24 - Home

Chapter 24 - Home

— Tris

I always find myself staring at the flight of stairs that lead to the second floor of the apartment.

I don't stare at them in longing, as if I yearn to see what is upstairs for I cannot climb the stairs. I find myself staring at them like one stares at an enemy.

Images of crawling up those cement stairs only to be knocked down them once reaching the top flood my mind.

I still vividly feel my limbs smacking the hard surfaces as I tumble.

"Hey," Caleb breaks my thoughts. "You ready to go?" He rests his hand on my shoulder, making me jolt lightly.

"Yeah, just let me get my other crutch," I slowly hobble on one and a half legs and a single crutch over to the kitchen table.

"I could help you upstairs, if you were ever interested in checking out what's up there," he offers.

"No thanks, that's alright. I'm perfectly happy on a single floor."

"I get it," he replies, and it's all he needs to say.

He knows what I've been through.

The walk to physical therapy gets easier and easier. I make my way around much faster with my balance growing stronger.

"How are you doing today, Tris?" Molly asks, helping me up on the table.

"Alright."

She goes through a range of motion exercises with her holding my foot and me resisting her hand to stretch the muscles in my calf.

"Let me see you stand on your right leg," she puts her hands out, offering me help off the table. I take both her hands knowing that my balance is alright, but not great enough to jump down from a table on my own.

I stand next to a red mat on the floor, no objects around me, and stand on my right leg without my crutches. I feel myself shaking lightly, but not enough to knock me over like it would have a month ago.

"Slowly put down your left leg. Keep your right leg sturdy though. Only add the amount of weight you can bare to your left."

I panic.
The feeling starts in my chest as my heart races.

"You're alright, I'm right here."

I feel like I'm moving in slow motion.

But I do it.

I've never been more proud of myself.

+ + +

"Sometimes determination is the biggest attribute to healing."

I'm doing laps around the physical therapy facility, walking, with two feet and two crutches, and not falling over or crying out in pain.

"It's crazy to think that a month ago, you were just barely standing on one and a half legs. Now you're practically mobile!" Molly seems as excited as I am.

Maybe she doubted me as much as I doubted me...

It's been a long almost four months. It's December now, and the cold bothers the nerve damage in my leg.

However, the pain isn't stopping me now.

I want to go home.