Chapter Fifteen; The Visit

     It took a few days to notice that Lucy wasn’t completely paralyzed. One day, they were sitting in the recovery room when Lucy pointed at a cup, she was thirsty. Her mother stood up and started clapping, a tear rolled down her face. Lucy could not speak, never again. At least she could point.

Doctors put her through weeks of therapy, each lesson harder than the last. At first, it was picking up a ball, in future lessons, she had to get on the floor and drag herself to the ball. Each time she touched the dull red ball, her mother would clap and a tear would roll down her cheek.

After a month in hospital, Lucy was allowed to go home. Lucy would clap and wail in excitement when she heard the news, and her mother would hug Lucy as they rolled her out the door. A special van came for Lucy with a lift on the side for her wheelchair. It took a long time for the lift to come down, scoop her up, and lift up again.

When she was in, a special seat belt kept her chair in place so she couldn’t roll away. When she got home, her father had built a special ramp so she could roll up the steps. She waved her arms in excitement as she got rolled up by her father.

Lucy thought of Ryan one day as she was wheeling around her house. Lucy went to her room and wailed to have her mom come in. She rushed to her room, and Lucy pointed at the salamander, and then the direction of Ryan’s house. It took her mom a while to figure out and she had a eureka moment as she said, ”Oh, you want to go to Ryan’s house?” She asked.

Lucy nodded and smiled as they wheeled her up the road to Ryan’s house. When they got there, Lucy tried to stay as controlled as possible. No wailing, kicking, or waving her arms around. The person who opened the door was Ryan’s mom. She smiled and hugged Lucy and her mom, “Oh my goodness! You are a strong child.” She said as she lifted Lucy above the door stop.

She was rolled to the T.V. room where Ryan sat and played video games. The volume was loud and Ryan could barely hear Lucy’s wails and cries. His mother walked over and turned of the T.V. , “Hey! I was playing that!” he exclaimed. He heard a shriek and looked over and saw Lucy with her head sideways in the wheelchair. A drop of drool coming out her her mouth disturbed Ryan and he felt sick.

But before he could say anything the parents walked out and closed the door. Ryan groaned and turned the T.V. back on. Lucy didn’t want to wail so she just sat there, watching him play. After a while, she rolled over to him and stretched her arms out. Ryan saw her and kicked her back to where she started, “Get lost wheelie,” she said sternly.

Lucy began to wail, and flail her arms around. He put on his headphones to block out the sound. Her mother heard the sound and went to the room to see if she was ok. She opened the door and saw Lucy in the corner leaning on the wall crying. She rushed past Ryan and grabbed Lucy and took her out the door, but before she did she grabbed Ryan’s controller, and threw it at the T.V.

Ryan took off his headphones and shoved her onto the ground. His mother came to see what the noise was about and saw Lucy halfway out the door, the mother laying on the ground, and the shattered T.V. She ran to her computer to check the security cameras and see what happened.

After reviewing the footage, she rolled Lucy out the door, and shoved her mother out too. “I will shatter your life like you shattered out T.V.!!” she cried. She locked the door, and went to the T.V. room. Ryan held the controller in his hands, and looked at the T.V. with drippy eyes. He had payed for it himself with all the chore money he saved up.

And it had no warranty. His mother held him tight and told him everything was ok. He didn’t sleep that night, all that money was now wasted. Every breath taking chore came back to him as the thought about the T.V. He thought that it was his fault because he made Lucy upset, but the mother reacted poorly and should have handled it in a nicer way. He didn’t know who to blame. He just didn’t know.