The Leap [✔]

Chapter Twenty-two

One foot in front of the other. It should be easy.

"You can do it," Mara, the physical therapist says, urging me to continue.

I take another tiny step forward, grasping the steel bars on either side of me tightly.

I shake my head. "No, I can't," I say, out of breath.

Mara comes up behind me with a wheel chair, helping me sit.

"You did good today Emma," she says, smiling and pushes a blue strand of hair behind her ear. Mara is my favourite doctor here. She light hearted, but determined to push me.

I roll my eyes, scoffing. "I can barely walk a few steps."

"And before you know it, you'll be running," she says, stepping behind the wheelchair and begins to push me down the hall. We make twists and turns, passing by doctors and nurses that greet Mara.

"Are you allowed to do that?" I ask as we stop at an elevator and Mara presses the up arrow.

"Allowed to do what?"

"Give false hope," I say. Mara backs me into the elevator before pushing the floor my room is at.

She sighs, the door closing. "A positive attitude can go a long way," she says.

We are silent for the ride and the doors open, Mara pushing me out. We travel down the hall, and a few nurses smile at me. They're nice, most of them at least. Some of them seem to have a stick up their ass but I guess dealing with patients like me, who are sarcastic and disengaged from the world, can't be easy.

We turn down the final hallway to my room. Waiting outside is Jude, Austin, and Andrea.

Andrea smiles, striding towards me. "Emma!"

I've only seen my best friend a few times since the incident, my mind groggy.

She leans down, hugging me.

I smile. "Its great to see you."

"What are we, chopped liver?"

Austin and Jude come up behind Andrea.

"This is the first time I've seen Emma smile all day," Mara says, walking to stand beside Jude, her eyes on me.

"I'm sorry I'm not a rolling ball of sunshine and rainbows, with magical unicorns floating around me and sparkles spouting out my finger tips," I say, huffing.

Jude chuckles, shaking his head. "Come on, let's go to lunch."

"I can't walk," I say, rolling my eyes.

"Last time I checked, you ate with your hands, not your feet," Austin says, speaking up. Andrea nudges him in the ribs.

"Dr. Graham has approved for a day out Emma. It'll be good for you," she says. "Plus, you'll be going home in a few days, so this will be a test run of how your body handles exposure to outside the hospital."

Mara wheels me into my room, Jude, Austin, and Andrea right behind us.

"What if something happens?" I ask, sighing.

"I'll be going with you," Mara says, smiling.

I nod, my eyes catching on my brother. His eyes are on Mara, checking her out as she turns her back to us and fills out a chart.

I groan mentally and kick out my good foot, nailing him in the shin. He sucks in his breath, turning to glare. Andrea and Austin snivel in a laugh.