Learning to Walk, a City Hospital Novel Read Free

the finer points of accessibility.”
    “I’ll meet you at the front door, then.” Neil sounded so fucking cheerful.
    “Great.” Kit hung up and decided he didn’t care if he sounded resigned. He was, after all, just getting through each day as it presented itself to him. At least his morning pills were starting to kick in.
    He looked around the kitchen, made sure the oven was off, and wheeled himself over to the door at an angle. There was just enough room at the end of the counter for him and his chair, and no room for anything else, so he had to get the angle just right.
    There was a knock on the door, Neil’s voice calling out. “You okay, Kit?”
    “No, I got lost.” Kit rolled his eyes and opened the door, pushing his chair back as he did so, using the door as leverage. “This is how it works,” he said, not bothering with a greeting. “You step back, I roll out. Then you step into the house and I get myself around the corner to the ramp, and you close the door behind us. Make sure it’s locked, please.”
    “I can do that.” Neil gave him a smile and stepped back out of the way.
    Kit double checked that he had both his house key and his wallet, then rolled forward, squinting into the daylight. He navigated the corner slowly, painfully. He’d been told that he’d get better at it, that it was like driving, but he’d also been told not to get used to the chair because he’d be walking in no time at all. Everything was bullshit as far as he was concerned.
    He heard the door close behind him, then Neil’s footsteps following him down the ramp. “There’s no shame in asking for help if you need it.”
    “So they keep telling me.” Kit glanced up at him and then looked away to navigate the ramp. “It still pisses me off, though. I shouldn’t have to ask. I shouldn’t be like this.”
    “Yeah, but you are.”
    “And I’m supposed to be all sunny side up about it.” Kit snorted as he made the end of the ramp at speed and headed toward the large van that was his bus. “Sorry, but I’m not feeling my blessings right now, and I’m a lousy actor.”
    “I just think it takes a hell of a lot more energy grumping about it and resenting it, and you could be putting that energy into your life.”
    Kit had heard it all before, from more than one doctor. His father knew better than to approach the subject. “How about you handle your energy your way, and I’ll handle mine.” He stopped his chair next to the bus and eyed the chair lift with dislike. “All right. Let’s do this, at least.” If he was going to do therapy, he was going to have to get there. Fighting that, at least, was stupid.
    “I’m just trying to help, Kit. I know I haven’t been through this myself, but I do have the benefit of the experience of helping a lot of other people through it.”
    Neil got him on the lift, put the belt across it, and hit the button that started it moving up.
    “Help me teach my legs to do what they’re supposed to.” Kit had other doctors for the rest -- not that he was listening to them, either.
    “That I can definitely do.” Neil grinned and got his chair into the bus, the ramp pulling up into the bottom half of the door.
    “Are you always cheerful?” Kit asked before he could stop himself. Maybe Neil was a morning person and got crabby late in the day.
    “Nope. But I try to be.”
    “Huh.” There wasn’t really anything more to say to that, Kit figured, so he looked at the driver and nodded a hello. “How long is the drive, Neil?”
    “Less than ten minutes. Door to door service -- can’t fault that.”
    Kit grunted, which was rude even for him. “Sorry,” he said, trying not to sigh. “Thank you for coming by for me. My dad really appreciates it, I know.”
    “It’ll take a load off for both of you.” Neil patted his shoulder.
    Kit forced himself not to shudder or throw off the touch. His therapist said that his reaction to having people touch him was related to how much he’d