Cracks

Chapter 14 The cracks in the wall

It wasn't therapy itself she was wary of. It was being vulnerable and having to depend on someone else. She didn't like giving someone else that power over her. She couldn't trust people to not take advantage of that power.

Still, she knew she couldn't get out of this. Trevor had sent all required information to Kai yesterday, so now she sat in Kai's office, forced to hand him the control. She began to regret her impulsive action to ask him for aid.

"Alright," Kai smiled at her, "I'll start with moving your legs. Your muscles need the exercise. If you're not too tired after, we can work with your upper body strength."

Alisson watched him suspiciously. "Why'd you have to move my legs around? I ain't gonna magically walk again."

Kai remained calm as he answered her. He knew her hostility was just a shield. She didn't trust him. She might never, but he would try. He knew not to push it. "The nerves that send signals to your legs might be damaged, but your muscles still remember the movement. It's important to keep the circulation going."

"I get shots to prevent blood clutters," Alisson informed him annoyed. She wasn't stupid.

Kai shook his head. "It's not just thrombosis you need to worry about. Your muscles can detoriate from lack of use. That can lead to all kinds of medical problems. I won't bore you with the details. Just take my word for it."

Of course she knew what he said was true. She had heard it all before from the doctors. She just didn't like the idea of being helpless while someone else touched her.

Kai motioned towards the padded table. "Hop on. Can you manage or do you need me to help you?"

"I'll manage," Alisson said annoyed. She'd die before asking him for help. She wheeled herself closer to the table and glared at it. It was going to be difficult. The table was high and had no grips. She would have to drag herself onto it somehow with only her arms. It was frustrating to have her legs be nothing but dead wight instead of being able to use them as leverage.

Still, she would not ask for his help.

Struggling and panting, she hoisted herself on the table inch by inch, digging in her fingers whenever she threatened to slip off. All the time, Kai was watching her calmly. When she stopped moving, he approached her and looked at her pointedly. "Are you done showing me how tough you are?"

"I'm on the table, ain't I?" Alisson growled.

"You're halfway on the table," Kai corrected, "and flopping on your belly. So, can you move yourself around or will you let me assist you? Because the way things are going now, you'll waste half your session trying to impress me."

"I ain't tryin' to impress anyone!" Alisson snapped at him. She would have glared at him too if she hadn't been afraid she'd fall off the table. She might not be able to actually see if her legs were dangling, but she could feel the pull on her upper body.

He cocked an eyebrow. "So, you'll let me help you then?" When he didn't receive an answer, he sighed. "Look, we're not having some sort of contest on who can be more stubborn, because I'm sure that you will win it. You said you needed a physical therapist, so I scheduled you in. You're only sabotaging yourself here. I have nothing to lose, but clearly you have something to prove. So prove it by working hard during these sessions, because your actions right now are quite pointless."

Alisson gritted her teeth. His simple logic was annoying, especially since he was right. No matter how much she wanted to fight him on this, her struggle had already cost her a lot of energy.