Bound

One foot forward

This morning I woke up determined. I don't know if that came from yesterday but I was very determined, more than ever. I used my arms and swiveled myself to the side of the bed. I crawled to my wheelchair and got myself in. Then I wheeled myself and made up my bed. I wheeled past dad's room and he was still sleeping. So I quietly wheeled downstairs and went to the kitchen.

I tried to make myself some toast but then that's when I heard dad wake up. "Cooper?" I heard him say opening my door. He panicked when he didn't see me and he jet rocketed down the stairs. "COOPER! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU?! ASK ME FOR HELP!" I jumped at the sound of dad's voice. He was furious. "Dad it's not fair that I can't do things myself that I can do just fine! I'm not a quadriplegic!" Dad put his hand on his head. "I know that Cooper! But you still my need my help! Your stubbornness is gonna get you hurt!"

I wheeled myself away from dad because he didn't get it. He didn't understand I'm not an infant anymore! "Don't you wheel away from me! Cooper! Cooper!" I was so busy trying to get away from dad that I wasn't looking where I was going. I was getting angrier and angrier until I felt myself flip over on the floor. "COOPER!" Dad ran over to me and picked me up. "Are you ok?!" My eyes opened and closed again until I felt dad carrying me outside. He threw my wheelchair in the trunk and we drove to the hospital.

I opened my eyes again to parking lot lights so I guessed we were already at children's hospital. Dad took me in emergency and they took me right away. Dad went into the emergency room with me and that's when I came to fully. They checked my eyes and they asked me questions about how I fell and things like that. The doctor ran an x-ray and nothing was broken fortunately but I did have a small concussion. "He should just take it easy for the rest of the month. It's nothing too serious he just needs to rest." Dad was relieved and after they gave me some painkillers we left.

The EMT's wheeled me out to the car in the hospital wheelchair since dad didn't have time to get mine out of the trunk. Dad picked me up and put me in the backseat. He thanked the EMT's and then he got in the car. It was silent on the ride home. Usually dad stops by a restaurant and gets me a treat but we just went straight home. Dad wheeled me in the house and upstairs to my room and he put me in my bed. He didn't say anything until he closed the door. I didn't know what to feel at this point. On one half I wasn't sorry for trying to be independent but on the other I was apologetic because of all the pain I put dad through.

I called for dad and he came running up the stairs. "What's wrong coop!?" "I'm hungry." Dad helped me out of the bed. "I'll give you some lunch after I change your diaper." Dad took off my diaper and cleaned me up before giving me a new diaper. Then he put me in my wheelchair and wheeled me downstairs. "Oh that's right I have to go grocery shopping again." Dad said. Dad said that he'll order a pizza and he'll pick up some chicken and potato wedges.

While dad was on the phone with the pizza place, I wheeled myself to the kitchen. Dad followed me a little ways. After he called, he said I had to come with him to go pick up the food. He wheeled me to the car and we drove to pizza hut and then the chicken place after he placed the order. Dad hesitantly left me in the car and then he went inside to get the chicken. I started to worry because dad wasn't talking to me the way he usually does.

I think he was still upset with the whole ordeal that happened this morning. I didn't mean to fall! I was just trying to learn how to get around myself but of course dad....

My thoughts were interrupted by dad getting in the car. He put the bag on the passenger seat and we drove home. Dad wheeled me inside before anything else. Then he brought the food in. "How's your head?" He asked. "Oh it's fine." Dad nodded and started fixing my lunch. "Did you want the pizza or chicken?"

"Pizza." Dad put 3 slices on my plate and heated it up in the microwave. He set it down in front of me before I thanked him. Dad sat down in front of me with his plate and we ate in silence. After lunch, dad wheeled up to my room where I scrolled through videos on my laptop. I ran across an all time low song that was really good. I was so intrigued by his voice that I didn't even hear dad come up behind me. "Oh that's that band all time low. Yeah they're really good." I nodded. I turned off my laptop the minute dad sat down on my bed. That meant he wanted to talk to me and I'm guessing it's about my concussion.

"Cooper.....why......well first let me start by asking are you okay?" "Yeah, just a small concussion that's all." I smiled. Dad gave a small chuckle and then returned to his serious expression. "Cooper the reason why I suggest you calling me whenever you want to wheel around the house is because things like this happen! It could've been much worse!" I don't know why but I started choking up a little bit inside. Maybe it was the ominous thought of something happening to me that scared me.

Dad noticed the tears dripping off my face and he immediately rushed in and hugged me tightly. "My little coop, I just don't want anything happening to you because I love you so so so much!" He lifted my chin up to his. "Do you understand?" I nodded sniffling away my tears. My dad hugged me again for a even longer time. He nuzzled my cheek with his nose and then he left.

I wheeled myself to my window and stared out at it wondering if it'll get better. I felt like I fell a step behind trying to be independent. I ended up with a concussion that could've gotten me a skull fracture. I was discouraged but still determined at the same time. Deep down I knew I couldn't let one injury stop me from walking. Or at least trying to. I couldn't give up, yet I felt like I hit a low point too. I just read a book until dad called me for dinner. He came into my room and wheeled downstairs to the dining room. Dad heated up dinner in the microwave and set it in front of me. 

It was chicken with the potato wedges. We were saving the pizza for tomorrow. We are in silence again although this time I didn't wanna look up at dad. I felt ashamed knowing that I put him through all that trouble. I felt terrible. After dinner was over, dad cleared away the dishes and I sat at the table thinking to myself with my head still down. I could hear dad coming up behind me. I thought he'd just wheel me upstairs but instead he wheeled me to the living room. He crouched down in front of me and lifted my chin up with his finger and thumb.

"Look at me coop." He asked softly. I slowly looked at my dad in his eyes. "From now on, we have to work together okay?" I nodded and dad pressed his lips to my head. "That's my guy." 

I asked dad if he could wheel me upstairs to my room which he obliged. "Bedtimes at 9:30 Cooper." He said before closing the door. I wheeled myself to my laptop. When I started scrolling YouTube and saw the determination that everyone else had in their situations, that's when something in me sparked. I knew that I couldn't stop trying to find a way for myself. Even if I couldn't walk, that didn't mean that I couldn't be independent. I set my heart straight from today that I'm not done yet!

Shout-out to YouTuber Heidi 2000! From what I heard she's really good at rapping really fast!!!!

TheRandomKid9 because she gave me insight about Heidi!