Bound

Under repair

I woke this morning to the same tingling sensation in my legs except more tingly. I could roll over better and my legs didn't feel so heavy that much. It was almost as of dad had sensed I was awake and soared into my bedroom. "Wakie wakie Coop!" He had a pep in his voice. He thrust the blanket from my legs and took them into his hands. "Feel anything?" I nodded. Dad furrowed his eyebrows and set the legs back on the bed. "Come on," He picked me up and set me in the wobbly wheelchair. "Let's go to the hospital." I gulped my heart back in my throat. Hospital, we've been there already. My thoughts aggressively: like race cars on a track.

Dad only dressed my bottom half; my pajama shirt was under my sweat navy blue sweat jacket, and like that I was dashed out of the house. The familiar sound and sights of the hospital parking deck still managed to twist my stomach into little knots. Babies crying, sirens howling in the background and nurses running back and forth through the halls; it was all bellyaching familiarity. My mouth became dry upon entering the neurologists office.

I really didn't want to be in here at such early hours of the day, but the immense concern dad yields, doesn't really give me a choice. Dad wheeled me beside him as he talked to the receptionist. I scanned the room, awkwardly looking at the kids who had their attention on the TV that played Spongebob, and the other half glancing back and forth at the skinny boy in the wheelchair. It was always awkward in these moments as I so much desired to retain the same freedom everyone else had, but my physical limitations made it somewhat impossible. Not to mention the personal limitations set on upon dad. That made it complicated.

I twiddled my thumbs, brain working in overdrive trying not to let my inner tension rise to my befall. Not to mention the agitation of waking up early only to be dragged to the least favorite place in the world. My cloudy day of pessimism wasn't subduing, even when the nurse called my name back. I don't know why, but my cheeks stung. The self-consciousness of being wheeled in public hit me again. Especially when everyone was watching. I was sat on the big leather exam table, while waiting for the doctor to come in.

"It'll be okay Coop, we're just checking off our boxes." A shudder crept up my spine and spit out in my lungs and a harsh, cold breath erupted from my shuddering teeth. It was only then I realized I was hungry. My stomach growled ferociously, echoing off the radio wave walls of the room. "Hello," Doctor Matthews came in, closing the door behind her, "What's seems to be the problem?"

"Cooper says he still feels those same tingling sensations in his legs and I was worried, because we were just here yesterday and Cooper said he had that same sensation. You had scheduled him for a brain scan later this week, but I was wondering if we could push it to today?"

"Of course, we'll do a brain scan and a NCV. It's a nerve test we do that sees the electrical senses and how the brain responds to it. We'll hold back on another EMG unless absolutely necessary," My head was spinning from all these lingos for more testing. "A NCV is what we use in patients with parkinson's or cerebral palsy. It's harmless and it shouldn't hurt." But that didn't reassure my heart to slow down. Instead, I was promptly wheeled to another large exam room, with a bunch of machines and bright lights in it.

I was given a hospital gown and dad changed me into it, before Dr. Matthews came back and sat me in this bed like chair. My heart began beating louder than machines that circled the room. Doctor Matthews fiddled with my legs until she found the nerve she wanted. She lubed the electrode before placing it onto my leg. "I'm going to start the test now. If you feel anything, I want you to raise your right hand for your right leg and of course left hand for left leg."

I nodded. Dr Matthews recorded the little electric movements in a notepad she had brought with her. My legs felt little tugs and a tingly sensation; to which I then raised my hands for the leg that had the twinges, much to my dad's shock. His eyebrows were furrowed and I could tell he was nervous to what the Doctor was going to say once she was finished with the test. She pulled us aside, and explained that my legs were trying to slowly repair the damaged nerves and that it was rare possibility that my brain was slowly to restart them again.

"So you mean....Cooper might gain feeling in his legs?" Dr Matthews looked the side before slowly nodding. "It is a very rare chance that could happen," I looked over to dad who was still allowing it to sink in. My heart beat faster again in anticipation. "So that means I can walk again?"

"Well, it's a possibility of that happening, but we would have to do some more test to see exactly what's going on. But seeing as how you felt some tingling feeling in your legs and the NCV test did record some slight electric nerve impulses......that rare chance could become a reality. But I don't want to count my chickens yet..."

The thought sunk in....me walking. Moving, running around, playing, riding a bike, climbing mountains, driving......the hope became brighter than what could've imagined.