One Day At a Time ✔️

Ch. 63 The Pool

Drift's P.O.V.
It's been a good eleven days. Nine days of therapy and two days of rest. Though therapy doesn't take long, we've been finding ways to make therapy fun for Jamie. Sunstreaker has the most difficulty figuring out how to get therapy to be fun. He's increased Jamie's weight on the lat pulldown.
We've been thinking about adding more to the routine but more in the hopes Jamie will feel like she's getting back to training.
The challenge is she's still underweight and tiring quickly. She's napping by one in the afternoon.
"There's, unfortunately, going to be the risk she gets frustrated until she doesn't tire easily," Sunstreaker points out, "even if we can get her to play while in the pool."
I'm feeling like until Jamie isn't underweight, her recovery has stalled. Even though I know there are injuries that take much longer to recover from.

Today, we're hoping to get Jamie deep into the pool. The time in the hot tub seems to help. Not entirely as Jamie holds on to me while Crosshairs shows her the life jacket even though she knows she won't be able to go underwater wearing it. I want to wait until Jamie isn't afraid, but even Sideswipe thinks we need to get Jamie into the pool while she's afraid. Volunteering to hold her so she'll be afraid of him rather than me. Jamie doesn't fight Sideswipe as he puts the lifejacket on her but refuses to let go of me.
"No, don't," I tell Sideswipe as he tries to make Jamie let go.
Crosshairs and I sit on the steps with Jamie, hoping this will help her. Sunstreaker is trying to get Sideswipe to get into the pool. It's strange seeing Sideswipe like this.

He takes ten minutes, but Sunstreaker gets Sideswipe into the pool. He then tossed in an inner tube, a beach ball - hitting Sideswipe in the head with it - and pool noodles.
Crosshairs and I move slowly into the water, even though we're at the shallow end and I'm holding Jamie

Crosshairs' P.O.V.
I know the risk of doing this, but Drift knows how to calm Jamie if she panics. I don't know if this is how humans would deal with someone who is afraid to be in deep water, but it's how we are.
"Want to try the inner tube, Jamie? Sunstreaker asks.
I didn't think Drift would put her in before she says anything. Even Sunstreaker is surprised.
For Drift to be the one to do this. Jamie is a little scared, but she's not trying to grab on to Drift. He moves the tube around slowly.
"You think he's forcing himself to do this?" Sunstreaker whispers.
"I'm not sure. He knows we can't wait for Jamie to be ready to go into the pool, but he's worried we'll cause Jamie not to trust us."
"Maybe the time in the hot tub helped."
"We'll find out if she panics without the inner tube then the life jacket."
This could still take weeks, but it's progress. I don't think we can have a pool party and Jamie is swimming like she was last year by the end of summer. We could have a pool party in winter since the pool is in the base.

The slow movement of the inner tube is a little too relaxing as Jamie is falling asleep. Ten minutes in the pool is good for today.

Jamie falls asleep as she lies on Drift as he lies on the lounge chair. Sunstreaker can't resist taking a picture. Finally, a picture we want to keep. I wouldn't be surprised if he wants to paint this.

Drift still worries any good day is just that, a day. Then tomorrow will be rough. This has happened many times, so I understand why he's thinking this way. Still, I can't believe he can't think positively. Even with everything that has happened.

The rest of the day is as always. A walk after dinner, a little time in the hot tub, and watching T.V. before bed. Our daily routine is mostly the same, hopefully with continued good progress in Jamie's recovery.

Sunstreaker's P.O.V.
It's like these three are stuck in a never ending bad dream. We all are, but Crosshairs and Drift struggle the most when Jamie has a serious setback. After three days of
progress in the pool.
"In the middle of summer?" Sideswipe asks, hearing Ratchet say 'pneumonia'.
"The cold and flu viruses don't disappear. Cases rise during the colder months," Ratchet explains.
"And with Jamie's current health, rather than getting a cold from someone..." I trail off.
"It's not possible to avoid Jamie getting sick. I was hoping she would have been strong enough by now to only need a little oxygen support," Ratchet sighs.
We're all thinking it, but don't dare say it; we could watch Jamie crash and not be able to be helped this time.
"There's got to be something you can do to help her immune system get stronger while she gains weight?" Sideswipe asks.
I can feel he's hoping Ratchet can do something now before we face a nightmare situation, but as we both thought if Ratchet can do anything, he has to wait until Jamie gets over this. All we can do now is support Crosshairs and Drift. Make sure this doesn't push them to do anything stupid.