The Longer Engagement

16: Physical Therapy

Tuesday, August 31st, 2021

For the past two weeks, Sam has gone to physical therapy almost everyday, and he was starting to get the feeling back in his toes, and he was able to move them around. Mr. Schue, Finn, and Puck would stay with Sam for many hours of the day or at night and play video games with him.

"Damn it, Sam! Why are you so good at this?" Mr. Schue exclaimed. Sam had just killed him again on COD. Sam laughed.

"Because I am."

"Alright, smart ass."Mr. Schue said, hitting restart. Mr. Schue was there everyday, even if it was storming outside, he'd find away to come see Sam. He would bring Sam and Brenda real food twice a day, and Mary and Donna would take turns bringing homemade food as well. Benny is three months old now and was always smiling.

"Language, Mr. Schue." Brenda said, walking in with Benny. Sam paused the game and held his hands up to Benny. Brenda put Benny in his hands and Sam started making baby noises at him, causing him to smile. Mr. Schue laughed. Puck slapped Sam on the leg.

"Ow! You ass hole! Why'd you do that?" He asked, and everyone looked at him.

"You felt that?" Brenda asked.

"Yeah...Oh." His eyes widened and he smiled, kissing Brenda.

"I told you that you would get better, Sam, didn't I?" He grinned and nodded. Dr. Miller came in, and Sam told him that he could feel his legs.

"Really?" He asked, and Sam nodded. Dr. Miller put his hands on Sam's knees, and squeezed his legs gently to see if he felt it."Do you feel that?" He asked.

"Yeah. I feel my butt again now too, it's hurting from all this damn sitting." He said, making them laugh.

"Well, it looks like you'll be walking again by the end of this week! And if you are, you can finally go home. But you still have to ride around in a wheel chair until your legs are working properly, which could still take a couple of weeks to a couple of months."

"I don't care, as long as I can go home." He said, high fiving Puck and Finn, and getting a hug from Mr. Schue and Brenda, who he kissed.

"We'll see if you can take a couple of steps tomorrow if you'd like. You saw the railings we have in the therapy building." Sam nodded and fist bumped the air with one hand, since he was still holding Benny. They laughed, and Dr. Miller sat on the bed beside him and they started playing COD again after Brenda took Benny from Sam to feed him.

"Is it weird that I'm feeding a baby in a room full of grown men?" She asked.

"No." They said, without looking at her. She laughed and looked at Benny, who was looking up at her as he ate.

"They're crazy, I know. I hope that you'll always be the sweet little boy you are."

TIME SKIP

Wednesday, September 8th, 2021

For the last few days, Sam has been in the therapy room, taking more and more steps everyday. Now, he can slowly walk back and forth while holding onto the railings. Brenda took a bunch of pictures and videos, because Quinn was planning on making something for him soon.

"You know what, Sam?" Brenda asked, standing at one end of the railing while he slowly walked towards her, Dr. Miller and Mr. Schue stood on either side of him, making sure he didn't fall.

"What?"

"This is the best birthday present ever, watching you walk again." She said. He smiled and hugged and kissed her when he reached her. The only people who knew he had the feeling back in his legs, and that he could walk again were Puck, Quinn, Artie, Mr. Schue, Finn, Dr. Miller, and Brenda. and Benny, but that doesn't count since he doesn't even know what sitting up is, yet, let alone walking.

"I think I have a better birthday present." Dr. Miller said, as he walked into Sam's hospital room a little while later.

"What?" She asked.

"Sam gets to go home today!" He said, giving the discharge papers to Sam.

"Really?" Sam asked hopefully.

"Really. Just sign these papers and you're free to go." He told Sam. Sam immediately signed the papers and gave them back to Dr. Miller."I'll be right back with you're wheelchair, which you will be using for a while, and then I'll bring you a list of days, the date and what time, to go to therapy." He said. Sam nodded and Brenda hugged him tightly. Soon, they were on their way home. Everyone's cars were in random places in the yard. Finn and Puck lifted Artie up the stairs of the house, and then did the same for Sam, which he found hilarious for some reason. Puck, Finn, Brenda, and Mr. Schue shook their heads at him.

"Well, he sounds like he's happy to be home!" Mary said, walking over to Sam and hugging him and kissing him on the forehead.

"You have no idea."

TIME SKIP

After having a party for Brenda's birthday and Sam coming home, Sam decided that he wanted everyone to know that he could walk again.

"Guys!" He yelled, getting everyone's attention. Brenda walked over to him and he locked the wheels on the chair.

"Why'd you do that?" Ryder asked.

"Well, last week, I started getting all the feeling back in my legs, and I was able to take a couple of steps everyday." He said, and Brenda helped him stand up. Everyone gasped. Brenda wrapped her arm around his waist and walked next to him as he slowly walked around. He walked over to Mary, who was crying her eyes out. He wrapped his arms around her and she hugged him back.

"You have no idea how happy I am that you're walking again."She said. He sniffed, starting to cry too.

"I know, mama." He whispered, burying his face in her hair. One by one, Dwight, Stacy, Stevie, and Chord, started crying and hugged Mary and Sam, having a group hug. Sam stood up straight and wiped his eyes."Alright, no more crying. I'm fine, and I'm walking again. No one should be crying." He said, and they let him go. Everyone thought he would fall without holding on to anything, but he managed to carefully and slowly walk around the couch, and purposely fall face first into the long part of the couch, making everyone laugh."I love this couch!" He yelled into the cushion, although it was muffled. He turned around on his back and looked at everyone, grinning.