HER LAUGHTER

KEEP MAKING ME LAUGH

POV CAESAR
"I believe you're ready, Yue. Your progress has been exceptional in the last few months and the gymnastics we did to strengthen the muscles really does seem to work. Now you can even get out of bed! We just have to try to walk. You mustn't be afraid of falling. Let's try first without any equipment," I explain to Yue, sitting on the bed in my clinic.
She scrutinizes me with indecision.  Since she entered, she hasn't said a word yet.
"Yue?"
"No" she says.
"What ?"
"I don't want to".
"Why not? Yue, this is the first step to get back to your life, do you understand? I know you're afraid, but we have to try."
I take her hands and try to reassure her with a smile.
She looks me straight in the eyes, then she sighs and nods.
"Good! Want you try now?"
Once again she nods her head to me.
"Then hold on to my arm, I'll hold your waist, okay? You just have to think about moving your legs slowly. Nothing else," I tell her.
I leave her another second to gather the necessary energy and then I help her to get up.
As soon as she tries to take a step, she bursts into tears and lets herself fall.
I hold her to keep her up and I sit her back on the bed.
She continues to cry, hardly able to breathe.
"Yue ..."
"Dylan" she whispers between sobs.
"Do you want me to call Dylan?"  I ask her.
"Yes, please" she replies.
I go out into the corridor and call the nurse Chya.
"Yes, Dr. Wu?"
"Run and look for Dr. Wang, please. Send him to me. Hurry."

POV DYLAN
While I'm about to wear my wig to start the Clown Therapy shift, I see Chya run towards me.
"Dr. Wang! Dr. Wu is looking for you. Go to his clinic," she tells me.
"What? Can't he wait for my turn to end?"
"It's about Miss Shen."
Without another word, I run as fast as lightning toward Caesar's ward and as soon as I enter the clinic, the image of Yue in tears on the bed worries me to death.
"What happens?"  I ask, embracing her immediately.
Yue hides her face in the crook of my neck.
"I'm afraid" she whispers.
I turn to Caesar for explanations.
"I leave you a bit alone," he says, and then leaves the room.
I stroke Yue's hair, patiently waiting for she to calm down.
Every sob is a stab in my heart.  I hate to see her suffer.
When her breath finally returns to almost regular, I barely move away from her to see her face.
I wipe away her tears and kiss her on the forehead.
"What are you afraid of?"
"Caesar would like me to try to walk ... But ... I'm scared, Didi ... What if I find out I can't do it? That I'm no longer capable? That I can't really go back to being myself again? And I'm afraid of falling ... I have a damned fear of falling, " she explains, her voice trembling.
I embrace her again, squeezing her harder.
"Everything will be fine, Yueyue. Do you trust me? I will help you. I will never let you fall ... You know this, don't you? Never. I am your hero, after all" I smile at her, looking her in the eyes.
I see a flood of emotions in her eyes.
I feel the need to kiss her.
"Let's try," she says firmly.
"Let's try!"

POV YUE
We call Caesar and without needing to say anything, he understands that I'm ready and that Dylan will stand by me.
I hold on to their arms and I get up from the bed.  I try to move my right leg ... The feeling is strange.  My legs are stiff and sore.  But I can feel them.  For the first time in over a year, I don't feel like I have a half body.
With so much effort, I manage to move a few steps, clinging to them.
Caesar continues to encourage me, while Dylan ... Dylan cries.
I reach the end of the room and ask if I can stop.  I'm too tired.
Caesar agrees.
He ruffles my hair and tells me how satisfied he is with my results, then he goes out again.
Dylan picks me up.  We are in the same position we were when we danced together, at his house ... My legs around his waist, my arms around his neck.
"Stop crying," I laugh, in tears.
He shakes his head and hides in my shoulder, continuing to cry like a child.
I do the same.
We stay like this for I don't know how long ... In the room there's only the sound of our sobs.
"I'm so happy, Yueyue! So happy! I'm proud of you," he tells me softly, peering at my soul with tears in his red eyes.
And now, I swear, I wish I can tell him how much I love him. I wish I can kiss him.
But I can not.  Not now.
I want to commit myself and go back to dancing.  I want him to know who I am.  I want him to see the best part of me: the dancer who is not afraid of anything, who talks with her body.  I want to see the look he has right now for the rest of my life.  I want to make him proud of me.
"I so want tell you something," he whispers to me, softly, as he rests his forehead against mine.  I wait, but he says nothing.
I close my eyes and smile.
I know what he wants to tell me. Now I know he loves me. I feel his love in every single cell of my body.
I can feel it in his attentive way of taking care of me. I can feel it in his eyes full of sweetness.  In the tenderness of his caresses. In his need to see me even once a day.
I open my eyes and I give him a kiss on the tip of his nose. Soon we'll be ready for our love.
"Keep making me laugh, Doctor Clown".
"I will never stop, my little dancer".

Author's corner
Ciao!
Here we are at the last chapter of this short story ❤️ How will it end?  Well, you already know 🤭💜💛
Thank you very much for giving Her Laughter an opportunity ☺️
I hope I was able to give you some smiles, as our Doctor Clown can do☺️
Thank you for continuing to support me, despite all the beautiful stories we have in our fandom ❤️
I love you 🥰
A big hug,
Lucrezia