the half of it

chapter fourteen

they pulled into the parking lot of the physio therapy centre at 1:50, ten minutes early.

cameron stepped out of the car and went to the back to grab graysons wheelchair, unfolding it and putting it as close to the car as possible while helping grayson get on.

"i'll see you at 3:30" cameron waved goodbye as he hopped back in the car, driving away.

the waiting room was filled with plastic green chairs lined up against cold grey walls. a receptionist's desk was in the corner and behind it was a quite large lady with grey hair tied up in a bun.

grayson put his hands on the cold rims of his wheelchair and pushed across the room until he got in front of the desk, the lady looking down at him over her massive chins.

"name?" she asked him while typing quickly on her old fashioned computer, desk chair quelling as she moved.

"grayson roth" he answered, noticing that the buttons of her pink top looked they like they were going to pop open at any minute.

"fill out this form" she handed him a paper with about 5 questions with a yes or no answer and handed grayson a pen.

"can't write" grayson responded, getting ready to leave but she stopped him.

"tell me the answers and i'll write them down, it's important this information is known" she said as she spun the paper towards her and gripped the pen in her chubby fingers.

"age?"

"17"

"date of birth?"

"august 17th, 2002"

"i'm going to read a list and you are going to answer yes or no if you've experienced these"

"depression, anxiety, panic disorder, PTSD, BPD or bipolar disorder"

"yes to the first three, no to the rest"

"what brought you here today?"

"train accident, lost both legs and suffered a brain injury i'm working to get more function in my arms and hands" grayson answered the same as every other time, he had been asked this question on so many medical forms it felt like second nature.

"wait over there and she'll come out when she's ready" the lady gestured to the waiting space and grayson gave a small nod, rolling backwards and finding a space at the end of the row.

across from him was a wide open gym area, nobody was there except for a fitness instructor who was setting up yoga mats in rows on the floor.

"grayson roth?" a women's voice echoed from around the corner, belonging to a young women in her early thirties with dark brown hair.

"yep" grayson responded and rolled towards her, following her down a long hallway until she stopped at one of the rooms.

"i'm bree, its nice to meet you grayson" she smiled widely as she opened the wooden door, letting grayson go in as she chatted about what they were going to work on that day.

"this is olivia, she is my assistant and is in her third year of medical school to be an occupational therapist" a girl about 5'6 with delicate features and long red hair in two french braids stepped out from behind the corner and waved.

"nice to meet you" grayson said with a small smile, anxiety rising up inside of him and clouding his vision.

"we will start with transfers from a mat on the floor to your wheelchair, olivia will help you out" bree said as she walked to the other side of the room and pulled out a blue yoga mat.

when grayson got down onto the mat olivia kneeled next to him, lending him her arm for when he needed it.

"you don't remember me do you?" olivia asked as grayson got onto his chair, a confused look spreading across his face as he stared at the girl in front of him.

"we were in like four classes together" she explained further as he got back onto the floor, grayson tried to remember but couldn't picture this ginger girl in school with him.

"sorry, don't remember" he said with a guilty smile, if they were in four classes together he must have talked to her at least once.

"that's okay, i didn't talk much" she shrugged it off and caught graysons arm as he leaned over.

"you always sat in the back of the class with your friends, in your own world" olivia was chatty now, if she hadn't said she was shy in highschool grayson would have thought she was a cheerleader or on the student council.

"my brother got along well with you, ian?" olivia kept talking when grayson didn't answer, he was focused on not falling into his face.

"shit right, rat tail" grayson remembered ian, he had a rat tail in the second grade and although he cut it off the following year the nickname stuck around.

"you know i always told him that he could find better friends than you guys, tony, caro, ethan but he stuck with you" olivia rolled up the blue yoga mat and stuck it in the corner as grayson took off the brakes.

"you were right about that, which ivy league college did he choose again?" grayson laughed, remembering how ian would always help out the other guys with their homework without even having to be asked.

"brown" olivia smiled, obviously very proud of her twin brother.

"that's awesome" grayson nodded and turned the chair to face bree, who had just entered the room.

"here's a pencil, olivia will tell you words to write down and you'll do it" bree put down a piece of paper and a pencil with a grip in front of him on a table and then left the room once again, she was obviously very trusting in olivia.

"let's start with your name" olivia stood behind grayson and clasped his hand in hers, squeezing his fingers around the pencil and lightly pushing it in the right direction.

30 minutes later graysons hand was cramped to hell and the session was over, he said goodbye to bree and olivia and headed out the door.

cameron was waiting for him in the lobby, waving to olivia when she saw him and walked away awkwardly.

"what was up with that?" grayson teased, already having guessed the answer as he rolled to the car.

"we fucked, a lot" cameron laughed, a deep throaty laugh that grayson couldn't help but join in.