Empyrean Iris Story Collection Vol. 4

Recovery

"Come on in." He said stepping aside and holding the door open for them.

Stepping into the room the three of them looked around.

Adam limped in first turning his head to examine Thomas's dingy apartment

Thomas was suddenly very embarrassed, "I'm sorry, I know it isn't much"

"Its good work, Thomas." Jim said, resting a hand on his son's shoulder, and for the first time in a long time he felt a sort of warming in his chest, his father's approval spreading through him like a comforting glow.

Martha beamed, "It's very nice, Thomas.... Are you sure that you want-"

"Yes!" He said, his own insistence surprising all three of them.

Adam hadn't noticed having limped over to examine the framed pictures on the far wall, his new service dog at his side,

"I made up your room for you, down the back hall. You'll know it when you see it." Thomas said

Adam looked up from examining the pictures, and thanked him, before leading the dog back into the hallway.

The three of them waited until his footsteps faded off before Thomas turned to look at his parents, "How is he?"

There was a pause in which he noted the slow nod of his father's head, "He's doing better, Waffles has really been helping, and he's getting used to the new leg. Some days are harder for him than others right now, but it's slowly getting better."

"The limp?"

"Doctor's say its partially psychosomatic. He has phantom limb pain sometimes on his off days."

Thomas glanced back down the hall, "Today and off day?"

There was a sort of quiet nod.

"Look thomas, are you sure you want to do this? Its a lot to take o-"

Again he held up a hand to cut them off, "I want to help, and if Adam says he wants to be out of the house to get back on his feet, then I intend to help him." He wrung his hands together a bit, "Plus, I think it's good for me too."

There was another awkward pause, and he watched his father's jaw working a little bit as he tried to phrase his question, "And.... how are you doing? I, and this is not meant to be meant in a negative way, but you think that this time-"

"I'm going to do it this time." Again all three of them were surprised how adamant his own voice was, even he jumped a little. Together they glanced back at the back hallway, and he lowered his voice again, "It feels different this time, and I-I'm tired of going through the same thing over and over again. I want things to be different." Changing the subject rather obviously he said, "Anything I should know?"

His parents definitely knew he was changing the subject, but they graciously allowed it. Jim passed him a neatly folded piece of paper, "That should have everything you need. Its commands for Waffles, medication schedule and all the appointments he needs to get to. Now you don't have to take him, in fact we are trying to encourage him to get back his independence, so we've given him a bus schedule."

"Can he.... Drive yet?"

Martha made a sort of unsure face, "Not until he gets a hang of the prosthetic, but we've been working on bicycles, so that is always an option. But with the dog, buses are easier."

Thomas nodded again.

"This is nothing we haven't already talked about with him, you understand."

Thomas nodded