It started off like any normal day. My friend Eliot and I were going to meet up with some friends at a hotel in Japan. We moved there for a student abroad program but ended up staying. We started the drive a little later than usual, as Eliot hasn't been feeling too well recently but insisted he drive. Either way we don't think of it any different. It's dark out as we drive along, the radio playing slightly as neither one of us talks. It's a nice peacefulness. All of a sudden Eliot starts to go into a coughing fit. I ask him if he is alright as he keeps going. I'm trying to keep the car going and comfort Eliot as he coughs up mucus and blood. Blood? What's going on?
Just then I see a blinding light and hear a horn. All of a sudden I feel a searing pain in my legs and head as we collide, Sparks and metal flying everywhere. It was a truck that crashed into us, and it didn't take much damage. I look over and see Eliot unconsciously slumped over a pile of metal. I can feel my legs on fire but I hesitate before I look down. I see the car has folded over on my legs, completely crushing them to the point of no escape. I notice there are fires around and I start to panic. As I try to get out of the wreckage, I manage to push down a searing hot bar and it falls on my side. It falls onto my face, and I can feel the burning as I cry out in pain and anguish. In a fit of pain I push up on the bar and move it off. I can feel my face and palms on fire, as well as my shoulder and other parts. I can't help but shake, and the pain is too much. I lose consciousness.
I don't remember how I got there, but I wake up in a hospital. The first thing I notice is I can only see out of one eye. I start to freak out and my monitor starts going off. I try to push off the bed but for some reason my legs aren't wanting to work. The nurses come in and subdue me. As I lie there in a groggy state, the doctor comes in and asks how I'm doing.
"Pretty shitty doc." I reply in a weakened state.
"Well there is good news and bad news." He starts. "Good news is you are alive and recovering. However." He hesitates.
"However what?" I ask waiting.
"However, you were burned on your face, shoulder, arm, and both palms, as well as some of your torso...."
"Oh god.." I mutter. "That's bad."
"There is more. Because of how the car warped, it crushed your legs. And we had to amputate." He pauses. "I'm sorry."
I sit there and don't say a word. How do I respond to that? I feel lost. Scared. Damaged. Broken. Horrible. I spend the rest of the day silent. Like I'm on autopilot. I eat when they tell me to. I swallow pills. But I don't talk or move any more than that. I just think about what this means for me. What I can do. I'll get better. I have to. Nothing should stop me. I can't let this be me.
It's been a couple of months in the hospital. More like a year. Eliot is doing fine. I check up on him every so often. He doesn't cough up blood so much. I worry about him a lot. He is basically family. I just hope he will be fine. I've been running around, well not running, doing what I need to to push the recovery. I'm already walking pretty good. And I've gotten to starting to run.
My face hurts every so often, the burns pulsing and recreating pains I didn't want to experience. As it keeps going the pains go away. I don't know how to hide my disfigurement, so I wear a hood at almost all times. It's not too inconvenient, but I don't like the feeling of having to hide. One day as in talking with Eliot, he breaks down. "I'm sorry Ferron! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so so so so sorry! If I wasn't driving we would have been fine and I ruined-"
"Stop. It's alright." I interrupt. I hug him as I tell him, "you didn't do anything wrong. It's not your fault. Don't worry about it. Please" I say a little choked up.
Eliot is sobbing a little as I pull myself together. 'Stay strong' I tell myself. Suddenly the doctor walks in, and noticing both of us together, decides to confront us.
"Eliot. Ferron. I've got some more news. Good news" he says with a smile.
"What is it?" I ask.
"Well Ferron. You've improved a lot. Second fastest recovery. Eliot, you've recovered well too. Both of you are good enough to go back to school." The doctor starts.
I think about that different place. School. What was that again?
"There is a special school. Yamako high. A school for students like yourself. Who need some... Assistance, with everyday life." The doctor is smiling.
I sit and think for a while. I mean I am crippled. Really crippled. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I nod in agreement. Eliot, on the other hand, voices his thoughts. "I'm not crippled. I don't want to"
I turn to Eliot and say, "Don't be ridiculous. You and me at the same school. It will be fine." I smile.
Eliot thinks and gives an irritated nod. A sign I won. The doctor goes over the information with us and we pass the day with questions.
The days turn to weeks as I worked to get better. When the day came it was full of solace. Elliot and I were alone and scared, packed on the train with just out suitcases. The ride was long and boring, going past countryside and city alike. We pull into a city and get off. Outside of the station, there is a cab waiting to take us to the school.
The ride is spent in a quiet peace. It doesn't take too long to get there, and once we get out it's like we stumbled into a whole new world.
Elliot looks somewhat able to blend in, wearing a nice button up shirt and black pants. I feel completely ostracized, wearing jeans and a hoodie. The hood covers my face perfectly to hide the burns, and the jeans cover up my legs. My walking is still a little stiff, and I can feel the eyes of the students as Elliot and I walk into the dorm buildings.
As we enter we get situated with our rooms. Elliot and I stay at the dorms, right across from each other. We look at the nameplates for the rooms next to us. Kenji and Hisao. I think to myself that I'll have to meet them later. I enter into my room and shift focus. All I care about right now is moving all my stuff in and setting up. I lay out my pain medication and get to work on putting up my clothes. I notice that there are a week's worth of uniforms in the closet, and I don't bother to put one on today. What is the point? I'm still new, so I can get away with it.
I don't wait up for Elliot. We have different schedules, but I'll see him again in our last period. For now I go into the main hall and get used to the classes. I look around for my room number and find that it's a physics class. I walk inside to find a class full of kids. As I look around I see a lot of kids with different disabilities. One girl has a bandage where her hand should be, a boy is missing his left leg. One girl catches my eye. She has long, black hair that covers most of her face, but I can see from her hand and from her face that she has burns, like me. Suddenly I'm startled by the teacher's voice.
"Well. I see we have a new student," he says with a cheerful tone. "Why don't you introduce yourself."
I sit there for a second. Here I am trying not to get noticed and now I have to introduce myself. I turn around and write my name on the board. I turn to face the class. "Hi. My name is Ferron. I like to read and play games. Here's to a good year" I say, putting on my best cheery voice.
"Wonderful," the teacher says. "I'm Mutou, your physics teacher. Take a seat wherever you want." He says as he points at the class.
I walk over to an empty desk in the middle of the class. All the while I try not to make myself seem to obvious about trying to hide myself. I mean it's day one and I stick out like a sore thumb. I don't have the uniform on and that introduction was pretty bullshit. Not knowing what else to do I doodle in a notebook until I hear the teacher announce that we are going to work in pairs.
A kid with sandy blonde hair and no noticeable injuries comes up to me. "Wanna work together?" He asks with an outstretched hand.
"Uh... Sure" I mutter slowly. How long has it been since I talked to someone other than Elliot. Probably too long. "Names Ferron, incase you missed that amazing introductio" i laugh slightly at my own joke.
"Names Hisao. Nice to meet you"
"Oh really. I think you're my neighbor. Do you live next to Kenji?"
"Y-yeah. Best to ignore him really. Kinda weird if you ask me."
"Alright. I'll keep that in mind." I open up the physics book to the problem set we have to work on. "Shall we."
