Open Plains

John came about 30 minutes later and smiled when he saw me laughing with Darren.

"Hey Billy who's your friend?" he asked helping me into my wheelchair from the bed.

"Hey, John this is Darren and you're not going to believe how we meet." I started and told him the story of the dream and then meeting Darren as John wheeled me down to the Physical Therapy room.

When we got there Mrs. Blain noticed Darren and saw me smiling. I think she was happy to see me smiling and being happy.

"Hey, Billy I see your feeling better. I'm hoping you're talking to us now?" she asked me. I smiled at her.

"Yes ma'am I am, I'm sorry for how I treated you and not talking to you," I said feeling ashamed. She just smiled at me.

"That's ok I know it is hard for you and it will be hard for you for a while. So who's your friend?" she asked smiling at Darren.

"This is Darren he's my new friend and you won't believe how we met," I told her the story and she was shocked and happy for me.

I worked real hard in PT and did my best. I was still having a problem pulling myself up and Mrs. Blain wouldn't let Darren help me when I fell. She told him I had to do this on my own. I could see Darren didn't like it but I knew he understood. I worked hard for over an hour.

During that hour Mrs. Blain also showed me how to get in and out of my wheelchair and how to get on and off the toilet by myself. She also showed me how to get in and out of the bathtub by myself as well. Darren thought this was funny and I just stuck my tongue out at him whenever he laughed and this just caused him to laugh more.

After working hard for over an hour and a half I was finally finished for the day, John came to get me then wheeled me back to my room.

When I got to my room, I thanked John and he left. I grabbed some clothes and Darren wheeled me to the bathroom. He was going to help me out of the chair and on to the toilet but I stopped him and told him I wanted to try on my own. He stood back and let me try. I forgot to set the brakes and when I lifted up and tried to move out of the chair, I fell and hit my head on the toilet. I blacked out.

When I came to I was on my bed and had a gown on me. The doctor was standing over me and my parents were there. I didn't see Darren and assumed he was back in his room.

"Well young man you gave us another scare. How are you feeling?" Dr. Bradshaw asked me. I thought about it for a minute and noticed that my head was hurting.

"My head hurts," I said. He smiled at me.

"Well, you have a concussion and you hit your head pretty hard. I'm glad that you are trying to do things on your own but you have to remember if you are going to move in and out of your chair you have to set the brake. Your head is going to hurt for a while and we will have to wake you up every hour for the next 24 hours. We don't want to take any chances and have you slip back into a coma ok?" he said. I just nodded my head.

"Where's Darren?" I asked wincing at the pain in my head. My parents were next to the bed now and were smiling down at me.

"Son after you hit your head he screamed and called for the nurse. He was crying and scared after you didn't wake up for a little bit he really started crying so Dr. Bradshaw gave him a sedative to help him relax. He's in his room asleep." My dad said. "You'll be fine son don't worry." He said smiling at me.

I just stared at him and thought of Darren, how could I have hurt him. I tried to think of what I could do to help but I knew I couldn't help I can't do anything. I started crying I was sad because I liked Darren but I couldn't be with him.

I imagined him having to help me with every single detail of my life all the way down to wiping my ass, him hating me for being so helpless. My dad put his hand on my shoulder and I shrugged him off. I turned over on my right side so I couldn't hear anyone or anything. I closed my eyes and cried myself to sleep.

I don't know how long I slept but I assume it was only an hour because a nurse was there shaking me awake.

"Hey how do you feel?" she asked.

"Fine," I said. My first thought was of Darren and the tears started again. I slept on and off through the night, they woke me, I'd drift off and felt like minutes later they woke me again.

The next morning I was quiet and withdrawn. The psychologist came and saw me but I didn't talk to him. Darren came in and I wouldn't talk to him either. I was so scared. I liked him, maybe even more than liked. I wanted to be with him but how could he be with me, why would he want to be with me when I can't do anything.

Dr. Williams came in about 1 and just looked at me. I stayed on my left side so I couldn't hear anyone but he grabbed my shoulders and made me turn over.

"Billy for the last few days you have been doing great, now all of a sudden you slip out on us again so what in the world is going on? Are you mad at your parents again or one of the doctors?" He asked me. I just shook my head. "Then what is it?" he asked forcefully.

"Fine you want to know what wrong, I'll tell you. I really like Darren and I can't stand the thought that I can't help myself, and all I can think about is that he doesn't want to be with me because I can't help myself and I can't do anything. How can I even think that, think that he wants to be with a helpless cripple? There are you fucking happy now? I hate you. I hate myself now get out!"

I turned over and cried into my pillow. He put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze then left and let my cry and cry till I fell asleep.

When I woke up I was alone and it was dark. I had to piss so I lifted off the covers and pushed my legs over the edge. I grabbed my chair and checked that the brakes were set. I lifted my self down into the chair.

I released the brakes and wheeled myself to the bathroom. This time when I got there I put the brakes on and lifted myself onto the toilet. After I finished I got back in my chair and wheeled myself back to the bed. I changed my mind and wheeled out of my room. I looked and noticed that there wasn't anyone in the hall.

I went next door and noticed Darren's door open. I wheeled myself into his room a little and just watched him sleep. He looked so beautiful lying there. I wanted so bad to go and hold his hand, but I knew he didn't want anything to do with me. How could he? I was a cripple who couldn't do anything for myself, or for him, so why should he want anything to do with me. With tears in my eyes, I wheeled back to my room and got back into bed. I turned over and closed my eyes.

A few minutes later I felt a hand on my shoulder I thought it was a nurse but when I turned over there was Darren standing there smiling at me.

"I like you too, and I don't care that you're in a wheelchair. I like you for you; I heard what you said to Dr. Williams and you're wrong, I do want to be with you too." With that, he leant down and gave me a little kiss on my lips. I was speechless.

Darren lifted the sheets and I pushed myself over. He lifted up my head and put his right arm under my head. He turned me on my left side so I could face him. He took his left arm and wrapped it around my waist.

"I like you a whole lot Billy and I want to be with you. As I said I don't care that you're in a wheelchair, I just want to be with you." Darren said. I smiled at him and with tears in my eyes, I lifted up and kissed Darren on the lips. He kissed me back and we lay back down. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

When I woke the next morning I was still in Darren's arms. I was smiling and when I looked over I saw my mom and dad sitting there watching us. I got scared till my dad and mom smiled and put their fingers over their lips so I wouldn't wake up Darren. I smiled back at them and shut my eyes.

A few minutes later I felt Darren stir. He looked down at me, smiled then leaned down and gave me a small kiss on my lips. I smiled then blushed and pointed over at my parents. Darren turned looked and saw them then he blushed and looked back at me. I just giggled. About that time Dr. Williams and Dr. Bradshaw came in.

"Well, what do we have here?" Dr. Williams asked smiling at us. I smiled back and just hugged Darren tighter.

"Oh, Darren there you are. I was wondering where you had gotten to, now I know. Hello Billy how are you today?" asked Mrs. Anderson. I looked at Darren then put my head on his shoulder and hugged him again.

"I'm fine now," I said smiling. She saw the smile on my face and Darren's and the light went on over her head. "Ah I see. So I am assuming you two are going to try and be boyfriends?" she asked. I looked at Darren for the lead and he smiled.

"Yes, mom we are." He said I just smiled and nodded my head.

"Good, it's about time." She said. Then she and my parents went out in the hall to talk, leaving Dr. Bradshaw and Dr. Williams with us.

"Ok boys we need to talk." Dr. Bradshaw started. "Now that we understand that you two are boyfriends we have a question for you. Do we need to give you the safe sex speech or have your families already did it?" he asked smiling at us.

"My dad already gave it to me about 2 or 3 years ago." I said turning to look at Darren.

"My dad did a few years ago too. He told me about sex and condoms and STD's" Darren said.

"Ok good, now that we have that out of the way, I would like you both to know that you are going to be released today." Dr. Bradshaw said.

"Yes!" we both said at the same time. The doctor continued.

"Now before you go Billy I have to give you another exam and make sure that the blood is flowing properly, also your parents are going to set up another counseling session with Dr. Williams. Billy, I know you don't think that you need them but we need to make sure. With you being in a wheelchair you may have relapses especially after you go back to school. It won't be easy Billy and we just want to make sure that you're going to be ok." Dr. Bradshaw said. I just stared at him then put my head on Darren's chest.

"Yes, Dr." was all I said.

Dr. Bradshaw asked Darren to get up and to sit in the chair so he could examine me. Darren got up and the doctor. examined me and afterwards, he pulled the covers up and called in both my parents and Darren's mom.

"Ok folks here's the deal, they can both go home today. Billy you can go to school next week and Darren you can go back at the end of the week. Billy you still have to go to PT every day and you can make arrangements with Mrs. Blain. Also you need to soak in a hot bath or if you have a hot tub you can use that. It will also help the blood flow.

You will always need to do your PT exercises and I am going to say this whether you two plan on doing anything sexual or not, but for the sake of Darren's chest to heal right and your back to get in a position where there isn't much discomfort I suggest that you two don't try anything sexually, that means masturbation as well." Dr. Bradshaw said. Darren and I turned really red and our parents chuckled.

"Well, I don't plan on them having sex, at least no time soon." Said my dad, everyone but us chuckled.

"Well even though you don't plan on two young people having sex you must remember you can do what you can to stop it but if they are determined then it will happen. I have a feeling though with these two if they do have sex it is going to be well after they get to know each other better and it will be a commitment for them." Dr. Bradshaw said looking at us.

I looked at Darren and he looked at me.

"Yeah after we get to know each other, and when we are both ready and not before." He said.

"Yep when were ready," I said smiling at him. Everyone smiled at us.

"Well, Billy your mom and I talked and decided that Darren is welcome any time and if you and Darren what to hug each other and kiss and hold hands in front of us that is ok with us. We can tell that you two really like each other. We did that when we dated and we want you to have the same freedom." Said my dad putting his hand on Darren's shoulder.

"Oh dad thank you, I love you both." I said giving my dad a hug. Mrs. Anderson came around and put her hand on my shoulder looked down and smiled at me.

"Billy you're welcome at our house as well, and if you and Darren want to hold hands, hug and kiss at our house you can, I won't mind. Also, I will make sure that we have the proper equipment so when you come over it will be easier for you to get around and use the bathroom and so forth when you come over." Mrs. Anderson said.

I started crying.

"Oh Mrs. Anderson thank you that is so sweet but why?" I asked.

"You make my son happy and he makes you happy I can tell. You two belong together, I don't know how or why but ever since you two told me about you two being in the dream together that tells me more than anything that you two need to be together.

No one has the same dream and talk to each other and then remember each other from a dream unless they are meant to be together. I will love you like I love my son." She said smiling I was crying harder now and I hugged her after I scooted up so I could sit up.

"Darren we will love you like a son as well. Your mom is right you two do belong together, no one can dream about someone else and be there together without that meaning something special and you two are very special." My mom said. She hugged Darren.

Darren turned made me look at him and in front of my parents and the doctors gave me a long kiss, one that made my head spin.

After an hour I was wheeled out in a special chair that the hospital gave my parents for me, and Darren was wheeled out in a hospital chair. We kissed and hugged and as Darren walked and got in his mom's car, dad lifted me and up and put me in the back of our car.

I was going home and I couldn't have been happier. I have a boyfriend and even though I can't walk and I can't hear out of my left ear I am happy and I can't wait to see what happens when I go back to school.