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Jason and Alice spent the next few weeks working intensely with Taylor. Jason stayed with the Hanson's in a extra guest room on their insistence. Taylor's determination and strength was building each day. No longer he said the words 'I can't'. He fought for every step of his recovery. All he could think about was to walk again. Taylor groaned as he finally reached the last sit up for the day. He layed back panting and sweating as Alice wiped off his forehead that was dripping with sweat with a cool damp cloth. "How many was that?" Taylor asked looking up into Jason's proud eyes. "Thirty! You actually did thirty today. But don't push yourself to hard." Jason warned smiling down at Taylor who's face was flushed and still panting from the exercise. "I feel fine. Really!" Taylor rasped licking his lips feeling very thirsty. "Good. Now Alice and I have a surprise for you today!" Jason bellowed with a devilish grin crossing his face. Taylor slowly sat up and leaned on his arms curiously looking back and forth at Alice and Jason. "What? What is it?" Taylor asked raising his eyebrows, wanting to know now what Jason and Alice were smiling about. "See that wheelchair of your's over there?" Alice asked him smiling. "Yeah?" "Well it is not going to be a part of you anymore! Say goodbye to it!" "Huh?" Suddenly Walker and Diana came into the room when they heard their cue. Walker was carrying a huge long box wrapped in bright red paper. The rest of his family and Sherri followed behind them. They all circled around Taylor and Walker placed the box in front of him who looked totally confused. He looked down at the box and then up at Jason. "Well open it Tay!" Walker said smiling at Taylor who ran his fingers through his hair pushing it back from his face. He brought his right leg toward his body so he could sit up all the way even though he kept his left leg straight out in front of him. "What is it?" Taylor asked as a huge grin formed across his face. Everyone sat down around him as he reached for the box and pulled it in front of him to the right. Slowly he started to rip the paper neatly off the box. "TAY! Just rip it open will ya?! Do you always have to be so neat about it?" Zac yelled rolling his eyes. "Shhhh.... just let him open it his way Zac!" Ike said laughing as did everyone else. Finally he opened the box and lifted the lid. Taylor's face lit up as he saw the black and red colored crutches that lay in the box before him. The arm pads were bright red and the rest of the crutches were black. "Crutches! You mean I can finally walk with crutches? Oh YEEEEES! I love the color guys." Taylor shouted happily ripping them out of the box. "Yes Tay. You finally graduated to the next step. And we taylor made them to you!" Jason laughed at Taylor's joyful filled face as he got the pun intended as did everyone else in the room. "But remember those are only temporary too." Alice assured him happily looking lovingly at Jason and then at Taylor. "Can somebody help me stand up so I can use them?" Taylor asked excitedly looking at his father. Walker and Jason stood up and walked over to Taylor and each took a arm and lifted him up gently and carefully. "Now put your weight on your right leg, not your left." Jason instructed as Taylor nodded listening to him. Isaac got up and grabbed the crutches and handed them to his father's free hand. Taylor wobbled slightly trying to gain his balance on his right leg that was finally healed. Jason held on to him as Walker handed Taylor the crutches. Taylor placed them under his arms and rested down onto them with his right leg. "Hey their perfect. Can everyone move so I can try them out?" Taylor asked anxiously as everyone got up and moved out of the way. Taylor gingerly took a step. Suddenly he felt off balance and started falling to the right side with fear covering his face. Jason caught him and put him back upright again. Taylor took a deep breath and sighed looking down at the floor. "Take your time. Put the crutches forward first then swing your body forward placing your right leg down. You can do it Taylor!" Jason explained looking into Taylor's serious face as he nodded. "Okay. Once again!" Taylor exclaimed with a determined look on his face. He did as Jason told him and he took his first step and smiled. He took another step and then another. He finally felt the rhythm. "I'm walking! Oh this is AWESOME! I have been waiting so long for this!" Taylor yelled joyously as he walked around the room with everyone cheering him on. Mackie jumped up and down as did Avery who was standing next to him. "Tay is walking! Tay is walking!" Mackie yelled happily clapping his hands. Everyone laughed at Mackie's joy. Jason lifted Mackie up into the air and spun him around. "Yes Taylor is walking!" Jason yelled as Mackie giggled, loving the feeling of being up so high. Jason then gently placed Makie down as the little boy smiled up at him. Diana started to cry. "Mom? What's wrong?" Taylor asked noticing his mother had tears running down her face and walked up to her feeling concerned. "I...I'm just so happy. That's all. My Taylor can walk again. Let me have my moment." Diana rasped reaching out and caressing the side of Taylor's face lovingly while she smiled at him. Taylor shyly cast his eyes down and blushed slightly when he noticed Sherri staring at him enjoying the moment too. "I'm proud of you Tay. I knew you could do it. Now all Jason and my mom have to do is get your foot thumping again so you can stamp down to the beat of your music!" Sherri exclaimed suddenly blurting out the words and then turning a deep shade of red as she brought her hand up to her mouth realizing what she just said. The whole room grew silent and then Taylor burst out laughing followed by everyone else. "Sherri? That is so true. Taylor couldn't even sing a note if he couldn't do that." Zac said laughing and pushing his body up against her arm, rocking her slightly. "I...I " Sherri suddenly laughed too as Taylor was still smiling at her. "Well don't worry Sherri we'll get Taylor to do that." Alice smiled at her embarrassed daughter. "But first we are going to work Taylor on the parallel bars over there." Jason said pointing at them and smiling from ear to ear. "When?" Taylor asked with excitement surging through him, as he turned toward Jason. "Tomorrow I want you to start." "Finally! This means I don't have much further to go. Does it?" Taylor asked searching Jason eyes. "That depends on..." "Me! I know. I know!" Taylor said with a smile. Jason smiled down at him nodding. Sherri was relieved that the attention was taken away from her. She still felt a little silly for blurting out those words but happy at the way the Hanson's took the statement. Ike was noticing Sherri still staring at Taylor and smiled slightly seeing the crush she had on his brother. Sherri felt someone looking at her and looked up at Ike and quickly cast her eyes away blushing slightly. "Well do you want to WALK down to the studio and record some more of our music?" Ike asked Taylor who smiled at him. "Think I could beat you down there?" Taylor asked teasingly. "Hey! Don't even think about!" Alice scolded shaking her finger at Taylor. "I was just kidding Alice." "Just walk. Okay?" "Don't worry Alice. I will." Taylor chuckled. "Zac? Come on lets go!" Ike yelled shocking Zac out of his deep thoughts of happiness as he was thinking about the day when Taylor would be totally healed again. "Oh... yeah coming!" Zac said bolting to the door. Taylor left the room first followed by his brothers as they waved to everyone and headed for their studio. Sherri, Jessica, Avery, and Mackie were going to play some video games and left the room too after them and headed for the living room. "Well this was a great day!" Walker stated looking up at Jason. "It was hard keeping it a secret from him all morning." Jason chuckled. "Those designer crutches were a pretty penny, but it was worth all the money just seeing Taylor's face light up the way it did. He has been through so much these last few months." Diana said smiling at Walker. "He deserves the reward." Alice agreed lovingly looking up at Jason again. Diana noticed this and smiled slightly wondering when Jason was ever going to notice how Alice really felt about him. "He really did catch on fast. Now to get him walking without them." Jason smiled gently caressing Alice's right arm. She smiled up at him as he smiled back. << Previous Page of Story>> << Back to Story Page>> << Back To Index Of Chapters Page>> Back To Main Page>> |