It would be the first time he’d gone out other than to get in and out of the car for appointments or to sit on the porch in the back for a few minutes, and it was a scary prospect, going out in public, in either the wheelchair or scooter.But he wanted to spend the time with Ian, so he nodded.
“I’d like that.Maybe the scooter so you don’t have to worry about pushing me around as well as dealing with the kids.”
“We’d love that.It’s charged and everything.Eat up, hmm?I’ll bring you eggs and clothes up.”
“Thanks, Chou.Just don’t get them mixed up, eh?”He gave Ian a look.
“Right, bacon goes in your mouth.Clothes go on your pretty butt.”Ian winked at him.“Then we’ll get you down the stairs, and you can rest for a bit before we get ready to go.Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect.”His Chou went out of his way to do things for him.It sort of blew his mind.
He didn’t deserve a single second of it, but he would take it.
His oatmeal was delicious, and the bacon and eggs after were even better.Ian getting him into his sweats was better than even all that.
“How can I help you with the stairs?The installer comes in two days with the lift.That will expand your exploring ability a ton.”
“Well, and now that I’ve had a night in the good bed upstairs, I don’t want to go back to the hospital bed downstairs.”He got up.“Let me get started on the stairs and see how you can help.”
He went over to them and looked.He even went to take a step but shook his head and turned around.
“I think I’m going to try going backward.Can you make sure I’m trying to step on the actual stairs and not air?”
“Of course.I have your back.”Ian stood behind him, hands clenching the railings on both sides.
“Thanks, Chou.I’ll do my best not to send us both down the stairs head first.”He started down carefully – the chair lift would be a godsend, really.
“I’ve got you.Don’t worry.The chair lift is going to be amazing.It’ll let you have more independence.”
“It should, yeah.It should help you out, as well.Because I can be more help, I mean.”
“Totally.And you’ll be more comfortable upstairs in our bedroom.It’ll feel less like a hospital room.”
He nodded.“And more like being home.”He smiled, even though Ian couldn’t see him.
“Do you miss your other place?Is it nice?”
He shrugged.“I don’t miss it at all.It was… magazine cover worthy and sterile and just a place where I laid my head to sleep, where I could work out and eat and have downtime in front of a huge TV.”It had been the place where he lived; it had not been home.
“Well, now you can have snuggles with kids over morning cartoons.”
That was vastly superior, and it made him feel like a real boy, like his life was amazing.
“I’ll take it.”He got to the bottom of the stairs with minimal pain and without killing either of them.He was taking that as a win too.
“Dad!You did the stairs!”Tori cheered and Petey clapped for him.
“He did.Dad is so brave!”
“Sure, but Daddy is even braver.He made sure I didn’t die coming down these stairs.Go Daddy.”He gave Ian a grin.
Ian shook his head the barest bit, and Peter stared.
“Are you gonna die?”
Tori blinked.“NO!No, Dad.You can’t.”
Ian immediately went to the kids.“Hey.Hey, breathe.He meant fall.It’s okay.”
