“Here we are!” Dave announced as
he proudly opened the door.
There were red, green, yellow,
and blue balloons taped to the staircase and walls, along with a sign by the
stairwell that read, “Welcome home, Simon!”.
Theodore and Alvin were waiting at the entrance to greet him.
“Hi, Simon!” Theodore gave him a
huge squeeze. “We’re so happy you’re
home!”
“We decorated the house and
everything,” Alvin beamed. “It’s like
another birthday party.”
“Thanks,” Simon responded without
much enthusiasm, “but I don’t feel much like celebrating. Can I just go to my room?” he asked Dave.
Dave rubbed the back of his
neck. “We, uh, moved your bed and some of
your things into the den. We thought it’d
be easier for you until you get out of this wheelchair.”
“You mean ‘if’ I get out of this
wheelchair.” And without waiting for a
response, Simon wheeled into the den, bumping into the furniture and walls a
few times on his way there.
Dave sighed. “It’s going to take a while for Simon to
accept this. We should leave him alone
for a little while.”
“Alright,” they sadly agreed.
This kind of behavior went on for
a few days. Simon stayed in his
makeshift bedroom all day, reluctant to come out even for meals. He would go from bed to wheelchair to bed
again, either staring out the window or flipping aimlessly through the pages of
his book. Theodore visited him often to
keep him company. This particular day,
Theodore was determined to make him smile.
“Hi, Simon! How are you today? I brought you more books from your shelf.” Theodore set them down on the nightstand near
Simon’s chair. “I wasn’t sure which ones
you’d want to read next, so I just brought them down in order.”
“Thanks,” Simon replied
listlessly.
“Everyone keeps asking about you
at school. They wonder when you’ll come
back. I bet you miss school a lot.”
Simon sighed and stared outside.
“The Chipettes want to know when
they can visit you,” Theodore tried again.
“I told them I’d ask you.”
“I don’t feel much like visitors.”
“But they’re your friends! They miss you!”
Simon turned to his brother. “I’m
sorry. I just don’t want to see anyone.”
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