One More Lap...

Posted on Tue Jul 13th, 2021 @ 9:53am by Private Mattias Tonelly

Mission: The Factions
Location: South Shore Physical Therapy Center, Long Island, New York

"Come on, Matty, you can do it! Push through the pain! You're almost there!" Carlos cheered Mattias on from the side of the pool, as he walked alongside Mattias as the young man continued to swim his butterfly stoke to the end of the pool.

In the pool, Mattias was on his fourth lap of the 25 meter pool. The muscles of his upper body were continuing to rebuild and grow stronger than they had been prior to the attack. Everything from his hips down, aside from his toes minor movement, was still limp.

When he reached the wall, he reached up and grabbed the edge, and hung, catching his breath. Carlos leaned down and high-fived Mattias, smiling broadly.

"There ya go, buddy! I told you could do it!"

Nodding, exhausted, Mattias replied. "Yeah.." he slowly pulled his body along the side of the pool to the sumerged lift chair. Once he sat in the plastic bucket-like chair, he fastened the belt to hold him in while he was slowly lifted up and out of the pool. "Guess...that means...you owe me!" A grin crossed his face as he spoke.

As Carlos activated the machine, lifting Mattias out of the pool, he chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. And you know that I'm a man of my word. Once you're all cleanec up and ready to head out, and your parents tell me that it's okay, tben we'll head out."

Mattias pumped his right fist in victory. "Yes!!" He then looked at his friend and trainer. "I'm sure they won't have any problems. They trust you almost as much as I do." He held out a fist to be bumped.

After Mattias had transferred from the pool lift to the wheelchair used for the pool, to keep his personal chair dry, he moved into the shower room and cleaned the chlorine and sqeat off of his body.

About forty minutes later, now clean, dry and dressed, Mattias rolled out of the locker room and up to Carlos. Handing his phone over, he said, "My parents are on the phone, they said they are fine with the plan.

Carlos smiled and took the phone. "I'm sure they are, Matty. But you know the drill." That said, he put the phone to his ear. "Hello? Ah, Mrs Tonelly! Yes, Ma'am, he did outstanding today. Yes, Ma'am, we did have a wager and ge won. Oh, I should have him back back home around four, four-thirty. "Yes, Ma'am, we will." He handed the phone back to Mattias. "Your mom wants to speak to you."

Mattias took the phone back and placed it to his ear. "Hi, Mama! Yes, Ma'am, I will. Love you too, Mama! Bye!" He then hung up the phone and slipped it in the left breast pocket of the old BDU top that he loved to wear. "All set!"

Carlos chuckled. "Okay then, off we go!"