Rehabilitation Therapist for the Broken Warrior – Chapter 44

“Alright, from now on, you’ll be using this.”

The next day, just as promised, Elder Leonard showed up at lunchtime with Zion’s wheelchair.

Since it was the item Zion would be riding around in, we needed to test it first. We decided to head outside to the spacious yard and check the wheelchair’s performance.

“……”

Zion sat in the wheelchair, subtly trembling with anxiety.

I hadn’t witnessed how Zion adapted to that pressure-controlled wheelchair the first time around, but I knew that the grueling practice had been traumatic enough to trigger seizures due to the pain he experienced. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was truly okay now.

“I’ll explain how to operate it. Do you remember where the control device used to be?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“First, try to create a pressure difference in the center like you did before.”

“How?”

“Any way you want.”

“Any way?”

Zion visibly floundered.

It was just as confusing for me. If you put pressure on the control device however you like, wouldn’t it move however it wanted?

“Still, it won’t move, so it’s fine. Trust me and give it a try.”

“So it doesn’t move… then…”

– Vroom

The sound of the wheelchair’s mechanism starting up echoed from beneath Zion.

Did it always make that sound? The wheelchair remained stationary, just as Leonard had said.

“Now that device is no longer a control mechanism; it’s a power generator. You’re still using that primitive design to make the wheels move from a generated pressure? Tsk tsk. By the way, we removed all the other controls, so only this one remains.”

“Then how does this wheelchair move?”

“This right here. This is the control device.”

Leonard pointed to the right armrest of Zion’s wheelchair, where a joystick-like lever was attached.

“When you supply power to the generator, the wheelchair operates, and you control it with this control device. First, gear it over there.”

“Gear?”

“The one on the side of the handle.”

Does it even have a gear attached to the joystick-like control device?

At this point, it didn’t seem too different from a modern electric wheelchair, did it?

Seeing it for the first time, they seemed to have modified Zion’s wheelchair to a level similar to that bizarre mechanized carriage.

Following Leonard’s instructions, Zion started to operate the gear on the side.

“The speed will depend on the gear you engage, and you use this to set the direction. Since you’ve engaged the gear, give the controller a go. It’s in first gear, so it shouldn’t be too fast.”

“Alright. I’ll give it a try.”

Leonard stepped back, and Zion placed his hand on the controller.

When he pushed the lever forward, the wheelchair slowly started to move ahead.

“Whoa?”

Zion seemed so fascinated with the controller that he began to weave around the wide yard, indulging in the tight turns.

“How’s it feeling, Zion? It’s way better than the one you had before, right?”

“Yes, Elder! This is really comfortable and fun!”

It felt like I had never seen Zion so genuinely excited in nearly two months since we met. He was enthusiastic at the dessert shop, sure, but seeing him so adorably childlike was a surprise.

“Well, I’ve delivered the goods, so I’ll be off now. Relax and take it easy for the remaining time.”

“Thank you, Elder.”

“Thanks!! Be careful on your way back!”

Thanks to Elder Leonard, Zion’s wheelchair had returned, and now he could get around the village.

Where should we go?

The dwarf village had hot springs, but there weren’t any tourist attractions worth mentioning.

“Where do you think we should go?”

“Anywhere. For some reason, I feel like exploring today.”

Anywhere? Zion was as excited as a kid with a new toy.

Was he thinking about going for a drive or something?

“Alright, well, since I don’t have a specific destination in mind, let’s just go!”

After shouting “let’s go!”, Zion pushed the wheelchair toward the nearest corner, charging straight ahead.

“Hey, wait a moment! How am I supposed to keep up if you go that fast?!”

“Come on, Hop-sensei is healthy, so you can just run to catch up.”

“How am I supposed to do that…?!”

I hurriedly chased after Zion, but the wheelchair was moving at a speed comparable to a bicycle, creating an ever-expanding gap between us.

Zion, nearly out of sight, seemed like he might be lost when he suddenly turned back and came back beside me, shouting, “Come on, keep up!” as he zoomed ahead once more.

“Hehe. It feels like I’m training the teacher like this.”

“Gasp… I’ve never treated Zion like this before!”

“Anyway, hurry up and move~!”

“Wouldn’t it be better to decide where we’re going first?”

“I don’t know about that~.”

Today, Zion appeared to be in an exceptionally good mood, full of high energy. Was he on another emotional roller-coaster ride again?

Zion tended to get easily depressed or trigger seizures over the smallest events, yet days like this, when he was boisterously cheerful, were just as frequent.

Extreme fluctuations in emotions are indicators of a patient’s unfavorable condition, yet it’s not necessarily a bad thing that he’s excited right now.

Could I be somewhat reassured about his trauma regarding the wheelchair with him acting so joyfully?

Though painful memories don’t disappear, you can cover them over and make them blurry.

If Zion was having such a good time driving the new wheelchair like a ride, then perhaps his perception of it has improved a bit.

“Whoa, gasp…”

Though that could be the case, I couldn’t chase after him any longer.

“Since I can’t run anymore, you can take me lightly and do whatever you want!”

“Wow, Teacher, you really are a weakling. How about doing a bit of exercise regularly like me? I’ll help you out like this.”

“Never thought I’d hear the word ‘weak’ coming from Zion…”

“You’re saying that after knowing what kind of person I was?”

Of course, I knew. Hero Zion was the farthest from anything weak.

The world’s savior, the strongest and most beautiful being in this realm.

“Sure, I know that…”

In the past, he undoubtedly was. And it’s exactly because of that past Zion that the current Zion meant so much to me.

“But to me, at least, the broken and fragile Zion now…”

The moment I was about to say more, my entire body stiffened.

I almost let it slip.

When did it ever begin?

I had always loved broken and faded things, but Zion was something special among them.

A star faintly shining beside me now, having fallen from the highest point.

The most mesmerizing and unique person to me in the world.

Whenever I looked at him, I felt my heart racing, a thrilling sensation that was always there, but lately, I’ve been acutely aware of how drastically it’s been growing.

“……”

But that feeling is something I could never voice. It’s something I must never reveal.

My honest emotions that can never collide with Zion.

Is this all my life is about? Always holding something back from Zion?

This feeling, the lies I’ve told, and a myriad of other things, all have to remain hidden.

“What’s wrong with me right now?”

“…You seem more accustomed.”

Trying to avoid being seen, I turned my back on Zion once again today.

I had no choice but to hide and pull away. Perhaps I would never be understood.

Never…

“Hop-sensei? Are you okay?”

Noticing my head lowered, Zion asked with concern, seeming suspicious of my unusual demeanor.

“Haah… I guess I’m just feeling lightheaded after all that running. Let’s take a break.”

And thus, I awkwardly faked being breathless, yet again deceiving Zion.

Still, this was more than manageable.

I like Zion, and while hiding my feelings, this relationship where I help him heal is more than enough.

As long as I can continue to support him, go out to eat on weekends, occasionally attend business trips or retreats together, and spend time together like this, that’s all I need…

“Should we move over there? There’s some shade from the trees.”

“Let’s do that.”

We moved into the tree shade together, letting the cool breeze wash over us.

Thinking about it, since we’re at a higher altitude, is the pressure lower making it a bit harder to breathe?

In any case, I tried to suppress the unnecessary thoughts about this or the refreshing breeze, focusing more on cherishing this moment with Zion.

I sincerely hoped that these moments would continue smoothly without any disturbances.

*******

“How was your convalescence?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

After returning to the center, it was my first day back at work.

As usual, Mirae, the nurse-maid who came in a bit earlier than me, greeted me cheerfully.

During the week of recovery spent at the dwarf hot springs, Zion and I had a solid chance to recuperate, and thankfully, he didn’t show any additional withdrawal symptoms or severe issues during this period.

Having benefited sufficiently from the hot springs and the spirits, he had stabilized quite a bit.

Now that we were back at the center, it was time to resume the work of building up his body through exercise.

“Well, now it’s time to work. Here are the charts from the residents who saw patients during your absence and the recovery cooldown sheet.”

As I took the papers from Mirae, reviewing the work done during my absence marked the start of today’s tasks.

Our center’s residents are so well-trained that if I were to go off anywhere, they would be capable practitioners capable of running the center without issues. There shouldn’t be any significant problems.

“Hmm…”

And the recovery cooldown sheet. Many residents and interns were training at the center, but only Mirae could use the conditional restoration magic, ‘Recover.’

Thus, during my absence, Mirae had been managing the cooldowns for patients, and this sheet was what she had continued to draft.

“There aren’t any notable issues. Thanks for your hard work.”

“Yes, then I’ll prepare for the center to open.”

“I’ll leave it to you.”

I hadn’t thought about how special this magic was before, but I was beginning to wonder how Mirae had obtained this magic that had seemed unattainable to Hanamana as well.

I’m intrigued, but ultimately, it doesn’t really matter. With Mirae around, everything operates smoothly, even if I take a business trip or time off.

Thanks to resting thoroughly, I felt considerably better than usual.

Having adjusted my sleep rhythm during the last three days of the convalescence to return to work, it was now time to revert to my daily life as Hop Harvey, the Rehabilitation Expert.