Olivia Jensen is on her way to ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ғᴀsᴛ (sprinted) wrote in remains_rpg, @ 2016-04-01 09:25:00 |
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Clockwise, counterclockwise, point and flex, draw the alphabet. Olivia's hands felt chalky from holding the resistance band and she was pretty sure she'd seen a toddler walk more confidently than her that morning, in the dining area of the LBJ. But had that toddler gone through something totally traumatic and stressful, something that totally wiped out his sense of identity and self-worth? Maybe, probably -- birth seemed kind of traumatic, now that Olivia thought about it, but. Okay, she was getting distracted. "Huh? We're going to do what next?" She tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, then let go of the resistance band to fix her ponytail. It felt good to have her hair up again, even if the thought of going the full length of the LBJ's longest hallway -- that was what he'd suggested, right? -- made her feel exhausted already. "Are you sure we're ready for that?" If he had been working with a client Nick would have fought to keep his expression professional, would have replied in an even and reassuring tone. This was Olivia though, so while his tone was still definitely reassuring, there a hint of the challenge in his words as well because he knew she would rise to it. “You heard me, Jensen,” Nick moved to take the resistance band back from her and place it with the rest of the meager physical therapy equipment he had. “Would I have suggested it if I didn't think you were ready?” His job right now was to make sure she got back to peak physical form and if he didn't think she was up to he wouldn't have said a thing about the hallway. "I mean, probably," she said, unable to stop herself. He wouldn't, though, and they both knew that well. “Look, I know it seems daunting and you're worried,” Nick began, his expression understanding. “But I promise Liv I wouldn't be moving to this step if I didn't think you were ready.” She hated how terrifying it seemed. Sprains and twists had happened to her before -- she wasn't like, indestructible or anything -- but for some reason, this injury had shaken her more than anything else she'd ever experienced. Maybe now that the world was different, everything seemed more important these days. Or maybe she was just being a coward. It was hard to say at times. Still, she trusted him, and she had enough self-awareness to know that if anyone else had asked her this, the reception would've been a lot icier than what she did say. "Fine," she said, leaning forward to carefully begin to slip her socks and shoes on. God, she'd missed her running shoes so badly, even if every time she looked down at them, she couldn't help but think about the last time she'd worn them in October. Years of knowing Olivia gave him some insight into her, so when she uttered that one word, Nick knew he had a willing patient - if not an entirely happy one. "Just walking down it, right?" she asked once she'd finished, turning her head towards the door. "You're not gonna be like, 'time for drills' or anything?" “I'm an athletic trainer, Liv, not a sadist,” Nick remarked while just barely containing a smirk. He could appreciate that she was apprehensive, it was hard getting back on one's feet after an injury - especially one sustained while experiencing something traumatic. "Fine. But just because I'm not arguing back about you being a sadist or not doesn't mean I agree." And hey, they'd practiced standing and bearing weight; surely a long walk would be okay? *Ugh, she hated how this seemed like a 'long walk.') She pushed herself off the table until she was standing next to him, one of her hands still gripping the table's edge as she tried to assess how it felt: sore, honestly, given all the exercises she'd just done, but good. She'd missed that feeling of work in her muscles. “You don't have to agree, but you still have to do it,” Nick answered, taking note of the way she had held onto the table - a sign she was unsure on her feet. “Liv, I want you to get back up to one hundred percent just as much as you do.” He added while making his way towards the exit that would lead out into the hallway they would be using, Olivia following him slowly. “But, when you’re back in fighting form you better believe there will be drills in your future.” Nick glanced over his shoulder, offering her a grin that he knew would have earn him some kind of slap - if he had been in hitting distance and she had been more confident on her feet. Olivia rolled her eyes even as she continued to walk with him. She couldn't fault his faith in her; it was more than she felt for herself at this point, honestly, regarding her being able to run again. How could she possibly do that when each step felt like it took minutes, not seconds, to accomplish? "And what if I don't get there?" she asked, unable to stop herself. "To 100%, I mean." This question wasn’t a new one to Nick. He had heard it a million times from an array of athletes during his time at UT: Austin. The athletic trainer’s answer was always the same, full of confidence and certainty. “You will,” Brown eyes met her blue. “It might not be today, or tomorrow, but you will be back to one hundred percent,” Nick paused, a impish smile appearing. “I don't say that just because I'm the one handling your recovery, either.” This was said while they reached one end of the hallway. “And now Liv, whenever you're ready we can start this walk.” The length of the hallway stretched on before them; maybe it was some kind of weird mental trick or whatever, but the longer Olivia stared at it the longer it seemed to stretch. She'd been through recovery before -- with Nick, even -- but this was something else altogether. She'd never shied away from a challenge before, either, but walking down that hallway seemed impossible just then. If she said no, though, or made up some kind of excuse, Nick would totally know she'd chickened out. "Ready," she forced herself to say, taking her first step forward, then another. After all, she'd walked to the hallway; she could at least do a little more. Nick offered a reassuring smile as he said. “Alright, let’s just take it slowly,” he followed along beside Olivia, giving her enough space to move, but staying near enough to grab hold of her if she were to falter in her steps. “This isn’t a race, Liv,” Nick continued, knowing that her competitive nature was just as strong as his own. “Although if it would make this less daunting we could make it a race,” he was kidding of course. “I’d even hop down the hall on one leg.” This was all to get a laugh out of her and take her mind off of the length of the hallway; what he actually got was a narrow-eyed glare. Olivia could do this, Nick knew she could - he wouldn't have moved onto this next step if he thought she wasn’t ready. But if he could make this walk down the hall easier on her, he would do everything within his power to do that. "I hate you," she told him without concern or regret. In truth, it wasn't all that bad; the throbbing soreness in her ankle was only a little more noticeable than usual as they walked, and she was moving faster than she'd thought she would. The real struggle was mental: overcoming the frustration she felt at just how difficult this was. “No you don’t, but keep telling yourself that if it keeps you motivated,” Nick answered back, confident in his assertion that she didn’t hate him. He was watching her closely, taking note of each step and the way she was moving. So far she looked good, she was keeping a good pace and he had high hopes that soon enough this walk down the hallway would be a breeze for her. "See, when you say things like that, it just makes me hate you more. Besides, you'd kick my ass in a race right now and we both know it. Even if you did hop on one leg." Still, she wasn't obtuse enough to not see the progress she was making. “Want to test out that theory?” He questioned, half serious, half not. “I mean we both know that even one hundred percent sound I’d kick your ass in a race,” Nick added with a smirk and a wink, fully prepared for the fury of words his were likely to receive, or even the physical blow Olivia might attempt. “Or have you forgotten that since Zombies rose up?” Something in her eyes flashed as she rose, very predictably, to the bait he'd set out for her. "More like my fixed-up ankle would just even the score between us and that busted knee of yours," she shot back. "Besides, which event are we talking? I mean, I could probably smoke the crap out of you even if we did a sprint, but like, all healed up I'd own you in anything 800m or longer." “You wish,” Nick fired back, entirely talk. Truth was if it did come down to a longer distance Olivia would smoke him. He was a sprinter, always had been and always would be. “We’ll never know that for sure though unless you put in the time to hell of that ankle,” he added with a wave a hand in the direction of said ankle. “How ‘bout this, once you’re healed we’ll stage an honest to god race. We’ll get all the shelter residents out there and settle this argument once and for all.” The time it would take her to heal would give Nick time to accept the fact that he was going to be left in the dust by Olivia. Although on the other hand he would also be really damn proud. Not because it would be with his help that she healed up. No, he would be proud because there was a time in both their lives that he had been her couch and played a part in her training in that respect. "Okay, fine. It's on." Olivia couldn't resist a challenge, especially a racing challenge. The thought of an honest-to-God audience made her skin crawl, though, and that simple fact made it clearer than ever to her that she wasn't back to her normal self yet, even if her ankle was on its way back to its new normal. "But only when I'm ready. I'm not dragging everyone out here just so they can watch me lose. Okay? No sooner than -- Wait." Her eyes narrowed again, this time in surprise, as they reached the end of the hallway. "We're done." And her leg muscles and ankle were sore as hell, but it was better than she thought it'd be. She turned to face the walk back, her hands coming to rest on her hips as she caught her breath. Olivia knew everyone had to start somewhere, of course, but it'd been so long since she'd struggled with her running, she could barely remember what it felt like to begin anew. For a fleeting moment, the possibility of regaining her former abilities didn't seem so far off. |