Ready or not. Here comes rehab for Jason Street
Jason enters the rehab facility with as much anger and self-pity that he has ever had in his life. It was going to be an uphill climb for Jason and it would be up to him to overcome himself if he wanted to overcome the cards that he had been dealt and then go on to accomplish great feats that would still be within his grasp.
Much of the beginning of Jason’s rehab was met with his resistance. Jason did not even want to try and pick up a fork and try to take a bite of food. He had never been more angry in his life. It was going to take lots of self-motivation and even more prodding from those around Jason if he is to make something of his new life.
It had made Jason’s rehab even more daunting that his best friend, Tim, still refused to visit. Tim was still caught up in his own self-pity. And to compound matters more, as you will read later, Tim had found himself in the arms of Jason’s girlfriend, Lyla!
Tornado Herc finds puddle of clay in Jason Street
It was right about the time of Jason’s lowest point when he was unceremoniously introduced to his roommate, Herc. Herc was this rude, in-your-face type of guy that seemed to thrive in ticking people off. Herc had been a quadriplegic for some time and was ready to give any “newbe” the wakeup of their lifetime.
Herc handles Jason Street’s self-pity
It was at the boiling point in Jason and Herc’s young relationship when everything changed and Jason became serious in his quest to surrender to his new way of life. Herc had just wheeled himself back into the room to find Jason blankly looking at the wall. Herc would have none of this and began ramming his wheelchair into Jason’s. Herc began telling Jason of the glamorous life of being confined to a wheelchair. Herc was really ripping into Jason as he grew more agitated by the second as Herc rudely spewed such things as telling Jason that he would eventually lose his girlfriend and burden the guilt of lawsuits that would drive his parents to divorce. It was at this point, instantly after Jason used his lifeless arm to knock a cup of water off the table and towards Herc, that he realized that Herc’s next statement was true. “Good. I knew there was some fight in you.”
Herc quickly recognized all the signs of Jason’s pity that even he had wallowed in himself when he was first injured. Herc went to work on Jason. Seeing a golden opportunity to help prepare Jason for this young, wheelchair-bound life, Herc would get to work on forcing Jason to face the reality of his situation.
It was at this point that Jason began softening to Herc. Jason realized that Herc’s tough love approach was exactly what he needed at this point in his rebab. He was a sponge, gathering up any piece of advice and knowledge that Herc was willing to offer.
A few days had went by and Jason was learning more and more about his new found body. Jason was working with his physical therapist when once again Herc wheeled himself into the room and demanded the next step to Jason’s mental and physical recovery. Quad rugby! Herc wanted Jason’s physical therapist to authorize a trip to the recreation center so that Jason could be introduced to the next phase of his recovery.
In the next article, read about how Jason’s life would continue to evolve with the help of playing quad rugby.