Disabled?

"Ok, look. Hear me out alright? I was walking with this hot woman last night..."

"Uh-huh."

"The second she realized I was her walking companion, she fled like I was the punchline of a joke gone terribly wrong—guess my expression was as dark as my silhouette in the moonlight..."

"..."

"...though still not as dark as the valley she ran into-"

I stared blankly at the middle-aged man who tried his best to hide his laughter.

"Seriously..."

A forceful smile crept upon my lips.

What else could I say in such a situation? As much as I hated to admit it, this kind of conversation between us became the highlight of my day. After finishing work, he would take his time to visit me in the hospital and start our talk like this.

Though to be honest, our banter has unexpectedly become a welcome coping mechanism for me amidst the agonizing boredom. These playful exchanges between me and my pops do offer a momentary relief from my daily sight-seeing of these white hospital walls...

And as if to confirm my thoughts, my dad continued.

"I mean... shit, if it weren't for the fact that she tripped afterward, I would've asked for her n-"

"Gerald!"

A woman lightly pinched my dad's arm, making him yelp in pain before hissing at her.

"JUST a joke, don't go too hard on me alright."

"But, still-"

"It's fine, mom. It was funny."

I interrupted her before she could scold my dad. Again, I can see uncontrollable laughter trying to break out of him.

My mom, who sat beside him, sighed at his behavior. She then turned to look at me with her usual warm and gentle gaze.

"Seriously, don't listen to this man-child!"

While my mom may have appeared a tad too stern with him, in truth, she had long grown accustomed to his childlike antics, much earlier than I did. They had been acquainted since high school, fostering a familiarity that transcended decades.

Besides, if I were to be blunt here, I'd say she fully embraced his dark humor, morphing into a companion akin to the bear beside her, still clutching onto his laughter.

To prove my point, I caught her struggling to keep a stoic expression, as the edge of her mouth struggled to move upwards, signaling the troubles of forcing an emotionless facade.

"Though, that was kind of funny... I guess."

Well, it looks like you do inherit part of a person's habit when you've been with them for several decades.

The same thing could be said about my parents.

Like a match made in heaven.

They do fit each other if I say so myself.

A sigh came out of my mouth.

Though, unfortunately...- I was an imperfect child, incapable of standing up for myself.

Quite literally, in fact. 

I looked down at my body, particularly my waist where everything else below it was paralyzed. Nothing could be done, no matter how much I tried to move.

Physical therapy? Nah, that didn't work. 

Surgery, perhaps? Nope, docs deemed it too dangerous apparently. 

I was thoroughly paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of my life.

Unlike many movies, novels, and comics, where some of the main characters manage to fully recover with sheer will and luck, the reality was that it was not all sunshine and rainbows.

In a nutshell, it never was, to be honest.

Life played its hand as it pleased, tossing whatever it pleased in your direction. If you overcame its challenges, commendable, congratulations. If not, well, tough luck— you better deal with the aftermath afterward. 

Some manage to overcome life's trials and bask in luxury thereafter, while others who conquer similar challenges find themselves confronted with even greater adversity. This relentless cycle of life would eventually lead to...

-despair and hopelessness... though perhaps not always, therein lies a catch.

A select few individuals are just inherently destined for greatness, relentlessly fortifying their minds amidst life's trials. They persevere, pouring blood, sweat, and tears into their endeavors, knowing that their efforts will eventually yield rewards.

That is until... it doesn't.

As I mentioned beforehand, life is, in a nutshell, unfair in a lot of ways.

Ah... the naivety of the masses. Scaling that towering mountain only to expect a reward for your efforts? How outlandish. In this world, triumphing over challenges is merely the first step towards a greater, more sinister game.

Don't get me wrong. Some things you can control, however most you cannot.

What it all boils down to, is luck and opportunity.

However, I managed to receive the very short end of the stick.

What could have caused me to live my life as a disabled person, constantly having to sit in a wheelchair whilst also heavily relying on my parents to take care of me?

Unfortunately, a reckless, incompetent, waste of air chose to drive on the road on that faithful day.

Did I mention that he was drunk too?

They often say a person's actions can lead to numerous good or bad consequences.

And after thorough calculation, I do have to agree with that...

I mean, that's common sense.

As such, the lively part of my mind had a question.

A very simplistic one that wouldn't require the use of complex thoughts.

The infamous 'what if'.

What would happen if I hadn't gone outside?

What if that guy who recklessly drove, smashed into a brick wall, killing himself instead?

What if...?

Yet the pessimistic side of my mind just had to butt in.

'Oh please, just fucking zip it.' 

But, isn't it obvious? If we put this into a different perspective, you could say that the "what ifs" are akin to branches of a different timeline that could've happened if said action was to be taken.

Hypothetically speaking, those are just probabilities that could've occurred.

But what if those branches were cut off like a scissor cutting through the threads of fate?

If I were to put myself into perspective, I'd say I've only a few routes.

Thinking positively could result in something. Objectively though, I can't see myself doing that. Subjectively, I'd love to see the results.

"Hah..."

My thoughts have been cut off due to someone depressingly sighing.

Oh, it was me.

Oops.

Then I felt a warm hand gently enveloping my own.

I looked up and saw my mother smiling at me.

"Everything will be alright, my sweetheart."

She says so, with a sad look in her eye.

"...Right."

Why do you have to lie to yourself? I wanted to ask. But, I knew more than anyone how dire my situation was.

I looked at the heart rate monitor beside my bed. The numbers indicating my BPM were lower than usual.

Sigh...

If the only issue was just me having to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, then I'd probably be mildly annoyed perhaps depressed for a few years, but I'll probably get used to it.

Didn't I mention it before? I got the short end of the stick.

I remember the day I opened my eyes again after the accident. The first thing I heard was the frantic cry of my mom while my dad tried to console her, nevertheless, the guy was also having tears run down his face.

I was confused. I mean who wouldn't? You suddenly wake up in an unknown room while your parents are crying their hearts out.

It was then I also realized another person was in the room.

A stranger with a white coat. Typical black glasses and a tired but sympathetic expression.

"We tried our best, but the state of which his spinal cord came in... was already severe. The trauma caused by it made him lose all functions of his lower body. But as we were..."

I still vividly remember the words that came out of his mouth.

"...examining the state of his body, we found something else."

The doctor took a deep breath and braced himself.

"We found out that your son... has cardiomyopathy, which causes his heart muscle to weaken over-"

Plop!

My mom collapsed.

Fortunately, my dad held her in time, but even he was barely keeping it in.

What followed was nothing but pure chaos.

Damn... no wonder I did so poorly in athletic activities.

As I finished reminiscing, I felt a tight sensation in my chest.

I opened my eyes and looked at my mother and father.

Oh dear, they're already crying.

They must've noticed it as well.

The beeping of the heart rate monitor faded into a distant echo, each pulse weaker than the last.

My senses became duller. My eyes were getting blurry akin to a fog covering my vision...-I felt like I was getting out of touch with reality itself, slowly but steadily feeling my consciousness fading away like a wisp. 

"...!"

Something or someone blurry rushed in, I think?

"...-someone... get... AED!"

"Quick..."

I couldn't hear them that well anymore.

Yet, did it have to happen that fast?

I thought I could last longer. I thought I could speak with them for a bit more before I go.

I guess it ends here.

How tragic.

I'll miss them.

I'll thoroughly miss them.

If only I was born like the average human being.

If only it was someone else instead of me.

They didn't deserve this.

Such good people didn't deserve to go through this.

I guess that's just how it is.

As my life dwindles, the cruel absurdity of it all hits me like a final blow, a sick joke played out in the fading moments of my existence.

Seriously...

Fuck you.

...

...

...

*******************

The year 2237 on the New Dawn calendar.

At a particular royal household.

Winter was creeping around the horizon, yet that didn't seem to bother the people cleaning outside the house.

They were men and women alike dressed in medieval European fashion, doing their jobs with elegance and discipline.

However, the clothes were also different, clearly outlining their different jobs.

One was that of a servant, and the other was a maid.

Rustle... rustle...

The sound of a broom quietly brushed the ground-covered leaves.

Some small talks between them were also made.

But overall, everything was calm and peaceful. The scene formed a perfect sense of harmony between nature and humans, as no one disturbed one another.

Tak. Tak. Tak.

The sound of loud footsteps suddenly ruined the peaceful atmosphere, making both genders of their respective jobs questioningly look at the source of the noise.

"Ah, it's just young master Franz."

"Oh..."

"Ok..."

As they confirmed who it was, they quietly went back to doing what they were supposed to do.

But something bothered them as a weird expression appeared on some of their faces.

'Young master seems to be in a weird mood...'

Because usually, Franz wouldn't deliberately make this much noise. He was quieter and more composed.

Even if there was a case where he had something troubling on his mind, he wouldn't have made it that obvious.

Even with his so-called tough and cold demeanor, the servants and maids would most of the time pick up on it and bring the news to the butler or head maid to make sure he wouldn't attempt anything stupid.

One of the maids, in particular, was looking in the direction he was heading to.

'He's... heading to his room?'

She rubbed her temples and quietly sighed.

"If... by any chance he's going to do 'that' again, we'll have to inform her..."

"No, I'll take care of it. You guys do your thing."

An old but broad man softly interrupted the maid, before he casually went in another direction.

'That's not where the young master is heading though?'

Sigh...

"I hope this doesn't escalate into something else..."

"Yeah..."

"Affirmative."

Unbeknownst to them, the calm and composed Franz was having an unusual existential crisis while fervently checking his reflection in a big mirror.

Now, the question remains.

What would happen if an anomaly from a different timeline accidentally crossed into a new dimension?

Just how big of a ripple would a pebble cause to a sea already full of chaos and madness?

Could the wave caused by the aforementioned be disruptive enough to make a change for the greater good?

Or make it into something worse?

The fact is... no one knows.