Rafael watched her as she approached. He gently placed his palms at the base of her spine, tracing invisible paths with his fingers. The room felt unbearably quiet. Even the machines seemed to pause between beeps.
Bella inhaled slowly. “Your body remembers how to stand up. It hasn’t forgotten. But your mind chained it down to prevent you from getting back up. You think the paralysis is a punishment. It isn’t.”
Rafael’s breath trembled. “I killed him. My friend. If I walk again, what does his death mean?”
Bella whispered, “Human error is not the same as murder.”
Tears blurred her vision.
Dr. Strauss checked the monitors. “Stable heart rate. Increasing neural stimulation patterns. This is unusual. I’ve never seen readings like this in a non-invasive session.”
Bella closed her eyes. “Rafael, say it.”
“What are you saying?” Her voice trembled.
“The words you’re afraid to believe.”
He hesitated. Then, barely audible, he said, “I deserve to heal.”
“Again.”
He repeated it louder.
“Again.”
She shouted, “I deserve to heal.”
The heat coursed through his legs like lightning creeping across the sleeping earth. His toes curled. The wheelchair rattled beneath him.
Helen gasped. “She’s starting voluntary motor signals.”
Rafael’s fingers gripped the armrests. He lifted his right foot. Just one centimeter. Enough to break the impossible.
Teresa fell to her knees. Bella staggered. Rafael leaned forward.
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