Page 33 of Seamus: Unconventional
The chuff comes with a video of the cartoon Shadow scaring an ancient me with a big church and cemetery behind us. I roll my eyes at him. “Yes, thanks, no problem, still works. You need to stop with the AI videos. One-word answers always worked without a problem.”
He chuffs but I hear it as a huff because he’s giving me a look with it. I know it’s killing him to hold the pictures and videos back.
Coffee shows big on a sign and I laugh. “Yeah, I need coffee to put up with you first thing.”
Light huffs from the door and sends ‘no problem, two word.’
I don’t include him but know he sees I mean it because I get a look from him too. I ignore both and dress in the clothes they bring me.
“Thanks. You’re the best when I’m not.” I love my partners ignoring my surly behavior and tell them when my shoes are dropped on my lap instead of the floor in front of my chair. I laugh when they walk out without looking back. It’s a definite push for me to get on with it. Either they’re hungry, have plans for their morning, or I’m running late.
Light sends me the schedule. He’s got us all on one page now. I like it. “Thanks.” I buckle my boots and attach the thin velcro strap going across the leg rest. Asa had Anchor print foot and leg rests that will stop my feet from falling off the footrest when he saw me go down the steps of the Club. My feet barely moved going down the four steps but Anchor gave the straight rest plate a makeover. Now the fiberglass cushioned concave leg shapes fit to my legs and the Velcro stops any bounce. The little lip on the back worked before but this is better Asa said. I’m pretty sure I could make it down a six-flight set of stairs with this but my arms would be dead by the third flight. The rest would be me bouncing and my legs may indeed still be strapped to the special leg rests when I hit the bottom. It works and no one has built a ramp. I learned to go up and down stairs backwards without killing myself and it keeps my upper body conditioned. I need it now. I’m sweating when I make those four steps now, whereas, before, I never thought much about it. The two-month coma stole strength I didn’t know I lost. I went up and down the stairs in the farmhouse without a problem. The rigid type of chair has the bigger wheels with a short seat that allows a wider range of motion. Since it was only my legs that didn’t work, we made it easier for the rest of me to keep working with little adjustments.
The bark has me rolling faster. “I’m ready.”
I race through the door and laugh lifting my hands off the wheels. “They didn’t tell me you were here, Anchor, Keylan, Nike.”
“I think that was on purpose. Light said you don’t need anything?”Keylan asks, not believing it according to the doubt I can hear.
I nod taking a coffee from Anchor. “I don’t think so. Asa has a Bit making me a skeleton that works by bands. I won’t be in the chair unless I get sick of putting the skeleton on.”
Keylan watches me. Anchor nods. “The pool or when you’re in a hurry.”
I nod. “I was in a chair for a while. It’s not a hardship for me and keeps me from working out so hard.”
Keylan’s eyes volley from me to Anchor. “How did you get there?”
Anchor points. “Asa said he goes up and down the Club stairs. I made the brace to keep his legs and feet stable.”
“Nice. I like the boots.” Keylan has Light standing straighter.
I look down smiling. “Light found them for me. They buckle like ski boots but look biker with the metal.”
Keylan is over the boots. “Cort sent me pictures of the track Maiyun uses when she’s not in her skeleton. You don’t need that?”
I shake my head. “No. Asa made sure the house is accessible. I have the bars at the toilet, roll in shower and a robot arm for me to stand with. We learned to make shit we use and did. I never needed most of what Cort asked about.”
He nods. “Elevator is already at the Club. You want a ramp?”
I shake my head.
Keylan points at Anchor. “Asa said no. I don’t know what else to offer so I brought Anchor. He can make everything out of anything.”
I laugh. “Thanks. I need some technical help with the chair. Maybe just a frequency I could hit to unlock the doors. I wanted to do openers here so I don’t have to ask or reposition to get the doors open.”
Keylan looks at Anchor. “I’ll get the arms on the doors. You get him an opener on the chair. We can execute by the pad.”
Anchor nods. “Roger, Boss. You want transmitter or frequency? No. We can do it in admin settings by his print. I got it. I’ll send his print with the tracking close, six feet to account for the chair or open but not long when he’s walking.”
I get it. “Yeah.”
We all turn to Light because he chuffs. “He’s getting the tracking to open from keypads.” Anchor reads his board.
I smile. They’re fun. “Okay, they got the tracking to open. I need a switch or button for the chair, for doors at the Club so every door isn’t opening when I go by. I had too many buttons before but don’t have any on this one.”
Keylan walks to the door. “I’ll get the arms installed.”
Anchor follows me out the back. My garage is a workshop. My only change here was a carport. The truck doesn’t need more than that and my bike fits in the shop.
