Careful this time (Commission) (Patreon)

Monica stopped at the top of the stairs, positioning her wheelchair with the back facing the first step. She rested one hand on the handrail and the other on the pushrim, making sure she had a firm grip before moving. She wasn’t going to rush this again.

Her left leg stayed stiff on the footplate, locked inside the SLC. The cast made it heavier, harder to keep in place, and every time she looked at it she remembered why she had to wear it.

Last time she tried going down these stairs too fast.

She had been late, annoyed, trying to save time. Instead of lowering the chair one step at a time, she let it drop harder than she should have. The impact threw her off balance, her foot slipped, and her ankle twisted when it hit the edge of the step. She didn’t feel it happen, only noticed when she saw her foot turned the wrong way.

That was enough to learn the lesson.

Monica tightened her grip on the handrail and slowly rolled the chair back until the wheels touched the edge.

One step.

She lowered herself carefully, holding the rail with one hand while the other controlled the pushrim so the wheel wouldn’t slide.

Thump.

She stopped, checked her leg, then moved again.

Another step.