First Steps
Title First Steps
Prompt: Kaleb/Your choice of Kris, Katy, or Adam (or any combination of the 3) - Kaleb's older now (maybe somewhere between 10-13?)and he's never thought anything unusual about Adam's life until he's online and comes across a ton of press from 2009, during Kris and Adam's Idol stint (e.g., kissing pics, RS cover, etc.) He knows Adam's always been with guys, but this stuff he finds is obviously "controversial" so he doesn't know what to make of it H/C: Spinal Injury
Medium: Fic
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the real people mentioned. Situations are either totally fabricated or a fictionalized version of real events. Not written for profit.
Author(s): ficdirectory
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Notes: Written for asm614's request to the drabble meme & hc_bingo.
The worst thing, as a parent, was to see your child in pain. Kris, especially, wasn't a fan of inflicting pain on either of his boys, even if it was for a greater good.
The truth was, Kaleb needed to have this surgery. He had already waited longer than he probably should have. First, Kaleb hadn't been strong enough. Then, he and Katy couldn't agree on whether or not the surgery was worth the risk.
The official name for the procedure was a Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy - and if you asked Kris, it sounded more like an operation you'd perform on a dolphin than a 10-year-old. But, it was spinal surgery, with risks of paralysis and altered sensation. Anytime you put your kid under a general anesthetic, there was risk of him not waking up.
But Kaleb insisted it was no big deal.
"You don't even remember it, Dad. It's kinda like magic. You close your eyes for half-a-second. It's black. And then you wake up, and it's over. I can take this. And I want to. I want to walk, and maybe run, and all that. I know you wanna get big muscles from lifting me up all the time, though. You can still do it afterward, if you want."
Then, he would smile, and melt Kris's heart. Just like he always had.
But still, Kris and Katy had gone back and forth, every night. One night, Kris wanted to go forward, and Katy wasn't sure, and the next, Katy was all for it and Kris was wavering.
Kaleb was ten, but could pass for seven. He was still small for his age, and pale with smart-looking glasses. His hair still grew straight up and blonde, like Katy's. He had nothing of Kris's, except his deep brown eyes. Kaleb had more scars than most kids. Growing up with Cerebral Palsy meant that he had already endured seven surgeries major enough to require anesthetic.
That was another reason Kris and Katy couldn't seem to agree on whether or not to subject Kaleb to one more operation.
It was Jesse, their 16-year-old, who brought things into perspective.
"So, what's up?" he asked, walking into their room one night. "More SDR talk?"
"Yes. What are you still doin' up? Did you get your paper written?" Katy asked, as Jesse crawled in bed between her and Kris.
There was a time, years ago, when this had been a dream for both her and Kris. Jesse had arrived a scared and abused 8-year-old, on their doorstep in the middle of the night. He had been a child in foster care, and had come with a host of intricacies that they had done their best to help with. He had been through years of counseling - in fact - he still went, from time to time, if an issue came up - and had grown into an amazing young man, if you asked Kris and Katy.
Jesse was a little on the small side himself. Gangly and a little bit muscular, and was currently going through a phase where he wore his hair in its natural afro style. His light brown skin and bright blue eyes were in such a contrast to each other, but suited him. Where Kaleb opted for comfort and ease in his clothing, and often wore sweats, Jesse loved athletic jerseys and shorts. It was Razorbacks all the way, tonight.
"Yeah, I got it done. Well...mostly, I guess. I can't figure out how to format the bibliography."
"Do you have a paper that tells you about that?" Kris wondered.
Jesse rolled his eyes. "There's a paper for everything, but it doesn't tell you if you're doin' it wrong partway through. Hey, Dad? Question," Jesse said lazily, stretching out between them.
"Hey, Jesse. Me and your mama were kinda in the middle of somethin'..." Kris said gently.
"Is there anything you wouldn't have done for me when I needed you most?"
"Not a thing," Kris answered without a second thought.
"You?" Jesse asked, staring at Katy, unflinching.
"I will always be here for you, whenever you need me," Katy told him seriously.
"Kaleb's my brother. And it's my job to protect him and be sure no one hurts him and he always does his best and gets what's best, right?" Jesse didn't wait for a response. "Well, this is what's best for him. This surgery. All he wants is a chance to be better than he is. Just like you gave me."
Just like that, Jesse was done talking and excused himself. And just like that, Kris and Katy made their decision.
--
Kaleb never thought he would be able to do this. Walking without holding onto anything. It was the best thing ever. But it wasn't like total magic. He still got tired, and the surgery was really not fun. But he was back on his feet in no time. Sure, they kind of tingled now, but it was way better now than it had been before.
Of course, his dad was writing a song about it, and that was kind of embarrassing, but kind of awesome, too. Better than that, though, Jesse was teaching him how to shoot hoops. Soon, Kaleb was sure, he would be good enough to go pro.
He had just been out doing that, and he was all hot and sweaty and tired. Mama had left a note with a chore list on it. Now, was the first time that Kaleb's name was listed with the hard chores like sweeping and vaccuuming. Kaleb was really excited about those, but he was still taking a little break first.
"Jesse, we got chores!" Kaleb called through the open door leading to the garage. There was no sense in starting to clean if Jesse wasn't going to.
So, he grabbed some of Sun Chips and some cookies and opened up a new Google search. He found out the funniest things ever on Google, and it made his whole day. He typed his dad's name in the box, along with 2009, because that was when, about a million years ago, his dad was on American Idol with Adam and Allison.
Kaleb hit backspace and typed in his dad and Adam and Allison and 2009. He watched as results filled the screen.
"Come on, Kale, we got chores! Get off the computer. If Mama gets home and they're not done, you're not gonna be allowed on at all. Hey, what are you Googling?" Jesse asked, curious, as Kaleb clicked on a link, filling the screen with a headline and a picture.
"Adam Lambert Comes Out..." Kaleb read, sounding confused. He scrolled through the article. "Why is this news? No one cares if people are gay..."
"No, but Mama's gonna care if you're staring at the computer and not vaccumming the living room," Jesse advised, filling the watering can and going around the house, watering all the hanging plants his parents couldn't reach. He wasn't really tall. But he was taller than they were. It was the one good thing he got from his biological parents, he supposed. A few inches of height could make a world of difference when you were trying to reach things.
"No, Jesse, seriously. This was news. People were mad about this. They said Adam shouldn't have done the show. Some of them said he should have been honest about it when he was there. Why did it matter?"
Jesse shrugged, in the way of all the Allen men. "Because people back then were spineless, and they were scared when people thought differently than they did? I don't know, ask Mom and Dad. But turn it off for now."
Sighing, Kaleb did as he was told, closing the window that showed Adam kissing somebody and the world hating him for it.
--
Katy pulled the covers up around Kaleb and was in the middle of kissing him goodnight when he stopped her short with a question.
"Did you know Adam was gay when Dad did that show?"
"Yes," she answered, eyebrows furrowed. "What brought this up?"
Now, it was Kaleb's turn to shrug. "I was just looking online today, and there were all these articles from then about when Adam came out, and how he should have done it sooner, or he shouldn't have misrepresented himself."
"I remember..." Katy sat back.
"But, like, why was it a big deal? Gay doesn't make a person who they are, just like CP doesn't make me and being adopted doesn't make Jesse who he is. It isn't all we are, so why did it matter?"
"I don't know," Katy mused. "But you're absolutely right."
"Jesse said it was 'cause people were spineless and people who stood up for themselves like Adam were scary. Is that kind of right?" Kaleb wondered, taking off his glasses and setting them beside his bed.
"I think..." Katy said, "That I'm the luckiest mom in the world, to have raised two sons who know firsthand how important it is not to judge a person based on just one thing about them. Because you're right. It doesn't matter. Adam proved that he can do anything he sets his mind to. And so can you, and so can Jesse."
"Goodnight, Kaleb. I love you," she said, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
"Yeah. Love you," Kaleb answered, turning over. "Hey, do you think one day I'll be famous like you and Dad - not for singing! We both know I can't do that," he said easily. "But for something else, maybe? Like, maybe I could play pro basketball, and be in the Guiness Book for Shortest Player In The World," Kaleb sent her a dazzling smile.
"Anything you set your mind to," Katy repeated.
His mom left the room, and just like magic he heard his dad's guitar, and his dad's voice, singing his song
I never thought the day would come
Just when I thought it'd been too long.
Years after I thought I would
I saw him take his first steps.
It was dark on our front step that night,
He was only eight.
He walked inside on that first night
I was forever changed.
That first part was about Jesse, Kaleb knew. And even though Kaleb had only been like, two years old then. He sometimes remembered little things from that time. The way Jesse carried him around and helped him. The games they played with Legos, where somebody always needed to be saved from a bad guy.
Just today I saw a miracle
When my boy walked to me.
He looked at me with such a smile,
Said, "Daddy, did you see?"
Kaleb smiled to himself. That was always his favorite part, because he could remember that exact day.
So, embrace what's in front of you
Not all at once but just a few
Go on, I'll come right after you
Just keep taking your first steps.
Sighing, Kaleb figured his dad must be the smartest guy in the world. Or at least one of them. Because it didn't really matter what was different about people.
It just mattered that they took a step. That they were brave, and did something even though it was hard. Even though it hurt. Even though it was kind of scary.
Everything else didn't matter. Just taking the steps. And knowing that someone, somewhere, was always there.
Always ready to catch you if you needed it.
Prompt: Kaleb/Your choice of Kris, Katy, or Adam (or any combination of the 3) - Kaleb's older now (maybe somewhere between 10-13?)and he's never thought anything unusual about Adam's life until he's online and comes across a ton of press from 2009, during Kris and Adam's Idol stint (e.g., kissing pics, RS cover, etc.) He knows Adam's always been with guys, but this stuff he finds is obviously "controversial" so he doesn't know what to make of it H/C: Spinal Injury
Medium: Fic
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the real people mentioned. Situations are either totally fabricated or a fictionalized version of real events. Not written for profit.
Author(s): ficdirectory
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Notes: Written for asm614's request to the drabble meme & hc_bingo.
The worst thing, as a parent, was to see your child in pain. Kris, especially, wasn't a fan of inflicting pain on either of his boys, even if it was for a greater good.
The truth was, Kaleb needed to have this surgery. He had already waited longer than he probably should have. First, Kaleb hadn't been strong enough. Then, he and Katy couldn't agree on whether or not the surgery was worth the risk.
The official name for the procedure was a Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy - and if you asked Kris, it sounded more like an operation you'd perform on a dolphin than a 10-year-old. But, it was spinal surgery, with risks of paralysis and altered sensation. Anytime you put your kid under a general anesthetic, there was risk of him not waking up.
But Kaleb insisted it was no big deal.
"You don't even remember it, Dad. It's kinda like magic. You close your eyes for half-a-second. It's black. And then you wake up, and it's over. I can take this. And I want to. I want to walk, and maybe run, and all that. I know you wanna get big muscles from lifting me up all the time, though. You can still do it afterward, if you want."
Then, he would smile, and melt Kris's heart. Just like he always had.
But still, Kris and Katy had gone back and forth, every night. One night, Kris wanted to go forward, and Katy wasn't sure, and the next, Katy was all for it and Kris was wavering.
Kaleb was ten, but could pass for seven. He was still small for his age, and pale with smart-looking glasses. His hair still grew straight up and blonde, like Katy's. He had nothing of Kris's, except his deep brown eyes. Kaleb had more scars than most kids. Growing up with Cerebral Palsy meant that he had already endured seven surgeries major enough to require anesthetic.
That was another reason Kris and Katy couldn't seem to agree on whether or not to subject Kaleb to one more operation.
It was Jesse, their 16-year-old, who brought things into perspective.
"So, what's up?" he asked, walking into their room one night. "More SDR talk?"
"Yes. What are you still doin' up? Did you get your paper written?" Katy asked, as Jesse crawled in bed between her and Kris.
There was a time, years ago, when this had been a dream for both her and Kris. Jesse had arrived a scared and abused 8-year-old, on their doorstep in the middle of the night. He had been a child in foster care, and had come with a host of intricacies that they had done their best to help with. He had been through years of counseling - in fact - he still went, from time to time, if an issue came up - and had grown into an amazing young man, if you asked Kris and Katy.
Jesse was a little on the small side himself. Gangly and a little bit muscular, and was currently going through a phase where he wore his hair in its natural afro style. His light brown skin and bright blue eyes were in such a contrast to each other, but suited him. Where Kaleb opted for comfort and ease in his clothing, and often wore sweats, Jesse loved athletic jerseys and shorts. It was Razorbacks all the way, tonight.
"Yeah, I got it done. Well...mostly, I guess. I can't figure out how to format the bibliography."
"Do you have a paper that tells you about that?" Kris wondered.
Jesse rolled his eyes. "There's a paper for everything, but it doesn't tell you if you're doin' it wrong partway through. Hey, Dad? Question," Jesse said lazily, stretching out between them.
"Hey, Jesse. Me and your mama were kinda in the middle of somethin'..." Kris said gently.
"Is there anything you wouldn't have done for me when I needed you most?"
"Not a thing," Kris answered without a second thought.
"You?" Jesse asked, staring at Katy, unflinching.
"I will always be here for you, whenever you need me," Katy told him seriously.
"Kaleb's my brother. And it's my job to protect him and be sure no one hurts him and he always does his best and gets what's best, right?" Jesse didn't wait for a response. "Well, this is what's best for him. This surgery. All he wants is a chance to be better than he is. Just like you gave me."
Just like that, Jesse was done talking and excused himself. And just like that, Kris and Katy made their decision.
--
Kaleb never thought he would be able to do this. Walking without holding onto anything. It was the best thing ever. But it wasn't like total magic. He still got tired, and the surgery was really not fun. But he was back on his feet in no time. Sure, they kind of tingled now, but it was way better now than it had been before.
Of course, his dad was writing a song about it, and that was kind of embarrassing, but kind of awesome, too. Better than that, though, Jesse was teaching him how to shoot hoops. Soon, Kaleb was sure, he would be good enough to go pro.
He had just been out doing that, and he was all hot and sweaty and tired. Mama had left a note with a chore list on it. Now, was the first time that Kaleb's name was listed with the hard chores like sweeping and vaccuuming. Kaleb was really excited about those, but he was still taking a little break first.
"Jesse, we got chores!" Kaleb called through the open door leading to the garage. There was no sense in starting to clean if Jesse wasn't going to.
So, he grabbed some of Sun Chips and some cookies and opened up a new Google search. He found out the funniest things ever on Google, and it made his whole day. He typed his dad's name in the box, along with 2009, because that was when, about a million years ago, his dad was on American Idol with Adam and Allison.
Kaleb hit backspace and typed in his dad and Adam and Allison and 2009. He watched as results filled the screen.
"Come on, Kale, we got chores! Get off the computer. If Mama gets home and they're not done, you're not gonna be allowed on at all. Hey, what are you Googling?" Jesse asked, curious, as Kaleb clicked on a link, filling the screen with a headline and a picture.
"Adam Lambert Comes Out..." Kaleb read, sounding confused. He scrolled through the article. "Why is this news? No one cares if people are gay..."
"No, but Mama's gonna care if you're staring at the computer and not vaccumming the living room," Jesse advised, filling the watering can and going around the house, watering all the hanging plants his parents couldn't reach. He wasn't really tall. But he was taller than they were. It was the one good thing he got from his biological parents, he supposed. A few inches of height could make a world of difference when you were trying to reach things.
"No, Jesse, seriously. This was news. People were mad about this. They said Adam shouldn't have done the show. Some of them said he should have been honest about it when he was there. Why did it matter?"
Jesse shrugged, in the way of all the Allen men. "Because people back then were spineless, and they were scared when people thought differently than they did? I don't know, ask Mom and Dad. But turn it off for now."
Sighing, Kaleb did as he was told, closing the window that showed Adam kissing somebody and the world hating him for it.
--
Katy pulled the covers up around Kaleb and was in the middle of kissing him goodnight when he stopped her short with a question.
"Did you know Adam was gay when Dad did that show?"
"Yes," she answered, eyebrows furrowed. "What brought this up?"
Now, it was Kaleb's turn to shrug. "I was just looking online today, and there were all these articles from then about when Adam came out, and how he should have done it sooner, or he shouldn't have misrepresented himself."
"I remember..." Katy sat back.
"But, like, why was it a big deal? Gay doesn't make a person who they are, just like CP doesn't make me and being adopted doesn't make Jesse who he is. It isn't all we are, so why did it matter?"
"I don't know," Katy mused. "But you're absolutely right."
"Jesse said it was 'cause people were spineless and people who stood up for themselves like Adam were scary. Is that kind of right?" Kaleb wondered, taking off his glasses and setting them beside his bed.
"I think..." Katy said, "That I'm the luckiest mom in the world, to have raised two sons who know firsthand how important it is not to judge a person based on just one thing about them. Because you're right. It doesn't matter. Adam proved that he can do anything he sets his mind to. And so can you, and so can Jesse."
"Goodnight, Kaleb. I love you," she said, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
"Yeah. Love you," Kaleb answered, turning over. "Hey, do you think one day I'll be famous like you and Dad - not for singing! We both know I can't do that," he said easily. "But for something else, maybe? Like, maybe I could play pro basketball, and be in the Guiness Book for Shortest Player In The World," Kaleb sent her a dazzling smile.
"Anything you set your mind to," Katy repeated.
His mom left the room, and just like magic he heard his dad's guitar, and his dad's voice, singing his song
I never thought the day would come
Just when I thought it'd been too long.
Years after I thought I would
I saw him take his first steps.
It was dark on our front step that night,
He was only eight.
He walked inside on that first night
I was forever changed.
That first part was about Jesse, Kaleb knew. And even though Kaleb had only been like, two years old then. He sometimes remembered little things from that time. The way Jesse carried him around and helped him. The games they played with Legos, where somebody always needed to be saved from a bad guy.
Just today I saw a miracle
When my boy walked to me.
He looked at me with such a smile,
Said, "Daddy, did you see?"
Kaleb smiled to himself. That was always his favorite part, because he could remember that exact day.
So, embrace what's in front of you
Not all at once but just a few
Go on, I'll come right after you
Just keep taking your first steps.
Sighing, Kaleb figured his dad must be the smartest guy in the world. Or at least one of them. Because it didn't really matter what was different about people.
It just mattered that they took a step. That they were brave, and did something even though it was hard. Even though it hurt. Even though it was kind of scary.
Everything else didn't matter. Just taking the steps. And knowing that someone, somewhere, was always there.
Always ready to catch you if you needed it.