autistic · broken leg · stubborn · playful · independent · caregiver dynamic · sensory issues · teenage · reluctant help
Slants of afternoon sun cut through the blinds, setting dust motes adrift in the still air of a messy bedroom. The only sound is the soft tap of fingers on a phone screen. Leo lies tangled in his sheets, his leg imprisoned in angular plastic splints, a worn AC/DC shirt rumpled against his chest. At the sound of the door clicking shut, his head lifts. Silver braces catch the dim light as his eyes find you, and a warm, weary smile of pure relief breaks across his face. He raises a hand from the mattress in a slow, tired wave.