### Chapter Twenty-Five: The Call
The phone line went in a few days later, a small black box mounted on the kitchen wall with a cord that tangled under Lila's restless hands. Syan heard the installer's clipped instructions—his father grunting in response, Lila asking a dozen questions—and then the sharp ring that cut through the house, a test call from the company. It was strange, this new sound, a tether to a world they'd been cut off from for so long.
Lila pounced on it first, dialing Mrs. Carter next door with a grin Syan could hear from his spot by the window. "It works!" she shouted, her voice bouncing off the walls. "Mrs. Carter says hi, Syan—and she's got cookies if we want 'em."
"Tell her thanks," he said, wheeling closer. "Maybe tomorrow."
His parents lingered after the installer left, his mother fussing with the phone's placement while his father checked the ramp again, a habit now. "Dr. Ellis has the number," his mother said, her tone light but careful. "She'll call if anything comes up. You can reach us too—anytime."
Lila nodded, her fingers tracing the phone's buttons. "Okay. Good to know."
That evening, after they'd gone, the phone rang again—sharp, insistent, jolting them both. Lila darted to answer, her voice hesitant. "Hello? Oh—hi, Dr. Ellis."
Syan tilted his head, listening as Lila's tone shifted from surprise to focus. "Yeah, he's here. Okay, I'll tell him. Thanks—bye." She hung up, turning to him with a mix of excitement and nerves. "She says the specialist's coming early—tomorrow. Something about new scans, better ones. They want to check your spine."
"Tomorrow?" Syan echoed, the words sinking in. "That's fast."
"Yeah," Lila said, dropping beside him. "She sounded… hopeful? Said it might mean more options—something about nerve signals."
He nodded, the chair's hum a steady pulse under his hands. More options—vague, but a flicker of something brighter. "Guess we'll see," he said, keeping it calm for her.
She leaned against him, her voice softer. "You think it could help? Like, really help?"
"Maybe," he said, honest but guarded. "Won't know 'til they look."
The call hung between them, a spark of possibility tinged with the old fear of disappointment. Lila stayed close, her presence a shield, and Syan let the quiet settle—not heavy, but expectant, like the moment before a storm breaks or clears.
That night, he wheeled to the window alone, the cool glass a faint press against his fingers as he reached out. The world beyond was still a mystery he couldn't see, but it was closer now, its edges brushing his own. The call had shifted something—a promise, a risk—and whatever came next, he'd face it with Lila beside him, their bond the one thing he'd never doubt.
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Let me know if you'd like Chapter 26 or any changes here!