“His eyes are opening! Get the doctor!”

  Someone rushed out, the door swinging shut behind them. My eyes struggled, but slowly opened. The light was blinding. The room a blur. After a minute, it started to sharpen.

  Hospital room.

  Robin holding my hand.

  An empty chair on my left.

  Blankets, pillows, and half-empty bags littered the floor. One—or both—of them had been staying here.

  I tried to speak, but my throat felt like I’d swallowed the Sahara.

  “Here.” Riley handed me a cup of ice chips. “Suck on these. The doctor said not to give you too much water—it could let the cacti needles in your throat loose.”

  I tilted my head like a dog.

  They laughed. “Okay, I’m teasing about the cacti. Serious about the rest.”

  They helped me get a few chips into my mouth. The sensation was orgasmic. All the fuzz and dust washed away.

  “R-Robin,” I croaked. “Thanks for being here.”

  “I wouldn’t be anywhere else, Riley.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you.”

  They leaned and kissed me, soft and trembling.

  “How long have I been here?”

  Robin swallowed, looking toward the door. “I—I dunno if I should be the one to—”

  I squeezed their hand. “Please.”

  They nodded. “Three months.”

  My eyes got wide. “Three months?”

  Robin nodded.

  “You’re still here?”

  Tears welled in their eyes. “I never left.”

  Now I was crying. “Thank you.”

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  “Never do anything like that again!”

  “As you wish.”

  We smiled at each other as the door opened. MJ and a man walked in. The man went straight to my bedside, poking, prodding, tapping monitors, scratching his chin, and scowling.

  “You gave us quite a scare there, son. You really shouldn’t blackout while driving. You’re extremely lucky your kidney wasn’t damaged more. You should mostly recover. Your kidney will be a little weaker, and it was already affected by the cancer and treatments—it’s twin can pick up some slack.”

  He patted my head. “These two here wouldn’t leave. Not once. It was quite annoying. They really care about you. Take care of yourself—for their sakes and your own. You're a lucky man."

  “When can I take him home?” Robin asked.

  “Do you two live together?”

  Robin nodded. I shook my head.

  “Yes?” I looked at Robin, eyes wide..

  The doctor sighed. “A couple more days of monitoring and some physical therapy. He'll need assistance at home for a week or so and therapy for a couple months.”

  He left.

  I looked at Robin. “So, we live together?”

  They smiled. “Have been for three months.”

  I chuckled. “As you wish.”

  Their eyes sparkled. “I love you.”

  “Ahem.”

  I looked over. “Oh, MJ. When did you get here?”

  A blur flew in front of my face, and my cheek stung.

  “I deserved that.” I said. “Blame Robin—they taught me to joke.”

  MJ glared. “Robin is a saint. You, sir, are a jerk.”

  “You can’t be mad at me. I’m sick.”

  “You’re so frust—”

  Robin fell out of their chair laughing. “You two.” They tried to get back up but failed. “I love you both so much.”

  MJ and I exchanged looks and laughed. She leaned in and hugged me carefully, dodging wires and monitors.

  Wiping her eyes, MJ said, “I haven’t felt like this in three months.”

  “Me neither,” Robin said softly.

  “I played fetch with Tony the Beagle, my spirit guide,” I said.

  They both looked at me, then at each other.

  MJ sighed. “I’ll go get the doctor.”

  Robin touched my forehead.

  I laughed.

  MJ wiped her brow. “Phew. Just joking.”

  “Yeah. Joking,” I said—then muttered under my breath. “Not really.”

  “What was that last part?”

  “Huh? Oh, nothing.”

  An hour later, the rest of my friends arrived. Much to the nurses’ annoyance we threw a mini—beer-free—party in my room. Pizza, board games, sparkling water. It felt good. All those people there, for me, because they cared.

  Now I just needed to start caring about myself.

  ~

  Three months in the hospital.

  Can you imagine waking up after sleeping that long?

  It sounds like it'd be restful, right?

  It wasn’t.

  You wake up in a whole new world. People change. Stores close. A new Burger Jester opens near Rogue’s Roost. All that time, the world’s spinning—and you’re not part of it.

  It changes a person’s mindset.

  Okay, serious time over.

  I can’t be the only one who misses Tony the Beagle. He really should be the star of this show.

  Alright, we’re going to do something usually reserved for anime.

  Time skip.

  The River and Friends Series - River and the Bug, The Adventures of Alison Alistair, and The Reaper Wears a Scarf. Please check them out!

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