Part I
Visitors had been discouraged while Christian was recovering, and it was beginning to grind on his nerves to be alone day after day. He was glad to be unhooked from the IV and the catheter, and very glad to be allowed to be up and moving, though it exhausted him in short order. To his delight, he discovered about $75 in his wallet, in its hiding place inside the lining behind his student ID, and with permission he made his way to the cafeteria the next day, under the watchful eye of one of the orderlies. His appetite seemed to please the orderly, who was named Ivor, and they sat and had a very satisfying conversation about professional football while Christian had a large plate of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, greens, sprouts, and a side of onion rings. Ivor congratulated him on finishing everything on his tray, but successfully talked him away from getting any desserts.
The next several days passed in much the same fashion as the previous ones, with a steady stream of doctors, therapists, psychologists, and even a campus health worker coming by to make sure that Christian was in a physically and mentally sound state. He was getting rather sick of reassuring everyone who asked that he was not actively suicidal, that he understood the importance of proper diet and rest, even in the high-pressure academic environment, that he would be sure to call campus health if he was feeling overwhelmed again, that he would talk to his professors to make a reasonable schedule to make up his work, that he would in fact schedule leisure time for his own health time and time again. Sensing his fretfulness at being stuck in the hospital, his primary doctor finally relented and decided to release him, after Christian practically swore in blood to take it easy and abstain from classes for another three or four days. He was able to call the twins and secure a ride from them, which satisfied the doctor enough to agree to discharge him the next day.
That last night in the hospital dragged by interminably. Christian ran out of things to do. He had no ability to concentrate on reading the tawdry little horror novel he had borrowed from the nurses' station, there was nothing engaging on television, he couldn't call June or Oliver because of their own illnesses, he had already showered--an unsatisfying experience with tepid water and foul-smelling antibacterial soap-- and there was nothing else to do but lay down in bed and try to sleep. This proved to be a challenge in and of itself, because every time he closed his eyes images of the nightmarish world he had been struggling through rose before his eyes unbidden. He almost wished for the company of the veiled woman, her eerie presence an odd comfort to his memory. A terrifying notion gripped him thereafter, that he perhaps should not open his eyes, for fear that she would be standing there at the foot of his bed. Dreading to move, daring not to even glimpse between his lashes, Christian tried to breathe in an even, measured fashion and prayed for sleep to come.
Sleep must have come at some point, for the creaking of the door to his room roused him. Thankfully, it was merely Jeff, coming in to give him one last once-over before the doctor on call came in to approve his discharge from the hospital. Even better, there was a movie that Christian particularly liked on the television, so his time was occupied between visits from doctors and nurses coming and going to get papers signed and giving him final instructions for his well-being. Finally though, at long last, the doctor came in and sent him on his way, though not without a few more entreaties for him to take care to rest well. They also insisted that he sit down in a wheelchair and be taken down to the main lobby in that fashion. Christian did not fight them on it. He still had a tendency to get light-headed from standing for more than a few minutes.
The twins were waiting for him, Zoe and Audrey, mirror images of one another, though Audrey wore her deep auburn hair chopped almost painfully short, while Zoe's hung in a pair of long braids down her back. Better yet, Rei and Lazzaro were with them. Zoe and Rei had been a steady item since before Christian had first met them, and he had a feeling that Lazzaro was hoping Audrey would give him a chance. Christian had to wonder if he was aware that she was not quite like Zoe, living in her own world, but then he had to wonder if that would even matter to Lazzaro.
Any and all speculation was put to the side when Audrey saw Christian and dashed across the lobby, a smile of pure joy on her face. She flung herself into his arms, hugging him as though she would never let go. As Christian hugged her back, she whispered into his shoulder: "Don't ever do that again."
"I don't plan to do so," he reassured her with a last little squeeze. Satisfied at that, Audrey let go and stood up so that her sister could also give a hug. Zoe was less kindly, and pinched his arm hard even as she kissed his cheek.
"Do you have any idea what you did to Rei, you jerk?" she said, though with an unmistakable note of gentleness behind the words. "I've been making copies of notes for you from all your classes, and most of your professors have been really helpful."
"Let me guess, not Dr. McMillan," Christian sighed. Zoe nodded, her mouth taut. "The man is completely unreasonable."
"Mom and Professor Oda had a spectacular shouting match with him in Stern Hall," Audrey said with a great deal of relish. "They told him that you had been critically ill and leniency must be given, and he told them that if they were so concerned about your well-being that they would advise you to drop his course because you've missed far too much valuable instruction time, and you could never possibly hope to make up the work."
"It's a load of crap too," interjected Zoe. "You've done nothing but take notes on the Romantic poets and he's expecting a paper on Tuesday analyzing a Romantic poem of your choice, and Sebastian and I have both told him that you could do that in your sleep."
"I'd better hit it out of the park then so he has no wiggle room to give me a crap grade on it." If Dr. McMillan was the worst of his problems, then he had no reason to worry. He was only taking that particular course because Sebastian was taking it and because he needed to fluff out his English requirement. McMillan was a pompous little man and felt himself a victim because his beloved poetry courses were consistently under-attended. Never mind that it was because his reputation as a professor had scared away all but the English majors who were required to take at least one of his classes to graduate. Somehow it was the department's fault for not pushing more students his way. Poor Sebastian had gotten the short end of the stick and had McMillan as his academic advisor, and had to tolerate inane and often contradictory demands on his time and course of study. He also had been stuck into every last one of McMillan's classes over the last six semesters. Christian felt a stab of remorse for falling ill and leaving Sebastian to his own devices.
"Quit feeling guilty about whatever it is your feeling guilty about!" Zoe told him firmly. She had inherited her mother's gift for reading people. "You didn't get sick on purpose, and no one is put out at you over it." They began moving as a group toward the doors as Lazzaro and Rei pulled up in the twins' mother's minivan. "We've been worried about you, yes, but that's no call for you to beat yourself up about it."
"Today is only Thursday," Audrey mused. "You have to stay quiet and rest for the weekend, so that's plenty of time to work on things. Rei has a special pass from Student Health to bring you your meals from the dining hall, and Scott has vowed to kill anyone on the floor who gets rowdy this weekend, or you could come stay at Mom's house if you prefer. Oh, and I have a schedule for people who feel the need to come and see you this weekend." She pulled a folded piece of stationery out of her purse. "No one except Sebastian gets to visit for longer than half-an-hour, and you have a forty-five break at least between visitors." She handed the paper to Christian, looking quite proud of herself. He couldn't see Zoe's face, but he had the distinct feeling she was rolling her eyes. She loved her sister, but he knew her tolerance for Audrey's quirks went only so far.
"Yes, Mommy," Christian said, smirking. Audrey gave him a pleased smile and scampered ahead to the van. Lazzaro watched her the entire time, and Christian was more certain than ever that he was pining for her. His need was almost palpable, and it made Christian drop his gaze to the paper Audrey had given him. It was a perfect schedule for visits, meals, study sessions, and breaks. He had zero intention of following it, but he was touched that she had felt the need to make it for him. He was also quite glad that it was Thursday. He didn't feel any particular remorse for missing classes on the last two days of the week, and the prospect of having the weekend to rest was not an unpleasant one.
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