A Path Through the Woods(A RiaEgg Story)

CHAPTER 12: "I'm Expecting the Worst."

"...I haven't seen much of Ria over the past week," TheGentleman remarked as they awaited her arrival in the lobby.

"Gnome and I visited her yesterday," Engineer told them. "It's weird. Ever since MrEgg went into the final stage of his pneumonia, she's seemed...awfully depressed."

"Why do you think that is?" Veteran asked. "I thought she'd be super happy that he's getting better."

Gnome looked at her boyfriend, then at the crowd, and she cleared her throat before giving her knowledge on the matter.

"...I know why," she said plainly. "She told me."

"Really?" Engineer asked. "When was this? I don't think I ever heard you guys talking about it."

"She took me into the bedroom while you were trying to figure out how to work the teapot."

"Oh...A-and failing?"

"Hee hee, yeah..."

"Heh...uh...What'd she tell you?"

"She said she still doesn't think MrEgg is going to make it," she told the group. "She believes that he odds are still against him for some reason."

"But why?" Captain inquired. "Isn't MrEgg supposed to be getting better?"

"Well, the doctor said there was still a possibility that his condition might get worse again; a relapse, he said it was called," Player explained to him. "Maybe Ria's just expecting the worst to happen, after everything that's gone on so far...Their fight, the accident, his deterioration...It kinda makes sense for her to expect the worst to happen, since...the 'worst' of outcomes have been happening so far, it seems...So she might be expecting THE 'worst thing' to happen any time now. Do you think that's why, Gnome?"

"She did say something about waiting for the news of his death to reach her," the lime crewmate told him. "So I think you might be right."

"Hey, pardon me if I'm getting a little off-topic here," MrCheese piped up. "But, uh, I just realized that I haven't seen much of Stoner lately, either. He seemed to kinda disappear ever since MrEgg got into the hospital."

"Yes, I've noticed the same thing, MrCheese," TheGentleman remarked. "I hope he hasn't fallen into a similar state depression. You know what he does to drown his sorrows, after all..."

"彼が次に病院に行くのを見てください," Ninja sighed, sporting a deep maroon color in place of the purple that Engineer had claimed.

It was then that the sound of someone spawning in rang throughout the lobby...The familiar green figure with the leaves sprouting from his head whom had just been mentioned appeared in one of the chairs and stood up straight.

"Hey, dudes. It's, ah, been a while, hasn't it?"

It looked and sounded just like Stoner...But at the same time, they seemed to be staring at and hearing the voice of a completely different person.

"Stoner!" Captain greeted as they crowded around him. "We were just talking about you, wondering where you've been!"

"Well, uh...To put it short, I wasn't really in top shape for the past couple weeks myself," he admitted, his voice sounding clear and without its usual pauses and stretches. "I was kind of a depressed insomniac most of the week before last, and I guess I just...needed some time to myself after all that...Sorry I haven't really been there for you and MrEgg, Ria. But...well...I didn't think I was gonna be much help the way I was, so I, uh...spent some time to fix that."

"Depressed insomniac...?" Engineer echoed. "Stoner. Did you...quit?"

"Yep. That's basically what I did," he nodded. "Soak it in, fellas, because I'm gonna try to keep myself like this from now on."