Virals Pack: Reborn

Chapter 108: Recovery and Rest

The rest of my hospital stay was a hazy blur that both dragged on, yet flew by.

Every moment spent in the stark, sterile environment was hellish. Echoes of past and present traumas hounded me every waking moment, reminding me of all that I've lost in places like this. Despite this, my sleep was somehow miraculously unhaunted. Perhaps a mix of the painkillers I was on, plus my body being in dire need of actual rest. 

When I wasn't sleeping or being attended to by the kind nurses, I had a revolving door of guests that took it upon themselves to keep me company. Darcy and Jade visited daily of course, as well as the pack (...my pack?) which wasn't exactly a surprise either. But even the pack's parents came by as well; Hi's mother practically doted on me and tried to sneak in sweets whenever possible, Shelton's parents brought puzzles that kept me entertained, and even Ben's dad stopped by a couple of times and simply sat quietly in the chair beside my bed. 

Interacting with everyone was always wholesome, but also very draining. Each day I woke up worrying that I would flare in front of anyone aside from the pack. Even flaring in front of the pack would have been bad considering how many monitors I was hooked up to that would likely notice such a change. So I did my best to control my emotions, and keep as small and quiet as possible.

This wasn't very difficult, considering I barely talked most days. I made an effort to communicate with doctors of course, and to some extent my family and my pack...but every time I opened my mouth to speak it felt like I had to shatter an invisible ball of silence trapped in there, and that took a lot of effort which tired me out even more. So for the most part I stayed silent, making gestures, faces, and scribbling notes when I could get away with it, and struggling to break that silence when I couldn't. 

After a handful of days I was deemed ready to transfer to outpatient care. My wounds were far from healed, but they were at a significantly lower risk of infection or reopening thanks to the skillful doctors. I had also regained a semi-functional amount of strength...who knew almost bleeding out could make you feel as tough as a limp noodle. 

But at last, today I get to leave this overly-sanitized, painful place and go...home I guess. 

After a slew of checkups and paperwork and instructions from various medical staff, I am officially cleared to leave. Darcy and Jade gently bundle me into the car and we depart for Morris Island. The drive back is dead silent, there is a gentle tension in the air. My guardians are clearly relieved and overjoyed that I am well enough to leave the hospital, yet I can see the worry weighing on their shoulders as well. I don't know what to say to make them feel better...so I remain silent.

We arrive at the house near sunset, and are all gleefully welcomed by a jingly belled cat. Good ol' Mr. Midnight must have missed me somewhat, either that or he was hungry. Once inside, I aim for the stairs intending to take some time to myself to chill. 

Darcy tries to intercept me and offers to create a space for me downstairs to rest instead of facing the several flights of stairs to my room. I silently brush past with a stubborn look on my face, and she acquiesces, trailing me up the grueling steps instead with my bag of belongings in tow. Several winded stair breaks later, I sweat my way back to my room and gently flop onto my bed. Darcy sets my things down and shoots me a concerned look. I merely give a thumbs up in reply, and she accepts this as a dismissal and heads back downstairs. 

I breathe out a loooong sigh of relief as I sink into the softness of my bed. Finally, no fluorescent lights, no antiseptic reek, no monitors beeping, no bustle of people...just peace and quiet.

And then it happens.