Music of the Night

Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Although Arthur was glad that the whole issue with Melon was over, he had a nagging feeling that there will be something bigger just lurking around the corner. He couldn't tell when or why, but he just had that feeling.

Besides, how else was he supposed to entertain himself in his hospital ward?

His visitors consisted of his family, his Cherryton friends, a few gang members and Mizuchi. But the frequent visitor was none other than the grey wolf, Legosi. When Arthur felt his friend's face, he was shocked to find his right ear missing from an explosion and a few more scars. "You're starting to feel like an art sculpture full of scars."

"My body has been chiselled by all of my experiences," said Legosi with a sigh. "I didn't even know until Louis brought it up. How about you, Arthur? I remembered you getting a scratch on the face on your first day at Cherryton and now..."

Arthur smiled, reaching out a tattered wing to the grey wolf's arm. "I know. Dad did say that life is like a box of chocolates. Apparently, I'm getting the ones with weird ganaches that aren't my cup of tea. Speaking of which, have you eaten anything yet?"

There was silence until Legosi hastily said, "Y-yeah! Sorry, I forgot you're blind! I mean-"

Arthur laughed, causing Legosi's worries to fade as he joined in. It was nice to have someone to talk to since everyone else would be at work or school. Legosi not only was a Cherryton dropout, he was also in a relationship with a rabbit. Lately, both him and Haru have officially declared their relationship official.

"About time, Legosi," said Arthur as he was feeling for the mug. Legosi gently pushed it into his wings. He could imagine the grey wolf's ears perked up while his tail was wagging rapidly. "Yeah, she keeps surprising me everyday. I guess that's what I love about her: she keeps surprising me."

'Have I surprised Mizuchi?' Arthur asked himself, folding his wings around himself. He hoped that his grades were enough to graduate. As much as he was terrified of adulthood, being stuck in Cherryton to repeat all of his subjects with complete strangers would be a nightmare!

His ears flickered back and forth to alternate between listening to Legosi's story and the background noise. Since he was blind, his sense of hearing was able to pick up the small ants climbing up the wall. In the meantime, he continued to talk to Legosi about Melon, how there might be a way for him to get out of prison.

"We'll be here to finish where we left off," he growled at the hybrid's name. Arthur immediately reached out a wing to lay it gently on Legosi's arm. It was bristled and rough from the battle and yet, it was also soft from something. Probably Haru's influence...

"Legosi, are you free in a month's time?"

He could feel the wolf's shoulders raised in a shrug. "I don't know. Why?"

"Would you and Haru like to come to my dad's wedding? After this whole Black Market war, my dad thinks that he and my mum should have a proper wedding. A private one here while the other would be back in the old country."

He heard the grey wolf whined in response. "Old country? You mean where you used to grow up? Gryphon Cross?"

Arthur nodded, a small sad smile was etched upon his face.

...

He had visitors from Cherryton, mostly from his gardening club and the drama club. It was funny how these two clubs were reluctant to meet him in the beginning of his Cherryton journey and now, here they are wanting him to come back.

"Cherryton's too quiet without your music," said Els, who sat on his left. She, Bill, Aoba and Pina were the ones to visit him. As for the gardening club, Kalliste the flying fox and Tulio the hyacinth macaw filled in on the club's updates. Arthur listened to all of them attentively. He was only trying to squash down the uneasy feeling about what was yet to come.

He felt a gently wing wrapped around his shoulder. 

"Are you okay, Arthur?" asked Aoba with such concern. He gave the bald eagle an assuring smile, trying to also convince himself that things will be okay. However, it seemed like Bill knew what he thought of as he said, "Hey, we kinda brought some instruments here. Thought you might need some comfort after all that shit."

"Bill!"

Arthur leaned forward and tapped the tiger's clawed hand. "Thank you, Bill. You don't know HOW much I've wanted my instruments because I don't want to eavesdrop on the nurses' gossiping outside or the ants climbing up the walls." He closed his eyes before opening them again, trying to steady the anxious feeling in his chest.

"Does that mean you're going to play a song?" asked Kalliste. His ears picked up the flying fox hanging upside down on the ceiling. His fingers traced the instruments that were gently placed on the side table of the hospital bed. 

It was a flat electric keyboard.

"Whose idea was it to bring a keyboard? Isn't it heavy?"

"Not heavy," Pina told him smoothly. "If it means hearing you play again, then it is worth it. We really missed you, little fluffball. Besides, I have something to tell you once you are done."

He may be blind but he wondered whether or not his cheeks were becoming red with embarrassment. Or was it pink? Colours will always confuse Arthur until the day he dies. With trembling fingers, he began to trace the smooth keys.

"Is the door closed?" Arthur asked, still holding onto the keyboard. Despite his adventures, he was still shy at having a large unknown audience. Giving him a signal, he began to play the song that most of the students would recognised from a famous show.

"I remember this show!" Bill gushed as Arthur played the song with such focus. Some were even humming the lyrics. As for the Honduran white bat himself, he felt a tear slowly trickling down the more he played.

No matter how many times life had thrown obstacles at his way, he will rage on.

Once he was done, everyone in the hospital room clapped. Arthur's heart swelled, knowing that his music could bring animals from all walks of life together. Even the nurses were there, he could hear their hushed gossips near the doorway. He felt Aoba rubbing his back as his way of saying that he was proud of him. His ears immediately picked up the carefree footsteps of Pina the Dall sheep, whose mouth was very close to his ear.

"What was it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Besides the fact that your friend Sameer and I have been...closer than you think, someone handed me this note to you. It's in those weird dots that you do for your reading and typing, Arthur. I don't think I know who it was but I'm pretty sure he's not from our school."

Arthur reluctantly took the nook from Pina's hand and began to trace the dots. It wasn't in braille but in morse code. It stated:

..-. .. -. -..   --.