A Path to a Different Happy Ending (Flower Husbands Empires Fic)

Chapter Twenty-One: Awake

Jimmy stirred awake. He was in a bed, in one of the residential buildings that had been built in the Ocean Empire. How had he gotten here? He had been in Sausage's dungeon...

As he tried to sit up, the door to the little room he was in opened and Gem walked in. When she saw that he was awake, she paused.

"Oh! You're awake! That's good - that's great!" She laughed. "We were getting worried. Oh, don't try to sit up. That's not a good idea."

"Okay." Jimmy settled back down. Gem was right. Even just trying to sit up had hurt.

"So how are you feeling?" Gem asked, walking towards him.

"Ow. A lot of ow."

"That's... Expected, considering what you went through."

"What even happened? I don't remember much..." Jimmy really didn't. It was so hazy...

"Well, let's start with what you do remember." Gem sat down on the foot of his bed.

"Um... I went to dig up the Ender portal, then... I think someone hit the back of my head with something. I'm not sure though." Jimmy furrowed his brow, trying to remember. "Then... There was pain. Lots of pain, and Xornoth was there, and he was laughing. And then I was in Sausage's dungeon, and... I think I hallucinated Scott coming and getting me out. It's all so hazy, though..." Jimmy shook his head.

"Oh, you didn't hallucinate Scott. He was the one who found you and got you out."

Oh no. Jimmy was pretty sure he'd said Scott was pretty. Oh dear.

"And it's been three days since then." Gem said.

"Wh- Three days?" Jimmy exclaimed. Three days. He had been unconscious for three days. "How was I a prisoner for?" Jimmy wasn't certain he wanted to know...

"About a day. Lizzie wanted you out ASAP. She was really worried. Speaking of worry, the others will want to know you're awake. Do you think you're up for visitors?" She asked gently.

"Maybe one or two at a time." Jimmy said.

Gem nodded and left the room.

~*~

Back and forth and back and forth. Joel was surprised Lizzie hadn't worn a groove into the floor with how much she was pacing. She'd barely stopped, barely slept since they'd gotten Jimmy back.

"Lizzie-" He started, but she cut him off.

"No. I will not go to bed. I am a literal sea goddess, I can go a few nights without sleep while waiting for my brother."

"You've already gone a 'few' nights without sleep! You need to be functional for when we go to the End! Get some sleep, Lizzie." Joel admonished, and it looked like she might actually go to bed for the first time in three days, but that was when Gem burst in.

"He's awake! Jimmy's awake!"

~*~

All of Jimmy's friends were delighted and relieved that he was okay. At least, that's what everyone so far had told him, and the only one who hadn't come to visit him yet was Scott.

Moments after he thought that, the door opened and Scott came in.

"Hey, Jimmy." He said.

"Hi." Jimmy responded.

There was a pause.

"Uh, I'm glad you're okay." Scott said.

"That's what most of the people who've visited me have said." Jimmy laughed. "Apparently people care about me or something."