What's It Like Outside? [An II Fanfiction]

Chapter 14: You'll get used to it

Trigger Warnings: None

"Well, it feels nice to have helium again at least." Balloon said.

Baseball nodded. "Sucks you're in a wheelchair now, though. That must be rough."

Balloon shrugged. "Eh, beats my leg hurting from the stick every time I walk."

Nickel and Suitcase stared at them in confusion.

"What do you mean? You didn't have helium??"

Balloon looked over at Nickel. "Oh-yeah, it got replaced with air for a while. It sucked." They decided to change the subject. "Anyways I'm starving, let's go eat lunch."

Suitcase glanced up at the clock. "I think it'd be dinner by now.."

Balloon rolled over to the hotel's kitchen. "Close enough, food is food."

"Yeah I could really go for something that isn't just crackers n shit." Baseball agreed, following them into the kitchen and bumping into a wall on his way there.

Nickel and Suitcase hesitantly followed. "Crackers...?" Suitcase mumbled. Nickel brushed it off, deciding to just be glad his friends were finally home again.

Balloon opened the fridge and looked for something to eat. Suitcase walked up next to them. "They only gave you crackers??"

Balloon looked over at her. "Yeah. No water, either. I'm surprised we lived off it."

Suitcase stared at them. "Oh my god- w- what the hell-"

Baseball walked up to the fridge. "Find anything good in there?"

Balloon turned back to the fridge and pulled out a single egg. They were a,bout to set it on the counter when it cracked, and they realized how much pressure they had been holding it with.

"Oh- uh... guess I'm still a bit tense from everything..." They awkwardly scooped up the egg yolk from the counter and dropped it into the trash can. They still had a bit on their finger but they just licked it off, not wanting to go to the other side of the kitchen to get a napkin.

Baseball looked at them empathetically. "Yeah, same. Like I'm glad to be outta there but I just feel weird now."

Balloon grabbed the whole egg carton from the fridge and set it down on the counter. "Yeah, I think we'll get used to it though." They opened it and looked over at the cabinet the pans were kept in and saw Lifering standing next to it and talking to Tea Kettle.

"Hey, uh, Lifering! Could you hand me a pan?"

Lifering looked up at Balloon, seeming surprised. "Uh- yeah, sure." He grabbed a pan from the cabinet and gave it to Balloon.

"Thanks!" They put the pan on the stove and turned it on.

"Oy vey! Balloon! What happened to you? Are you alright??" Tea Kettle ran up to them looking shocked and worried.

Balloon shrugged. "I-I'm fine, it's alright."

"Balloon you're in a wheelchair." Tea Kettle looked down and suddenly realized their leg was missing. "W-HOW??"

Balloon looked back at the pan on the stove. "I don't- I don't really wanna talk about it right now. Trust me, I'll be alright."

Tea Kettle was clearly still worried and concerned, but she decided to give Balloon space and stopped asking about it, walking back over to Lifering. Balloon took a few eggs from the carton and cracked them into the pan. Baseball walked up next to them and watched the eggs fry.