Alice

29. The New King

"Alice! Alice, where are you?"

"Come back to us Alice!"

My parents were calling out to me. I tried to answer, but it was almost like my voice didn't work.

"Please come home Alice," my mom begged me. Her voice was far away, and with each word, it became even fainter.

"Alice," Jack's voice rang in my head. "Alice, please wake up." He sounded so real, like he was right beside me. "You can't be gone. You just can't." His voice sounded like he was on the verge of tears. "I need you, Alice. I can't live without you. I love you so much."

He sounded so close, so real, unlike my parents' voices. Maybe he was real. I had to know if he was. That thought alone is what compelled me to open my eyes.

"Jack?" I asked, not sure if the boy who sat at my bedside was real. His head was in his hands, as if he'd given up. But when I spoke, he looked up, his expression shocked, then relieved, and finally overjoyed.

"Alice!" he exclaimed. Tears of happiness came into his eyes, and he gave me an extremely gentle kiss.

"You're okay!" I realized with glee.

"And so are you," he said, his smile growing. "I've missed you. I was getting worried."

I looked around me. I was lying in a small bed in an infirmary.

"How long have I been out?" I asked.

"Three days. You were asleep for so long, no one thought you'd make it."

"Except for you?" I asked.

Jack smiled. "I never stopped hoping." He kissed my hand.

Just then, Brokk called out, "Jack? What's going on? I thought I heard-"

He stopped when he entered the room. "Alice!" he cried happily. He bounded onto a stool on the left side of me. He then jumped from there into my arms and gave me a huge, soft, furry hug. It hurt a little, even though he was trying to be careful. I didn't say anything though. I was too happy.

"I'm so glad that you're okay!" he exclaimed.

"Me too, Brokk. And I'm especially glad that my little white bunny is okay."

He said nothing, which surprised me. "What, no 'I'm a rabbit not a bunny'?" I asked teasingly.

"Oh, normally I would, but I figured I would excuse you this once because your brain still is a bit fuzzy."

I laughed, which hurt. I cringed, which Jack and Brokk both saw unfortunately. They stiffened.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked.

"Do you need anything?" asked Brokk.

"I'm fine!" I insisted. "Don't worry about me. You both already look like you've barely got any rest." I looked to Jack, then Brokk. The former had deep bags under his eyes, and the latter's fur was a mess.

"How are you anyway?" I asked them. "You both got pretty beaten up, too."

"I know," said Jack. "Martha only let me get out of bed yesterday morning."

"Same here! I wasn't even that badly wounded, and she was worried about me hopping around too much."

I smiled. "Martha's sweet. She's just trying to help," I told them.

"That's right!" exclaimed Martha as she entered the room. She was carrying a silver tray of food in one hand and a medical kit in the other.

"You two!" She wagged a finger at Jack and Brokk. "You are disturbing the patient. She just woke up, and you're wearing her out with all this chatter!"