The Half Lies of the Circus

Ending Chapter Two

VIII

I awake, my vision swimming, my head pounding. I slowly begin to be able to hear over the sound of my heart beating, and the deafening silence of my own blood in my head. I groan as I hear joker and Henry whispering.

"Guys?" I mutter out and they both come by my side.

"Mari! Stay awake. Please. Please. Don't leave again. Please, I'm scared you won't wake up. Marly please." Joker pleads... He used my name... My real name... I smile at him and henry gives me a glass of water but I nearly drop it, my arm throbbing as I use the muscles Mr. Dust hit. Joker holds it with me, and helps me drink it.

"It's laced with something to give you pain relief. You'll heal up okay just come back in a week so I can get those stitches out of the back of your head and off of your forehead." Henry says and i feel my forehead, and flinch in pain. That drink hasn't affected me yet.

"I wanna sleep." I murmur, my eyelids too heavy for me to keep open.

"No! Please! Please Marly, please don't go to sleep? What if you don't wake up? Please don't go to sleep!" Joker says, his voice shaking, and I have never seen him like this. My vision comes and goes, but i hold his hand in both of my mine, and Bring it to my lips, quickly, and we both go red briefly.

"I'll wake up... I promise." I whisper and as I fade away from him, he gets panicky.

"But people break promises!" He exclaims as I lose my consciousness once more.

IX

I awake, and my head is as if it's cloudy. I shake sleep inertia from my limbs, and look around.. I'm in Joker's bed? I suppose that makes sense seeing as he shares a tent with henry and Henry would wanna keep an eye on me... I look around a bit more and realize there's something heavy on my ankles. I groan and prop myself up on my elbows to see joker sleeping, his head on his hands, which rest on top of my ankles. I suddenly get a wave of guilt hit me. I was in his bed! He wanted to sleep and I was in his bed. Jeez, what's wrong with me? I still have a throbbing in my skull, but I try to ignore it.

"Joker... Joker?" I whisper gently and he moves a little. I move my legs a little so he's leaning on his bed... he doesn't rustle from his sleep. I argue internally over waking him or letting him sleep but decide the second choice. I grab his blanket and drape it over him, and smile at his sleeping form briefly, before quietly shuffling out of the tent... The first thing that i notice is that my clothes make a noise and smell. I look down and see that both shoulder are covered in blood and my hair is crusty from bleeding. I'm not quite sure how they managed for me to not get it on Joker's bed but I am very grateful they figured that out. I go directly to my personal tent, and zip up the zipper and then lock it there, so I can take a short bath with a basin behind the changing curtain, and then get dressed into a simple outfit. Light pink brown moccasins, a pale pink skirt, a white button down, and pink suspenders, and white leggings. I brush my crazy curly hair until it dries straight, and then unlock my tent, unzip it, and someone falls on my feet, I squeak in surprise. It's Joker, sleeping on the floor here... Am I going crazy? I reach down and poke his arm. He looks at me alarmed and confused... Yeah, he's here alright.

"Sorry Joker but um... What are you doing here?" I ask surprised and he smiles a little.

"Well I woke up and you were gone. Thank you for the blanket by the way. Then i was looking for you and I heard you singing while drying your hair so I came and waited for you." He says and I blush bright pink.

"You did all of that for me?" I ask surprised and he just tilts his head, confused.

"Why wouldn't I?" He asks and I open my mouth, but quickly shut it, realizing i have no answer. How does he do that? I look at him smiling but fake... He doesn't notice it's fake.