Grown to Love

Chapter Thirty-One

It was early morning. The light hue of blue was starting to rise over the horizon. Fox paced around the hospital hall as he took a sip of the coffee in his hand. He trembled. Falco was seated next to the door of a room with his head in his hands. "Fox please. You can't stress. He'll be fine." Falco mumbled. "You need to rest though. I can't close my eyes knowing you're not resting yourself. I'm exhausted. You're exhausted. You need to relax for a bit." Fox drank more of his hot drink before stopping in front of Falco. "He took so many hard hits to the head. He's got lots of wounds he didn't even feel. Falco, we don't even know if he'll remember what happened. Andross's stupid brainwashing already fucked him up as it was. Who knows what kind of brain damage he could have from the shock. You heard what Leon said." "I did but you can't keep going on like this. It's been hours since we got here. I'm sure Wolf will wake up sore but fine and alive with memory fully in store. But for fuck's sake, please try to get SOME sleep." Fox sat next to his friend and sighed heavily. "Ok. Ok. I'll try to sleep." "Thank you." Falco leaned back in his chair. He tilt his head back and closed his eyes as he attempted to fall asleep. Fox did the same and tried to clear is mind. His head fell upon Falco's shoulder when he'd finally drifted to sleep. It felt like a few short minutes but it was a few hours that passed when the halls of the building began to grow with activity. Fox's eyes fluttered open as he looked around, seeing nurses enter and exit room after room and doctors writing on clip boards while walking down the halls. Fox looked up at the clock on the wall. Nine forty-three. Fox had fallen asleep for three hours. He looked to his left and saw Falco was still asleep. He got up and looked at the door they sat next to. He placed his hand on the nob and hesitated. He then let it go and stepped back. He made his way down the hall and found room three fifteen. He entered the room and found Peppy awake, watching the tv. The old hare looked over at Fox and smiled. "Fox. Up and about I see." Fox chuckled lightly. "Hey Peppy. How ya feeling?" Peppy shuffled as he got more comfortable. "I'm doing fine Fox. I'm a little sore but the doctors fixed me up pretty good. They said so long as I didn't work myself too much the stitches should stay in place and I'll be healed in no time." "That's good to hear." Fox's ears fell back a bit. Peppy sighed. "You haven't checked on him have you?" Fox shook his head. "I'm scared to." "Then go home for a bit. You look like you haven't slept. Go and eat something and then, when you come back, go see him." "What if something happens while I'm gone?" Peppy shook his head and hand. "Fox please. You're stressing yourself out too much. I'm asking you as a friend, not as a concerned teammate, to please go home and rest a little bit. Wolf is fine. I promise." Fox folded his arms and nods slowly. "Ok. You're right." He made his way to the door and opened it. "Thanks Peppy." He said just before closing the door behind him.
It was three thirty when Fox entered the hospital in a much more comfortable attire; black sweat pants and a green t-shirt. He had a box with him and a bouquet of white roses. He made his way to the second floor and back to room three-o-five. Falco had been sitting outside the room in his own comfortable attire; a blue hoodie and blue jeans. He saw Fox approach and he got to his feet. "I see you finally went home and rested up." "Yeah. It took an old hare to get me to listen." Falco smiled. "I just checked on Peppy. He said he was glad to hear you actually went home when he told you to." "Have you checked on Wolf?" Falco shook his head. "I didn't want to go in without you. I know you really want to see him." Falco then looked at the box and bouquet. "For Wolf?" Fox smiled sheepishly. "Yeah..." Falco placed his hand on Fox's shoulder and patted him. "Hey man it's alright. So, you wanna go in now?" Fox hesitated with a nod. Falco took hold of the door nob and opened the door. Fox walked in and found Wolf sound asleep on the bed. He slowly made his way into the room with Falco following close behind. He made his way to the other side of the bed and placed the flowers on the side table. He then took a seat in the chair that sat next to the bed. He breathed shakily. He placed the box by his feet and leaned closer to Wolf. He placed his hand on Wolf's head and pet him softly, letting his fingers brush through his hair. Wolf breathed in heavily as he started to wake. Fox pulled his hand away. He gasped a little with relief. Falco places a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Wolf let his vision adjust and he saw both Fox and Falco. "Wolf..." Fox said in a whisper. Wolf blinked as he looked at the two. There was silence and Falco leaned over to Fox's ear. "Say something to him." "Wolf, how do you feel?" Wolf winced as he thought. He placed his hand on his head. "Head hurt..." his words were slightly slurred. "Yeah..." Fox chuckled weakly. "You took quite a few hits to the head. B-But you're ok now, right? You're with us now and Andross can't hurt you no more. Once you're feeling better we can all go home and you could even come be with us. We could have a family of our own. Star Fox will be your new family and we'd help you and Leon recover with a new life here on Corneria. That sound like a good idea?" "Star Fox?..." Wolf Questioned as he stared more at the two. Fox leaned back with his smile slowly fading. "Yeah. You know, Me, Falco, Peppy, and Slippy. Maybe you could even join as a new member; you and Leon." Fox said. "Leon..." Wolf repeated quietly. Fox's smile was gone now. "Wolf...do you know where you are?" Wolf thought hard. "Uh...hospital." Fox nods slowly. "Do you know what planet your on?" Wolf again thought hard. He shook his head. Fox felt his heart skip a beat. "Do...do you know who I am?" Wolf stared at Fox for a long time. He then looked at Falco as if asking for help. "Do you?" Fox asked again. Wolf looked back at Fox and jumped a little. He could hear Fox's voice change in tone as he leaned closer to Wolf. Again he stared at the two. "I uh..." he spoke softly. He remained silent and looked away. Fox got to his feet and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him. Wolf looked at him, nervous now, as he was being shaken. "Wolf do you know who I am?!" Fox cried out. Falco grabbed Fox by the arms and tried pulling him off of Wolf. Fox growled and faced Falco, releasing Wolf. He breathed heavily as Falco stepped back. He turned around and saw Wolf had sat back, pressing himself against the pillow with his knees pulled to his chest. Fox's eyes began to burn as tears started to build up, his hands began to shake as they grew cold, and he felt his chest pound with pain. "Wolf please...do you know me?" Wolf swallowed the fear he had and shook his head. "Should I?..." As the words left Wolf's mouth Fox fell to his knees and began to sob loudly. He placed his face in his hands and shook his head back and forth. Falco knelt and helped Fox to his feet. Weakly, Fox got up but remained crying, pressing his face into Falco's shoulder. A doctor soon burst into the room and saw the commotion. He saw Fox crying and immediately his face grew sympathetic. He signaled Falco over and with a nod Falco dragged the crying mammal out the door. Once it shut, Wolf seemed to relax a little. He looked over at the flowers that sat next to his bed and he picked them up, smelling them. He looked down at them and from the corner of his eye he saw the box that sat next to the chair. He placed the flowers down and leaned for the box, picking it up and opening it.
    Fox sniffles and gasped for air as he wiped his tears away. He sat next to Falco as they spoke with the doctor. "He seemed to receive several heavy blows to the head and a form of severe shaking of his body. I'm sorry boys, after all we could do we could only come to the conclusion that your friend is suffering from amnesia. I understand this is hard for you but I want to reassure you that his amnesia isn't too severe. If you aid him, he could regain some of his memory. It will take time though. I'll be back to check on you all. I'll let you take it all in." Then the doctor left. Falco, with his arm wrapped around Fox, sighed and looked over to us distraught friend. "Hey...you heard what he said. We could help him." "I know," Fox said. "It just hurts...Somewhere deep in my heart I saw this as an outcome and I didn't want it to be true. I don't want him to forget me. I don't want him to forget that we grew up together, that he and I were starting over." Fox blinked and tears once again started streaming down his face. Falco sighed. "How about we go back in and try talking to him again. Except this time, we'll take it easy. Sound like a plan?" Fox sniffled and nods slowly. They got to their feet and slowly entered the room again. Fox gave a small gasp as he looked up at the bed and found Wolf looking through a book. Wolf looked over and jumped a little, flipping the book closed and putting it on the side table. He looked away flustered. Fox slowly made his way to the chair he sat in earlier and sat down. "Hey..." he spoke softly. Wolf nervously looked up at him. "I'm sorry about earlier. You might not remember me but you and I are good friends. That's why I freaked out because...well you couldn't remember that." Wolf looked down then back at Fox and finally looked down at his hands as he began to twiddle his thumbs. Fox sighed a bit then looked to his side. He took hold of the book and scoot closer to the bed. "I couldn't help but notice that you were looking through my book. D-Did you like it?" He asked. Wolf nodded a bit and looked back up at Fox. "What'd you find interesting about it?" Fox asked as he looked down at the cover of the book. It was an old scrapbook James made of Fox and Wolf growing up as pups. It had various photos from when they were both tiny pups to a few weeks before Wolf was sent to CCA. Wolf looked at the book that sat on Fox's lap. "That wolf...Me right?" Fox nodded softly. "You don't remember but you grew up with me. My father, James, he took all these photos and put this book together for me before I lost him." Fox suddenly grew more sad. Falco placed his hand on Fox's shoulder. Fox looked up at him and cleared his throat. "S-Sorry..." "Hey, don't apologize. You're alright Fox. Just wanna make sure you're ok." Fox nods slowly before getting up and sitting on the edge of the bed. He looked over at Wolf and pat the bed next to him. Wolf hesitantly got up from his spot and moved next to Fox. Fox opened the book and flipped to a picture of Wolf and himself as pups sleeping next to each other on James's bed. "You're two years older then me, Wolf. My dad said that when I was born you were excited to meet me but I think he was more excited for you, since you were only two when I was born." Wolf gazed at the picture and observed himself and Fox as pups. Fox then flipped the page and it opened to holidays. He chuckled as he saw a picture of both of them dressed as each other on the right side of the book. "Do you remember this night Wolf? You were really embarrassed to go out as me. You said you looked too cute and not tough enough." Fox said. Wolf looked at the picture and scratched his head lightly. "N-No...can't remember." He looked away with embarrassment. "Hey it's ok if you can't remember Wolf. Just trying to see if you can recall anything." Falco silently watched the two talk for a bit longer before quietly making his way to the door. He slowly opened it and closed it behind him as he made his way to Peppy's room. When he reached the door to Peppy's room, he slowly opened it with a few soft knocks. Peppy looked up from the book he was reading and smiled. "Falco, good to see ya." "How ya doing Peppy?" Falco asked as he made his way to the chair near the bed. "I'm doing alright. Did Fox come back yet?" Falco sighed a bit. "He's been back for a while actually. We just checked up on Wolf." Peppy heard the tone in his voice change. "Is he alright?" He asked. Falco sighed. "He's...ok but it not what Fox was hoping for. Wolf's got amnesia." Peppy places his hand on his face in a bit of shock. "That poor boy. He don't deserve that. Andross put him through such pain and now this." He paused. "How's Fox handling it?" "It wasn't so good at first but he's doing alright now. I let the two be for a while. I was actually hoping that maybe I could chill in here with you while they're together." Peppy smiled warmly. "Of course you can stay in here. I'd actually like the company."
    Fox and Falco walked out the building together, the sun now setting. They were quiet for a long time and Falco shrugged awkwardly with a deep breath in. "Three days." "What?" Fox looked up at him. "It's just three days more for the two in there. After that, they can come home with us. It'll be ok." "Yeah I know..." Fox looked back at the road ahead. Falco frowned. "Hey, I'm trying to do whatever I can to comfort you. What's wrong?" "I just don't know if I can live with the thought that sits in the back of my mind." Fox said. "And what would that be?" Falco asked, raising a brow. "What if Wolf can't remember his past life. What if it all goes and he just lives with whatever happens from here on out?" Falco folded his arms and thought quietly. "Then learn to live with it. I don't mean to sound like a dick here, Fox, but if this is what We end up with then we'll have to adjust to it. Maybe it'd be best for him." "Why do you say that?" Fox asked a little angry. "Fox, he may have grown up with you but he was tortured so many years. Maybe he doesn't want to remember that. Maybe it'd be better for him to never have known about it and to live a new happy life." "Huh," Fox's tone changed. "I didn't think of it like that..." "Mh...Well how about you just relax and don't think about any of this for now? Wolf and Peppy get to come home in three days. Don't stress about any of this any more, ok?" Falco Pat his friend on the back and Fox nods.

There was a knock on the door and Leon yawned as he made his way to the door. He opened it and Fox and Wolf stood there. "Fox?" Leon looked over at Wolf. "How's he doing?" Fox sighed. "That's what I came to talk to you about. Can we come in?" Leon nods and steps to the side, allowing the two canines in. The three days passed quickly and Falco took Peppy to their house. Leon had been given a place of his own within the three days and he offered to room with Wolf. Fox took Wolf to Leon's to inform him of Wolf's condition. They all sat in the living room. "So what's up?" Leon clasped his hands and leaned over the edge of the couch. "Leon, Wolf has amnesia." Fox said briefly. The reptile's eyes grew slightly and he leaned back, placing his hand on his head. "Wow...that's not at all what I was expecting." Fox sighed heavily. "I know it wasn't. I didn't want it to happen either but we've all got to adapt to it. We have to help him heal slowly." A knot built up in Fox's throat and he quickly swallowed it back. "I don't want to disturb him much. I know that while we were figuring things out between the while Andross and Pepper conflict, Wolf has to endure my emotional ass a lot. I'd rather him not have to deal with me any longer." Fox pulled out the scrapbook from under his jacket. "While at the hospital, I had brought this for Wolf, kind of like a gift. He liked going through it and thought that maybe while he gets better he could go through it every now and then, maybe bringing up some old memories. Think you could make sure he doesn't lose it?" He reaches over to Leon. Leon looked at the leather covered book and took hold of it. "Yeah, sure thing. But what do we do about Wolf?" He asked. A heavy sigh escaped Fox's nose. "Just let him be. If he asks questions you answer them. He's still got some head injuries that'll act up so he has to take these," Fox pulled out a small bottle of medicine and placed it on the coffee table that sat in front of him and Leon. "Other then that, Wolf is as good as he can be to live life regularly. I just ask that you help him stay as happy as he is right now. He doesn't remember anything but he's told me that these last three days have been good to him and that's all I want for him; happiness." "So he doesn't even know me, right?" Leon looked at his old canine friend who looked around the house with curiosity, clearly not paying attention to the conversation happening in front of him. "No. But I'm sure you'll be able to help him remember something. And even so, I already told him you're an old friend who'll be living with him. He seemed happy with that." Fox then stood at that statement. He made his way to the door. Leon quickly stood and looked over at him. "You're leaving already?" Wolf looked over at him, tilting his head like a young pup. Fox turned his head over his shoulder and smiled at Leon then to Wolf. "Yeah. I have to go home and care for Peppy after all. Besides, I'm no longer really needed right now. He's got you and that's all he really needs. He'll be ok." Leon's expression changed, his tone along with it.
It was almost sympathetic.
"But will you be?"

Fox's smile never left his face but a tear rolled down his face.
"I will. Maybe it's better this way anyway."
He took hold of the doorknob and left.