The sun greets me as I wake up, That was the last night I’ll have to spend in this hospital and even after everything, all I want to do is go home. I stare out the window, watching people going about their day. A pair of businessmen chat across the way while a deinonychus street musician plays by a fountain with her case open. A few people toss some bills into it as she continues to play, her fingers dancing across her guitar, her eyes closed as she is lost in the moment. I smile as I watch her—someone living their best life, doing what they love, and I can too.

I turn over to Anon, who is still snoozing away beside me. He rarely ever left the entire time we were here. Only a couple of times, since he didn’t want to end up stinking up the whole place by not taking a shower for weeks. I don’t like it when he leaves—something in me tries to get louder any time I’m alone. I’ve gotten better, though, and it doesn’t send me into a panic at the thought of him not by my side. Still going to need fucking therapy; no way either of my parents are going to be happy until a therapist gives me a clean bill of health. Fuck…if that’s even possible. I don’t know how I’ll ever be completely okay after all this, but I have to try.

I gently nudge Anon, trying to wake him up. He stirs and yawns, stretching out his arms as he groggily turns to face me. “Hey…good morning, Fang.”

“Good morning, Anon.” I kiss him as he puts an arm around my shoulder.

“How are you feeling today? Everything feel like it’s back in place?”

“Mostly…nothing they can really do for the rib except tell me to take it easy but breathing is a lot less shitty. Course, this was the simple part. The hard part is trying to just…get past all this.”

“You’ve got a lot of support. There isn’t a single part of this you are going to have to face alone. Except for the therapy part…I don’t think it’d be good for me to be sitting in while you are spilling your heart out to them.”

“No, probably not.” I sigh. “Not looking forward to any of that, but I have to do it. Something happened to me, and I still don’t know what it was. Can still feel something jabbing me in the back of my mind, trying to pull me down but I won’t let it, not again.”

He pulls me close and hugs me. “We’ll get you back into life one step at a time. Don’t worry about a thing. Well, except for one thing…getting ready for your big break at school! I’ll talk to Spears tomorrow about the whole thing and considering how the last show went, I know he’ll want to help give you another chance.”

“Thank you, Anon. I promise this one is going to go perfectly, and no one will laugh at me anymore…at least I hope not.”

“No. They won’t.” He sternly shakes his head, putting a finger under my beak. “Fate’s been a dickhead so far but I’m not going to let this happen twice, and you will show all those losers who’s the best fucking guitarist this town will ever see.”

I smile as a happy tear slides down my cheek. “Yeah…you’re right. I’ll work hard and no one will ever look down on me ever again. I just hope that Reed and Trish are up for it.”

“Of course they will be. They probably are both looking for their own second chance after that night.”

“Would have been nice of them to stop by…” I huff as I glare at the wall.

“Probably were just really busy. Who knows how much crap they’ve gotten since the show or how they dealt with knowing you almost died.”

I take a deep breath as I let it out in a dour sigh. “Yeah, I mean Trish texted me and I think Reed tried to.” I show him Reed’s text, which is just a bunch of words pretending to be sentences with him somehow sending a pair of finger gun emotes. “So I know they care…just really hope they didn’t catch too much shit after that show.”

“We’ll bother them tomorrow. Today, we just need to get you home so you can settle back in and stuff.”

“Will you be coming home with me?” I grip his hand in mine, a few tremors pulsing through me.

“Of course.” He squeezes my hand, calm settling back in. “I mean, I don’t think your dad is going to let me stay over, but I wasn’t going to just leave you as soon as we got out.”

“Good…” The frown forming on my face immediately fades. “I mean…we could ask him, maybe? Or I could go stay with you.”

“You know he wouldn’t be happy to have you go back to hanging out with me in the shittiest part of town immediately after a two-week stay in the hospital.”

“I know, I just don’t want you to go. I don’t want to be alone with my thoughts, Anon…we saw how that went last time.”

He embraces me with a sigh. “I know, I know. Well, I guess we can at least try. The worst that could happen is he throws me out the window…which considering how soft the lawn is, wouldn’t be so bad.”

“Plus you know if you stay…” He perks up. “You know for sure my mom will make something for you. She already liked you before, so I’m sure you know how she feels about you now.”

I can practically see the dishes flash through his eyes as he drools. “So much good food…alright! I’ve made up my mind.” He lets me go before jumping to his feet. “We’ll ask your mom! She’s got power over Ripley and can prevent me from getting my ribcage punched out the back of me.”

“Don’t call my dad ‘Ripley’ unless you really want to die.”

“Duly noted! But I can’t see this going wrong. I’ll probably just have to sleep on the couch or something.”

“Yeah…no. You’ll be staying with me in my room no matter what they want.” He blushes at the thought. “All I need to say is that I need you to help me get better and they won’t argue shit about me keeping you in my room. Dad, though, will probably be listening for the tiniest creak…so we’ll need to be quiet.”

“Not like I’d try anything.”

“Oh?” I flutter my eyelashes at him. “You wouldn’t try anything with your ptero girlfriend all alone with you in her bedroom?” I half close my eyes as I pout.

His eyes go blank and I can almost hear alarms going off in his mind before he shakes his head. “I want to live, Fang. I’ve felt his claws in my back once I don’t need to feel them in my throat.”

I softly chuckle. “I know, dweeb, I was just messing with you. You wouldn’t even get my shirt off before he’d already be putting you into a woodchipper.”

“Well, that’s a horrifying image I never want to think of again.”

“You’d only feel it for a second, at least. Unless he sticks you in feet first.”

He gulps. “Yeah, no…I think I’ll take a vow of chastity, in front of him, with a fucking priest to witness.”

“Don’t go that far… it’s not like I want to be celibate for my whole fucking life. Maybe just until we are on our own, then we can do whatever we want. Unless I find some other way for us to have fun without him noticing.” I wink and he melts into his chair, fanning his face as color fills his cheeks.

He recovers a few minutes later, thankfully just before the doctor comes in with my parents beside him. “Good morning, Miss Lucy.” My brow furrows at the name. “Your parents are here to pick you up. Now, don’t go doing any kind of strenuous exercise. Your lung might be better but it’s not going to be fully healed for another six to eight weeks.”

I groan in frustration. “Really? Another fu—” My mom glares at me from the side. “Freaking eight weeks of this crap?”

The doctor doesn’t do anything but continue. “Yes, up to eight weeks. You’ll also need to stop by for checkups and physical therapy. You are not going to be at full capacity for some time, but we will do what we can to make this comfortable for you.” He checks off something on his clipboard before turning to my parents. “She’s good to go. You can go up front to finish the paperwork and then she can go home.”

“Thank you, doctor.” My mom shakes his hand before she comes over to me. “Come on, honey. Let’s get you home.” She turns to Anon. “Are you coming as well, dear?”

“I, uh…yeah um, if that would be okay with you, of course,” Anon stammers out with a shaky smile.

“Of course, it is. Come on, Anon, let’s go home.”

My dad doesn’t even react to the news as he helps me back to my feet, handing me my clothes. Once I’m dressed, we walk to the front. Well, they get to walk, I get stuck in a damn wheelchair for the whole thing…stupid liability. It doesn’t take much longer as he scribbles out his signature on the discharge papers and takes me to the car. I don’t even get to step into the car on my own, as my dad lifts me into the seat and buckles me in.

“You know, Dad, I’m not completely helpless…”

“I know.” He grunts. “Just let me have this for now, okay.”

“Alright…” He kisses me on the forehead before getting into the driver’s seat.

Anon plops down beside me and gets his seatbelt on before my dad pulls out of the parking lot and turns his attention to the road.

“So, honey…” My mom looks in the mirror back at me. “Did you want to do anything or are we just heading straight home?”

“Home for now, Mom. I want some time there with everyone so I can put this nightmare behind me and get on with my life.” I press a button on the door, rolling down the window to feel the fresh breeze on my face.

“Alright, just wanted to offer in case anything sounded fun.”

I sigh. “Home cooking and hanging out sounds good enough for me right now.”

A motherly smile spreads across her beak. “Of course, dear. That sounds wonderful.”

The rest of the drive is just us chit-chatting about our week. I don’t really have much to add since all I did was sit in a bed staring at whatever crappy channels they had on the tv; I never want to see another nature documentary for the rest of my life. Anon keeps showing me things on his phone—a few bits of equipment for his plan to make it easier on me—asking for my opinion on a few mics. One in particular that he shows me just as we pull in the driveway is pretty damn expensive.

“How the f—heck are you going to afford any of this, dweeb? Not like you got a job, and you never had spare cash even for lunch.” I catch my mother’s eye in the mirror from my near slip-up.

Anon grins and points at my dad. “He’s helping. Says he’ll buy whatever we need to help you out for the plan. Amazing what you can pull off when you’ve got enough cash and a ton of determination.” He pops a few more things into his cart before hitting buy.

My dad looks back from his seat after parking the car. “Just send me whatever it costs and I’ll toss the money in your account, Anon.”

“You got it, sir.” Anon gives my dad a thumbs up as he slides open his door and pops out, offering up his hand to me. I take it and scoot across the seat onto the comforting concrete driveway of home.

“Oh my god, it feels so good to be home.” I smile as I look around the yard. No more staring at sterile walls and listening to the horrid lullabies of sick people hacking out their lungs all night!

“It’s good to have you home again, dear.” My mom sneaks a kiss onto my cheek as she walks by, heading up to the door as my dad holds it open for us all. He watches me the whole way as I walk up the steps, a mixture of joy and somberness within his eyes. I can only imagine how he feels seeing me come home, no longer having to wonder how he would have handled losing me forever. I still feel guilty about all of this, but I can’t say I don’t like how well he’s treating me now—like a real daughter instead of a disappointment.

I give him a peck on the cheek as I pass by, watching him rub his cheek with his hand before closing the door behind him after Anon gets in.

“Everyone just get comfortable. I’ll get some breakfast made and we can all enjoy a meal together as a family.” My mom smiles once more before tying on her apron and disappearing into the kitchen, followed by the sounds of eggs cracking and sizzling butter.

Anon eyes my dad’s armchair and looks back at me. I glare at him while shaking my head. I don’t want to get home only to have to bury his dumb ass. He smirks and plops down on the couch instead, sinking into the cushions and sighing with relief. I take a seat beside him, and my dad settles into his chair as it strains under the weight of such a massive ptero.

I carefully look around the house, taking in the sights of home. To think that only a couple of weeks ago I had walked around here, just making sure no one was home before I made the biggest mistake of my fucking life. A solemn sigh passes my lips as I close my eyes. I can’t ever let things get that bad again. It could have been so much worse than just me being shot that day.

Anon pulls me from my thoughts with a shake of my shoulder and I glance at him. “What is it, dweeb?”

“Just making sure you are alright. You kinda zoned out there for a couple minutes.”

“A couple minutes? Sheesh…must be more out of it than I thought.”

He pats me on the shoulder and smiles. “It’s alright, Fang. Take all the time you need.” His stomach gurgles loudly as he covers his noisy gut. “Whatever the heck your mom is cooking is gonna make my stomach burn a hole through itself waiting, though.”

I shake my head at him, snickering. “Get used to it. Nothing she ever makes tastes bad and the worst part is the wait.” I look over at my dad, dreading the question but it’s better to just get it out. I know Anon’s plan was to ask my mom, but I want to at least give him a chance. “Hey Dad?”

He turns his attention away from the tv. “What is it, Fang?”

My fingers idly tap against my leg as I figure out how best to word this. “Can Anon stay over for a while?” I get a stare that could kill before I continue, “He’s been really helpful at making me feel better, Dad, and with him here I know I’ll handle things better.” I look up toward my room. “Especially since the last time I was up there…”

My dad’s gaze instantly shifts to one of pained concern as he nods his head. “He can stay, Fang.” He glances over at Anon with a glare. “You better behave yourself while you are here. I do not want to be hearing any noises outside of snoring or I’ll practice my backswing with your skull.”

Anon’s eyes nearly pop out of his head at the thought and he quickly nods. “Yessir, I promise to be the best-behaved guest I can be.” He shoots a thumbs up to my dad who rolls his eyes.

“Good.” He says nothing else as he returns his attention to the game. Well, that went as well as I had hoped. No one’s dead, Anon has all his limbs, and I get to test the soundproofing on my walls. Moments later, my mom comes around the corner with a platter of breakfast foods and she beckons us to the table. I get up too fast and nearly faint, causing my dad to catch me.

“You okay?” His face is laden with worry as he holds me in place while I catch my breath.

“Yeah… I just forgot I’m still hurt is all. I’ll be fine, let’s go eat.” He nods as he lets me go and we all take our seats. Yet again my mother doesn’t disappoint and I drool looking over the spread. Freshly cooked omelets nearly ooze with cheese and meat and there’s a literal pile of toast with gravy and a pitcher of just-squeezed juice. As usual, we all wait until she gives the go ahead and then we tear into the feast before us. It’s adorable to watch Anon’s jaw drop as he watches my dad practically inhale three omelets and still be hungering for more. Poor human…he’s never going to get used to our appetites. Nothing like fresh home-cooking after only eating leftovers for so long.

The feast doesn’t survive for more than a few minutes as every last plate is soon completely clear and we fight off our food comas. My mom empties the table of plates in a flash before disappearing back into the kitchen.

I look around the table one more time with a sigh. “I wish Naser was here right now. It would have been nice to see him.”

“Unfortunately, he had school.” My dad taps a napkin to his beak, clearing off bits of omelet. “With his plans for college, he can’t afford to miss a day if he can avoid it, but he’ll be home in a few hours. You two can catch up then.”

“Yeah, I guess. Well, I think I might go up to my room and check everything…make sure I didn’t fucking ruin anything when I screwed up.” I don’t even notice I just let the f-bomb drop out of nowhere as the memories return.

My dad swiftly plants a hand on my shoulder and stops my thoughts at the gate. “You didn’t ruin anything, Fang, however…” He glares. “Watch your mouth.” My beak snaps shut with a nod. “Don’t worry about any mess up there. Your mother and I already cleaned the place up. I fixed the hole in the wall, too, so nothing should look out of place. Now go relax.”

He pulls out my chair, helping me to my feet and gently pushing me toward the stairs. Anon walks beside me, our fingers interlocking together. I feel dread start to fill my heart as I approach my door. The last time I was here was the worst day of my life. God, his face…I’ll never get that image out of my head. I can feel my heartbeat racing as I put my palm on the door, hesitating to turn the knob.

“It’s okay, Fang.” Anon squeezes my hand. “I’m right here with you.”

I suck in one more deep breath before turning the knob and pushing the door open, closing my eyes instinctively as Anon flicks on the lights. I force myself to slowly open my eyes and look around. My sight settles on the edge of the bed, images of the gun in my hand and the sound of the shot ringing through my ears. My eyes shoot around the room, taking in every detail as my mind reels from the memories. I begin to hyperventilate before I feel Anon squeeze my hand again, causing me to look up at him. I find comfort in his eyes, the smile on his face letting me know it’s okay.

I let out a shaky exhale, all the stress seeming to flow out with my breath. We take a seat at the edge of the bed and he pulls me close. “It’s alright. It’s all over. This is still your home…don’t let that day take that from you.”

“I know, it’s just hard. I was not in a good place the last time I was in this room.”

He nods, his voice heavy with sorrow. “Trust me, I’m well aware of that…” I wince as that look on his face burns through my mind again. “But it doesn’t matter. We’re here now. We’ll make the most of it.”

I lean against his chest as I take in the sight of my room. It looks like nothing ever happened here at all. The rug has been cleaned and not a speck of blood can be found anywhere on my bed or my sheets. Hell, I can’t even find the bullet hole as I turn to look behind me. It’s like it never happened, just a memory to be shoved aside. No…I can’t just forget. If I ignore this, it’s going to happen again. Fuck…therapy is going to fucking blow.

“Thank you, Anon.”

“For what?”

“For coming here, for staying…for what you did when you found me here. Just…thank you for all of it.”

He rests his head on top of mine as I rub my cheek against his shoulder. “Like I said before, don’t need to thank me for a thing.”

We sit there in silence for a few minutes, absorbing the moment and building better memories for the future. He stands up from me and grabs one of my guitars off the wall before sitting beside me again.

“So, Fang…” I tilt my head up to him. “Can you teach me some more about how to play guitar? I think I’m really starting to like the idea of it, plus…” He smirks at me. “I can’t think of a better teacher than you.”

I smile as a single happy tear falls from my face as I pick up my guitar we brought back from the hospital off the floor and hold it in my hands. “Of course, dweeb. Come on…there is a lot to do if you want to be able to play this without blowing out an ear drum.”

We sit shoulder to shoulder, spending hours together just practicing. With every passing hour, he sounds better and better. This dweeb thinks he can’t play music but I don’t see it; he just hasn’t ever tried hard enough or had a good teacher. I blush as my fingers brush against his as I fix his positioning, smiling at him as he grins back. I thought so little of him when I first saw him and now…now I can’t see myself anywhere else but here beside him.

Naser stops by a little while later, only coming in to give me a hug and tell me how happy he is to see me back home. I am happy, too. Now that I feel like I’ve got something to live for, this room doesn’t feel like a prison, the lyrics on the wall now a tapestry of what I can do when I show everyone what I am really capable of. I smile as I think of graduation, how I’ll be able to fix everything right then and there, in front of everyone. I glance over at Anon, who gives me a smile as he continues to pluck at the strings. With him here helping me, there’s no way we can fail.