Though We May Fall {An Aphmau AU}

The Confession

**Aphmau's POV**

Collapsing on the hospital bed I had called home for the past three months, I took a deep breath, feeling my lungs ache under the pressure. Groaning, I started to roll over onto my back before remembering the crucial detail that I was not supposed to lay on my back for a long time still. In the five weeks since I had come out of that coma, I had spent a lot of time working on strengthening my muscles again, my entire body weak after months of lying on a mattress. It was hard work, but I preferred moving around the hospital to sitting here in my bed with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company.

Opening my eyes slightly, I saw Aaron outside the room, talking with Dr. Cameron and glancing at me every so often. When he saw me looking, he smiled briefly before returning his attention to the doctor in front of him. It had taken me a couple of days, but finally I had come to terms with the fact that Aaron was telling the truth. In all the time that I had been awake, I had still never seen that boy who broke my heart. None of my friends had seen him either—I had asked each of them in the several times they had all come to visit. But to be honest? I didn't care that much anymore. Looking back on it, I had a crush on him, but we never actually clicked. He hadn't really noticed when I was going through everything in December, and we didn't have the same connection as... well, as me and Aaron did. Not that I liked Aaron that way but... he and I were closer than I ever was with Ein.

Closing my eyes once more, I sighed and let all of the tension flood out of me. After spending the last two hours walking around the hospital with Aaron, I was ready for a nap. But that wish was short lived as the door to my room slid open with a rasp, and I raised my head to see Dr. Cameron and Aaron enter, both with smiles on their faces, although I could tell that Aaron's was somewhat forced.

"Good news Aphmau," Dr. Cameron said, coming over to my side to help me sit. Once I had, she began reconnecting me to the machines which monitored every aspect of my body, making sure my life didn't drift away at any given moment. Aaron sat at the foot of my bed, reaching to rest one of his hands on top of mine, grounding me to the hospital room. Listening, I let my eyes fall shut and cursed the fact that I couldn't just simply fall back on the pillows and sleep. "You're recovering at an excellent rate, and the skin grafts don't seem to be having any problems. Hopefully within the next few weeks, you'll be able to lay on your back. How does that sound?" I hummed, barely mustering the strength to stay awake. There was a faint laugh, and she continued. "That also means that hopefully by the end of the month, you'll be able to go back home." That definitely caught my attention, and I forced my eyes to open so that I could stare at Dr. Cameron, shock and joy overcoming all of the other emotions coursing through my veins. She smiled, and Aaron squeezed my hand with a grin.

A breathless laugh escaped my lips, elation swelling in my chest as never before. The joy I felt made my heart sing, and for a brief second, the pain in my back almost disappeared. Almost.

"You really mean it?" The nod that ensued dragged a sigh of relief from my lungs, and under normal circumstances, I would've collapsed backwards onto the bed, too excited and relieved to do much more. For now, I let my eyes fall shut again and my fingers tightened around Aaron's, content to stay that way for a long time. I heard Dr. Cameron laughing ever so slightly, and the sound of heels clicking around the room remained for several minutes as she reattached monitors and my IV, all of which I had begged to be without when walking around with Aaron.

Dr. Cameron was just about to help me lay down when a knock at the door startled us all. I forced my eyes open and found someone standing in the open doorway, someone I hadn't ever expected to see visiting me in the hospital. The doctor left me side to go talk to the woman, and Aaron helped me push myself back into a sitting position, ours eyes catching briefly in a look of confusion.

"Aphmau," Dr. Cameron started, leading the woman toward me, "do you mind-?"

"Yeah, I can talk to her. I'll call if I need anything." She nodded before pulling up a chair for the other woman. As she began her exit, she motioned Aaron to follow. Casting one last look at me, he followed the doctor, leaving me and Principal Layla of Phoenix Academy of the Arts sitting in my hospital room.

"Principal Layla, I'm sorry for being blunt, but why are you here?" I began weakly, trying to hold back a cough as I pushed myself into a better position. She adjusted her position as well before leaning over her crossed legs ever so slightly.

"Aphmau, I'm glad to see that you're doing better. We were all so worried about you, and knowing that you're recovering puts my thoughts at ease. However, the point of my visit isn't to check on you, although that is certainly a bonus. Aphmau, I'm here to talk about your studies. I know that this is most likely the last thing you want to talk about at this time, but it's important that we do this now." With a self-satisfied sigh, she leaned back once more, watching my face for the expressions she hoped to see. At the moment, confusion was the only one I really felt.

"I... I don't really understand what you're getting at." With another sigh, she met my eyes and held my stare as she began once more.

"You've missed the past three months of school, that much is obvious, but those three months would require too much makeup work in order to catch up by exams, which is doubtful. Now, since this was an accident that occured on school grounds, you won't be charged, but the Board of Trustees, myself included, have decided that the best option for you right now is if you repeated junior year. I know this may be hard for you to hear, but trust me when I say that this is the only viable choice I see in this situation."

"Wow," I whispered, letting my graze drop to fall upon my hands, fingers molding the sheets covering my legs. "I... I guess I really haven't been thinking about how all of this would affect school."

"You don't have to give me an answer now," Principal Layal rushed to include, "but I wanted to inform you of what most likely will occur with the rest of your academic career. I apologize if this has troubled you or added more stress, but I know how much worse that stress would've been if I had waited months to talk to you."

"No, no, everything makes perfect sense. It doesn't bother me at all actually. In fact," at this I let out a sigh, racking my brain for the right words, "I prefer getting to wait a year and be with kids more... well, more my age. I've always kind of hated my dad for forcing me to skip ahead and alienating me with kids two years older than me. I think this will be good. Besides, I knew there was no way I was going to recover from all of that missed class. I agree. This is the best thing I can do right now."

Principal Layla smiled, and I watched as her entire body relaxed. I'm sure that the ease in which I agreed to her proposal but her thoughts at rest. "Good. Now that that's settled, I'll speak to your mother about figuring out a plan for the next two years, and I'll come back in a few weeks to get your classes. Thank you for your time, Aphmau, and I hope for a speedy recovery." With that final statement, she stood, reaching out her right hand. We shook, and she departed, the clack of her heels pausing for a moment as the door slid open, then fading from the air as the door closed behind her.