I paced between the end of the beds like a stalking tiger while a group of nurses and doctors swarmed the room to check each of the boys.
I had been relieved by the interruption because my own blood pressure had steadily rising as each of the boys exclaimed in disbelief as I tried to tell them about the fact that I had gotten special dispensation to stay as a Lone Agent until their status became Active once more and I could officially be absorbed into their team.
“Baby, tell me again how you know Russian and why the fuck you’re swearing at us!” North growled and swatted at the doctor hovering near his side, “Can you just fuck off for a second?”
I swivelled to point a finger at his face, “Don’t swear at the doctor! I just told you that I joined the Academy and that they’ve been giving me private lessons.
What did you think they were going to teach me? Knitting?”
He growled again, “Why am I getting yelled at?”
I flung my hands into the air in exasperation, “A whole year and you haven’t changed. I’m yelling because you’re yelling. And I’m not even yelling,” I finished on a yell.
Gabriel snorted out a laugh and I turned to my next victim, “Don’t you start. How many times did I tell all of you that you were it for me! I’m never going to leave you. After the hell that I have been through in the past twelve months…” I snorted, “Rrrr, the first thing you do is insult me! Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered!”
“Woah, settle down, Peanut,” Nathan soothed and I felt like throwing my lovely three inch heels at him, “We just misunderstood. It’s rare for anyone to be given Lone statue, especially a bird.”
I waved dismissively at him, “Not for a ghost bird apparently.”
"You know about that?" Kota winced.
I had so much to say to them, so much to tell them but first I had a duty to do. I turned to Dr Roberts who was standing with Mr Blackbourne, “Did you ring them?”
He turned away from his patient and nodded, “All except for the Green’s. They’re out of reach at the moment.”
I thought that over. Sean’s parents deserved to know that they’re son was awake, “I’ll try them. Are they all coming?”
“Yes.”
“Even Mr Griffin,” I asked with trepidation and winced as Nathan began to shout, “What the fuck do you mean Mr Griffin? Why is he in Charleston?”
I ignored him for a second and watched as Phil nodded again, this time with weariness, “Him too. I’ve informed security.”
“Excellent,” I faced my Honey, “Calm down Nathan. You’ve been asleep for a year. A year. You’re father has been back for most of that.”
Quiet filtered from all of the boys, “Where are you living Miss Sorenson? I assume, or at least, I hope that you haven’t been living with him this whole time.”
“Don’t worry.” I locked eyes with Sean and smiled sheepishly, “Sean’s parents made a strong case for living at the condo. I’m your new housekeeper, Dr Sean.”
His green eyes lit up in delight, “Have you started redecorating, Pookie?”
I giggled and almost choked on astonishment. That sound had not escaped my lips in so long that I had forgotten how good it felt.
The other hospital staff in the room froze and turned to stare at me. They all knew that I never laughed, barely smiled.
Dr Malcolm grinned at me from his spot near Luke, “A lovely sound, Nurse Sorenson.”
Silas grunted, “She is my angel,” before they all asked, “Nurse?”
I sighed, “Yes, I…”
Dr Roberts cleared his throat, “Perhaps I could answer this one.”
I waved a polite hand, “Please do. I’ll make that phone call to the Greens.”
I headed to the seat underneath the window and vaguely listened to Phil begin to tell the boys that I had been in the hospital so much to watch over them that he had suggested making it an area of study for me but I hadn’t wanted to become a doctor.
I scrolled through my contacts until I found the right number and pushed Call.
It rang out for a moment until I heard a now familiar voice, “Moshi Moshi.”
I smiled and returned the Japanese greeting, “Moshi Moshi. Watashi wa nyūsu o motte – I have news.”
“Sang? How are you child? What could possibly make you call at this time?”
Sean’s father was a direct man who wasn’t prone to emotional displays but I had come to know him well over the past year. His wife had been the one to insist that I continue my education in Japanese and I had had them visit the condo on numerous occasions.
“I am sorry for the interruption but Dr Roberts couldn’t reach on the landline.”
“Ah yes, we aren’t at home and you know we don’t like divulging all of our numbers to people who aren’t kazuko – family.”
My soft smile widened into a grin and I got the feeling that there were multiple people watching me, “Arigato,” I thanked him for the honour, “There is someone at the hospital that would like to speak to you both.”
“Oh,” he grumbled, “Bah, it’s not another false alarm, is it? I won’t drag his mother out just to see her hopes broken once again.”
“No,” I said softly and glanced up until I could locate Sean looking back at me, “He’s awake. Sean’s up in bed right now looking at me.”
I looked up as the door swung open with a loud crash and I jumped from my chair, “I will see you when you get here. Sayonara.” I quickly hung the phone up once Sean’s father had finished his farewells and promised that they were both on their way back to the car.
The Morgan's stood in the doorway looking around in what I thought amounted to shock; their eyes finding Victor.
Out of everyone, I had hoped that they would be the last to show so that I could have time to prepare Victor for the reception that he may receive from his so-called parents.
“Well what do we have here?” His father drawled, “You finally decided to wake up, did you?”
I dropped my phone onto the chair and headed them off quickly as they walked between the beds to stand at the end of their son’s.
I put a hand to Mr Morgan’s chest and leaned in close to hiss, “Be nice or fuck off.”
His eyes popped open at the order and I was surprised by it myself. Although a lot of things had changed over the course of the year, I still wasn’t the type of person to speak out of turn or swear. Unless it was in Russian and I was around Raven.
I did not want Victor to have such an audience to the stinging that his parents would cause by their actions. It would kill him if he found out about what they had tried to have done.
“Take your hand off my husband, you little tramp,” Mrs Morgan exclaimed and I turned on her.
“Gladly. He actually disgusts me; if I had my way, no one here would ever have to be exposed to his presence,” I said with feigned sweetness.
“Mother? Father?” Victor finally spoke and we all turned to him. He had his bed fully propped up and he leaned comfortably, watching us with a bemused expression. “What’s going on?”
It was going to take some time for me to fully take in that although they had been asleep for a year, for them it only seemed like a day. I’d overheard Dr Roberts speaking to them while I’d been on the phone; they had been so confused by their hospital stay because they’d felt no passage of time and had assumed that they’d only been patients overnight.
To them, nothing had changed.
The worst day of my life had been yesterday for them whereas I’d been reliving it every night; 365 times.
