12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Telke

So...

I let out a breath as I stare at my hand with tubes attached to it. A tube is connected to nothing at this moment. The doctors said it is there to connect to a syringe when needed and when it is time to put painkillers into me.

I don't want painkillers. My head hurts and I wonder whether that has to do with the painkiller. But if my head feels better but other parts of my body will be in pain, that's not desirable either.

Efaze was here a while ago. I don't remember how long it has been since he left for work. The painkiller is to be blamed. Now that I think about it, having another pair of arms means that I have more stuff that can get injured. That's not very fun.

Not that I would ever wish this on someone else, but if a human got injured, they can only be hurting in their two arms.

Speaking of humans... What's Winnie up to?

I think I heard her scream that day when the accident happened. But... my mind draws a blank and I can't remember what happened. Maybe this is also the painkiller's fault.

Efaze always wants to help me, but this is one of the times when he can't do a thing. He always cares about everyone in the family.

I clench and release my fist, trying to feel my arms. They aren't as strong as I hoped.

Wait...

I wiggle my toes, but the blanket covers them, and... what if my toes aren't actually moving?

Then there won't be floatball for me anymore.

Fuck...

I close my eyes when my blood seems to freeze. I need to make sure I'm fine!

But there are too many cables on me and I don't want to accidentally yank something important. Then the doctors and nurses will run in thinking I'm dead or something.

I have to...

There's a knock on the door. I open my mouth, but my throat is a bit too dry that making a noise hurts. The knock stops. Maybe whoever knocking can't hear me.

There's a red button on a remote hanging over the fence of the bed. I suppose I can push that for help, but the one knocking may not be a staff. So...

I take a breath and try to talk again, but the door opens before I say a word.

A head peeks into the room.

It's Winnie! She can help me for sure.

She comes in and watches me. "Oh, you're up. I thought you were still sleeping."

"I..." I clear my throat, but it still hurts. She hurries to my bedside drawers and gives me a cup of water. I'm about to take it when she puts it to the side and presses something behind me, which I can't see.

The bed squeaks and shudders, lifting me until I'm sitting up halfway. She takes the cup again and lifts it to my lips. I sip on the water as she tries to help me to it.

She lets out a breath. "You have no idea how much I worried about you."

I swallow the water. It is cool and it is amazing. I don't remember having anything remotely this great. Maybe it has to do with her feeding me the water, but whatever, I'm happy. Maybe I'm a simple male after all.

I take a breath after finishing the water. "I'm good."

She sighs again. She eyes me up and down. I stare at myself too. I look mostly intact, and I can talk, so that's good too.

"Telke... You're crazy."

"I'm just trying to do..."

There are tears in her eyes. It pains me.

Is she that worried about me?

I want to hug her and tell her that I'm fine, but what if she doesn't want my hug?

"Winnie... Did you see the accident?"

"Yeah..." She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. "I did. It scared me. I called the medics to pick your half-dead ass up."

"I'm sorry. I... But I'm fine now."

She shakes her head.

My blood almost freezes. Does she know about something that I don't?

I swallow... It will suck if only my arms are fine, which are all I can see. "So... What else is wrong with me? Oh, right... Will you check whether my toes are moving?"

"What?"

I point at the blanket, not knowing whether I want to do that or not. Do I want an answer to that? Can I survive if I only have my arms left?

"I want to see whether my legs are fine."

"Okay..." She moved to the blanket. "I hope you're clothed."

Oh... I didn't give that a single thought. I think I'm clothed. I should be, right?

She lifts the blanket for me and I can see my feet now. I think I miss them. She asks, "Are you going to wriggle them?"

Right...

I wriggle my toes, and they are moving. I've never been this happy before. "Yes! This is great!"

She rolls her eyes. "Come on... You're a grown adult."

"Hey! I survived a spaceship crash. I get to be happy about this."

She pats my shin. "I think you do. Maybe it would have been better if you got four legs instead of four arms, then you might have been quick enough that you wouldn't get hit."

I stare at my toes. "Maybe you have a point. But it isn't like I could stand there and watch the kid get smacked anyway. I know the kid turns out fine, only bruises."

She nods. "Yeah... I don't know how to feel about that. I'd rather you're safe, but like you said... It's good to know you're fine. Did the doctor talk to you?"

"She did. I'm sentenced to a week of hospital stay..."

She snorts a laugh. "Geez, sentenced to, huh?"

I shrug. "Sure feels that way. Now I can't be with the kids, the team, and I also can't be in the school."

"I didn't figure you love work that much."

I swallow. I always enjoy my job, even though there are dreadful days. But more importantly... Maybe it is a silly reason, but I can be almost certain that I can "run into" Winnie at school. When I'm in a hospital, I can't do that.

Not to mention...

My cock twitches at the thought of holding her in my arms. I want her, but maybe I'll have to show her that I'm an amazing male to hang out with.

And... Maybe she will let me hug her by then, and... maybe do something more.

I like how she looks when she is focused on the books and arranging them. Her sweet smile when she's with the kids makes my heart race.

I clear my throat before the silence is too unbearable. "I do enjoy the job. Not to mention the floatball team has to get the hours in before they'll be ready for the competition."

"It's okay, they can practice on their own."

I wink. "Maybe I can send you the program and you can tell them what to do."

She pauses and stares at me. "Are you sure about that? I'm not a sports person and I don't know a single thing about floatball."

"It's okay. I'm sure you could do it well."

And... If I can get her on board, maybe it will mean more time spent with her after I get out of the hospital.

At times, I'm so smart!

She thinks about it. I resist the urge to hold her hand when it is so close to me. I don't want to scare her, but I really want a chance with her.

She sighs. "I guess I can do that. I think the kids are missing you too. Everyone in the school is worried about you."

I hold her hand despite the fact that I probably shouldn't. My heart skips a beat as I wait for her to pull away, but she doesn't. I say, "Thank you. I don't mean to make you worried, but I appreciate that."

She holds my hand and sends a spark down my spine. Does she not mind?

She lets out a wry chuckle. "You sure think that you're invincible."

I flex my arms, but before I can say a thing, she hisses at me. "Hey! Your arm!"

"Which one?" Did I do something wrong? Did I accidentally smack her?

"The left one."

"Um... Which one?"

"Well... the one on top."

I look over to that arm. "Ah... Right... Better not annoy the tubes." I put that arm down and flex the other arms. "I'm very fine!"

She puts her hand on my chest. "Are you sure you're fine?"

I wink. "I am. Things I can be doing already will wow you."

"For example?"

I blink. When it comes to that, I can't seem to come up with something on the go. "Like... I don't know. What should I be doing to prove that?" The tubes and stuff that are stuck to me are the reason I can't do much. I can't even get out of bed without sending the nurses running here. I've made enough beings worried about me that I don't need to add to the list.

She laughs. "You seem clueless enough. Just stay put until your sentenced bed rest is over."

"But..."

There's a knock at the door and it opens. There comes a doctor and two nurses.

Winnie stands and nods to them. "Is it time for his examination?"

But I want her to stay for a bit longer.

The doctor says, "It's time for another round of healing ray while we check up on his progress."

I guess healing ray is a good thing and checking my progress is also a good thing, so...

Winnie pats my shoulder and my heart almost jumps out of my throat. She is a bit too nice to me. "Okay, take care. I'll check on you again later, maybe tomorrow. And let me know what you want the kids to do."

I sigh. I guess it is what it is. "Sure."

She leaves while all I can do is stare at her back. I want to be with her...

The doctor gestures for the nurses to start working on me. I remain lying on the bed, letting them move my limbs and use the machines on me.

The doctor says, "How are we doing today?"

"Good? My head hurt a bit earlier, but it is feeling better."

"Your arms?"

I wriggle my fingers. "All is well."

"The legs?"

I move them, trying to lift them. "They are heavy."

"I see." She marks it on her clipboard. "The nurses will start the ray on you. If it hurts a bit too much, just let us know."

"Okay."

I'm not a fan of...

They put two blocks of metal on my chest, over my clothes. Those are so cold that even though they aren't touching my skin, they are freezing me.

The nurse connects the cables and the machine beeps. Slowly, the two blocks of metal grow hotter and hotter. The heat seeps through my body, going through my bloodstream until I'm on fire, probably.

I gasp when it hurts. I'm not sure whether it is healing me or hurting me.

I shiver when my limbs tense up. I hate this thing... Getting injured sucks.

If only Winnie stayed and I could hold her hand. But I can't hold her when the machine is going...

And there are still days to go before I'll be out of this jail...