"Mara! Are you sure you aren't still evil?!" she protests in a whisper.
I chuckle, but this makes my ribs hurt like hell.
"Yeah, it's probably not completely healed," sighs Bonnie. "I know you're somewhat fine but you shouldn't be playing around in your state, Mara. I want you to get a complete exam right away."
"Do you think I can leave tonight?" I ask.
"Tonight? Are you insane?! Didn't you hear me earlier?"
"Yes, and I clearly heard the part where you said I was healing crazy fast. So, I'm wondering if I'm healing fast enough to be released tonight. I promise I won't do anything crazy, but I still want to leave the hospital, Bonnie. I need to check where things are at with Nora, and a bunch of witches attacking is more important than a couple of broken ribs..."
Bonnie rolls her eyes at me.
"You're so stubborn, I don't even know why I would try convincing you otherwise. You still need a full array of exams, Mara. I am not releasing you otherwise."
"And then I can leave?"
"You can leave if you're in a state to, and with medical approval."
I growl a bit, but I can't really oppose Bonnie, she is the expert after all. So, I patiently go along with all of the exams they make me do, although it takes a lot longer than I had hoped. Bonnie keeps being amazed by my results, but to me, it just means I can get out of here faster. I'm taken in my bed from floor to floor, and I start to miss Liam again. Maybe I shouldn't have acted so harshly toward him... I was really mad, though. But I still miss him a lot. Damn it...
In the meantime, Kelsi left to get me some new clothes from our apartment. When I finally get back to my room to wait for some of those medical results, Liam is there alone. Not only him, but a delicious smell with him.
"Food?" frowns Bonnie, pushing my bed back in its spot.
"I figured she might be hungry..."
She sighs.
"Fine, but don't let the other nurses catch you with that!"
Liam nods with a smile and Bonnie leaves, closing the door after herself.
He and I are left alone in the room, and his cheeky smile gradually disappears.
"Hi..." he mutters, careful of my reaction.
"...What did you bring?" I ask.
"Barbecue. I figured you'd be hungry..."
"Moon Goddess, I am," I sigh. "Can you help me sit up?"
He nods and immediately jumps to help me put my bed in a seated position.
We keep exchanging looks as he's suddenly close, and we both blush a little. Liam is extra cautious of my reactions, but I'm just happy he's here... with me. He grabs the little tray and puts it between us, laying out all of the food. It smells heavenly to my grumbling and empty stomach. He's not even done putting everything on the table before I grab a piece of chicken to eat.
"...You like it?"
I nod, my mouth full. He smiles, and we both start eating, Liam sitting on the bed next to my legs. For a while, there is no sound besides our chewing and the ruffling of the wrapping paper. After a little while, Liam sighs.
"I'm really sorry, Mara..."
"It's okay," I sigh. "I can't blame you, anyone would have been confused."
"No, you were right. I should have trusted our bond more. I should have realized, right away, that something was wrong. After that... mirror thing you did, I was just worried about your hand bleeding. It took me a little while to realize something was wrong. The... kiss is what actually made me realize. It... wasn't like before."
I raise my eyes to look at him, and suddenly realize we are very close. I blush even more as Liam's eyes stare so deeply into mine.
