Alna had no way of telling how long she had been unconscious. She could mimic the passage of time by allowing the sky to lighten into afternoon and darken into night. She could let the weather change with her mood––which, given how unhappy she was, resulted in a lot of cloudy skies, rain, and if she felt particularly frustrated, howling winds.


    But there was no real way of knowing if the time passing in her head was accurate. Not without outside influence. For all she knew, what was one day inside her mind could be mere minutes in reality; or even weeks.


    Having parts of her mind blocked off had become infuriating. And, to make matters worse, Alna found her ability to build and conjure what she pleased had been damaged as well. This resulted in her going through the many random facts she collected over the years and trying to come up with complicated math questions that would take her more than a few minutes to solve. Already she was making plans to add on to the formula she had drawn on her wall.


    She supposed she had very little to complain about. The fact that her brain was able to function the way it was after the incident would be considered a miracle by some. A part of her even was grateful for this. That, however, was overshadowed by ongoing annoyance and worry.


    Her family was fretting over her, without a doubt. Marianna’s emotional state likely wasn’t the best, either. Alna’s girlfriend was a strong young woman when she needed to be; she acknowledged this. But the trauma of flirting with death, along with her girlfriend being hospitalized, had surely taken its toll on Marianna. Alna hoped she hadn’t suffered any more serious injuries.


    Alna’s head thumped back against the ground in exasperation. She needed to wake up.


    ***


    Marianna lay in her bed, an arm thrown over her eyes. She was reluctant to call her mood from the last couple of days mopey, but there was no other way to describe it. It was aggravating, sitting at home when she should be at Alna’s bedside. But she couldn’t because more of Alna’s relatives had shown up recently, making it impossible to snatch more than an hour with her.


    Marianna would have opted to wait in the lobby if Alna’s and her own parents hadn’t both gone to great lengths to assure her that wasn’t necessary. Really, the only thing that kept Marianna at home was the assurance that someone would contact her if there was room for her to visit Alna.


    Still, she seemed to be constantly switching between driving herself insane with worry and being frustrated at everything. Her nightmares weren’t welcome, either.


    A knock on her door had Marianna moving her arm away from her eyes and struggling to sit up with one arm. Her left arm was still in its dark blue sling, holding her arm in place at her stomach.


    Once she was successfully sitting, Marianna said, “Come in,” vaguely surprised the knocker didn’t let themselves in.


    The door opened to reveal Mom. The past couple days had taken its toll on Marianna’s mother, as her blonde hair was in a state of disarray, her eyes showing signs of sleeplessness.


    As cruel as it might seem, it wasn’t Mom’s appearance that held Marianna’s attention but the phone in her hand. Immediately, her posture straightened, and Marianna cursed herself for not keeping the thing within her proximity.


    “Is it––” she asked, heart speeding up.


    “It’s Hikari,” Mom interrupted, already knowing her question.


    “Oh.” Marianna gave herself a mental shake and accepted the phone with a “Thanks.”


    Once her mom had departed (after giving Marianna a worried, searching look), Marianna put the phone to her ear.


    “Hikari?” she said.


    Keeping the disappointment out of her voice was proving to be a full-time task. She stared at her window, watching the snowflakes fall gently: white, fluffy and untainted.


    “Hey, Mary,” Hikari said, sounding cautious.


    Marianna closed her eyes and swallowed back the irrational urge to snap at her friend. Being treated like glass was becoming more than a little irksome, although Marianna couldn’t say the concern was misplaced. It had only been four days since the “incident” and Mariana was far from recovered.


    On the other end of the line, Hikari asked, still wary, “How are you doing? Everything okay?”


    Before Marianna could stop herself, she ground out, “Other than the fact that my girlfriend’s unconscious in the hospital for who knows how long? I’m terrific.”


    As soon as the words were out, Marianna wished that she could take them back. Hikari didn’t deserve her frustration. Neither did Blaze and Sadie. They were simply trying to be there for her. When had Marianna started to take her pent-up emotions out on them like this?


    She could practically hear Hikari’s wince. “You’re right,” Hikari backtracked. “I’m sorry; that was a stupid question.”


    Marianna blew out a breath and attempted to regain control of herself. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have––”


    “Hey, no, none of that,” Hikari was quick to rebuke her. “Seriously, don’t apologize to me. God knows you have every right to be cursing at the world in general.”


    Marianna had to smile a bit at that. This was why she loved the other girl so much; why they were such good friends.


    “And I’m a big girl,” Hikari continued, tone light but not too cheerful. “If you need someone to take your anger out on, I’m there.”


    Marianna smiled a bit at that. It was moments like these where she had to wonder how she’d been lucky enough to get a friend like Hikari.


    “Thanks.” Marianna felt her eyes become wet. The world outside her window became a blur of blue and white. “But you don’t deserve to be my emotional punching bag.”


    “What do you mean I ‘don’t deserve’ it?” Hikari said in mock outrage. “Are you saying I’m not good enough?”


    Marianna grinned despite herself at her friend’s ridiculous behaviour. “No, that’s not––”


    “I’ll have you know that I am the best emotional punching bag in the world. No, the universe,” Hikari cut her off. “And, lucky you, I didn’t charge a billion diamonds like I would with the other jerks on this rock.”


    “Oh, my God, Hikari,” Marianna laughed. It felt good to laugh, a part of her thought guiltily. “That''s so bad, it’s not even funny.”


    “Screw you, Mary, you wouldn’t know good humor if it slapped you across the face,” Hikari said. Marianna could hear the smile in her voice.


    In the ensuing silence that followed, it didn’t take long for the stress of the past few days to come crashing back with the force of a tidal wave.


    When would Alna wake up? Would she wake up? No, Marianna couldn’t think like that. Alna would be fine. She––


    “Mary? You still there?” Hikari’s voice broke through her thoughts, all traces of humor gone.


    Marianna took a shuddering breath, realizing that her breathing had become ragged in the past few minutes.


    “Yeah, I’m still here,” she said in a strained voice. Her hand tightened around the phone, then relaxed.


    “Oh. Good.” There was a brief pause that borderlined on awkward, then: “I should have asked sooner, but how is Alna doing, anyway?”


    Marianna sighed. “No change so far, but her brain’s still active. And she keeps opening her eyes. So, that’s something, I guess.”


    “Well, it’s only been a few days,” Hikari reminded her. “She’ll wake up eventually. Maybe she needs to heal or something. I heard that people go into comas so that their bodies can heal. Although that was probably from a TV show…”


    Hikari’s obvious attempts at reassuring Marianna were up and down in terms of how helpful they were, but Marianna appreciated the genuine effort. “Yeah,” she agreed, her voice flat.


    Hikari let out a small sigh. After a brief pause, she asked, “Would you like to hang out tonight? Have a sleepover or something? I could invite Sadie, maybe even Blaze. Who knows, it might take your mind off things for a while.”


    Marianna took a moment to reply. With everything that had happened, simple things like hanging out seemed like a foreign concept––and not all that appealing, either. Marianna opened her mouth, intending to shoot the idea down, but stopped short of saying anything. Admittedly, seeing her friends likely wasn’t the worst idea. They’d been nothing but supportive of her, and Hikari’s offer of a sleepover was only an extension of that support. It might take her mind off everything for a while. And didn’t that very thought make Marianna feel ten different shades of guilt.


    In the end, all she said was, “It’s a school night.”


    “Screw school,” Hikari scoffed. “You’re more important.” She said it with such conviction that a lump lodged itself in Marianna’s throat.


    She tried again, still half-hoping to get out of this. “I’ll probably be going to the hospital at some point to see Alna––”


    “That’s fine,” Hikari cut her off. “Seriously, Mary, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. If you have to blow us off halfway through, we’ll understand. I just want you to know that we’re here for you. One hundred percent.”Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Again, her throat tightened, and Marianna tried not to let her tears fall. “Okay,” she agreed. “Yeah, okay. Um, come over whenever.”


    “Give me a half-hour.”


    ***


    Marianna’s friends showed up almost a half an hour later, on the dot. Even Blaze showed up, to Marianna’s mild surprise.


    She knew she looked like a wreck as her friends entered the house, chattering quietly and shooting her the occasional look of concern, but not one of them commented on it. Marianna had spent the short window of time curled up in her bed, clutching the phone and praying she’d get a call from one of the Holts. Not being able to see Alna was almost enough to send Marianna over the edge.


    Her spiraling thoughts calmed when mom had taken a seat on the edge of Marianna’s bed, silently stroking her hair for a few minutes before asking if she wanted to talk. She hadn’t, but Marianna was grateful that the tension between her and her parents seemed to have taken a back seat. At least for the time being.


    “I brought some movies,” Hikari said as she spread them out on the floor. Marianna sat on the couch, sandwiched between Blaze and Sadie. “And a couple first seasons of some shows I like.”


    “I brought some snacks, too,” Sadie added near her ear. She hugged Marianna closer, resting her chin on her shoulder. Blaze’s arm rested over both of them.


    Marianna didn’t mind being surrounded in the slightest. In fact, she was certain this was the safest she’d felt since the accident.


    “Just put whatever in,” Marianna told Hikari, not missing the forlorn edge to her voice. “It doesn’t matter to me.”


    Hikari sat back on her heels, peering at Marianna with such obvious concern that Marianna felt a flicker of annoyance. She tamped it down and reminded herself that her friends were trying to be there for her.


    “Okay,” Hikari agreed, sounding cautious. She stared at Marianna for another moment before seeming to shake herself. She stood up and popped something or other into the DVD player before divvying out the snacks.


    Marianna accepted some caramel and cinnamon covered popcorn and chewed on it without enthusiasm.


    The movie started––a fantasy film, she thought––and Marianna watched it without interest, unable to focus. She caught snippets of dialogue here and there and noted that the plot seemed to involve a kidnapping. Half her thoughts were on Alna, creating a whirlwind in her head. She again wondered when (not if) Alna would wake up; when Marianna would be able to see her. Marianna bit her lip, a handful of popcorn in her hand as her mind continued to torture her.


    She’d have to go back to school soon, but how could she? How could she pay attention to lessons about the founding of Starla when she couldn’t even seem to remain in the present moment around her friends?


    Thoughts like this continued to circulate, growing faster and faster as her mind reminded her of everything there was to be worried about. Alna, school, Alna, nightmares, gunshot, Alna, people staring, can’t handle it, can’t––


    It wasn’t until she heard Sadie’s panicked voice that Marianna realized her breathing had become erratic. Sadie’s worried face filled her field of vision. Marianna attempted to slow her breathing.


    Relief filtered into Sadie’s eyes once Marianna calmed down. “There you are. We lost you for a minute there.” Her hands rested on Marianna’s arms, warm and comforting.


    “Sorry,” Marianna apologized. She blinked a couple of times, trying to regain her bearings.


    “Seriously, Mary,” Blaze said, squeezing her knee. “You need to stop with the apologizing thing; you have nothing to be sorry for.”


    I can think of a few things, Marianna thought as Sadie once again made herself comfortable. Marianna glared at her hands. A few of her nails were chipped. She wondered if that had happened during the accident.


    Instead of voicing her thoughts out loud, Marianna settled with, “You’re right. Play the movie again. I’m fine now.”


    Judging by the looks on the trio’s faces, they didn’t believe her. Nonetheless, they let the subject drop.


    Sort of.


    As Hikari pressed play, remaining in her spot on the floor, Sadie’s chin rested on Marianna’s shoulder once more. “You can talk to us about anything. Keep that in mind, okay?”


    How had Marianna gotten so lucky to have these three wonderful people in her life? She swallowed down the urge to break down into tears for the umpteenth time.


    “Okay.”


    Marianna forced herself to relax, focusing her attention on the movie’s plotline. She wasn’t all that successful––her mind constantly flickered back to Alna––but she avoided any more panic attacks. If that’s what it had been, anyway. Anytime Marianna felt her anxiety rising, she focused on Sadie’s breathing patterns, matching it with her own, or on the colour of her hair. Sadie’s caramel brown hair that she disliked so much was showing at the roots. She would probably be dyeing it soon.


    Marianna even told Sadie she looked nice, forcing herself to take in Sadie’s red, long-sleeved and shoulderless shirt, and the skinny jeans she was wearing. Sadie thanked her, saying Hikari had helped her pick them out in the store.


    At some point, Sadie readjusted her position so she was now leaning against Marianna instead of hugging her, Blaze’s hand resting on her shoulder.


    The movie seemed to be near the end when the ringing of the phone broke through Marianna’s dazed state of mind. Wasting no time, Marianna shot toward the phone as fast as possible––which was on the floor next to Hikari––startling her friends. They all watched as Marianna answered the phone, her parents appearing a moment later.


    “Hello?” Marianna gasped out, praying that it was one of Alna’s parents. She’d been in such a hurry to answer that she hadn’t even checked the caller ID.


    “Hello, Mary,” Mrs. Holt greeted, her voice heavy with bone-deep exhaustion.


    “Mrs. Holt.” Marianna gripped the phone tighter. Blaze rested his hand on her arm. “Is Alna all right?”


    A sigh. “Well, no change yet. But the real reason I’m calling is to tell you that you can see her now if you want. My brother’s gone for the moment.”


    Marianna’s pulse immediately sped up. “Yes, totally,” she agreed, her words nearly tripping over each other in her rush to get them out. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.” She and Mrs. Holt exchanged some brief goodbyes before they both hung up.


    “I’m going to the hospital,” Marianna informed everyone, brushing past her parents as she beelined for the doorway.


    “I can drive you,” she heard Blaze offer from behind her.


    As Marianna single-handedly put her shoes on, she opened her mouth to refuse before remembering the totaled truck from mere days ago. Not to mention her currently left arm.


    She doubted she was in any condition for driving, anyway.


    “That’d be great. Thanks, Blaze.” The moment she voiced her agreement, Blaze was next to her, helping Marianna into her large black winter jacket. He pulled on his own jacket.


    “Are you sure you should go anywhere right now?” Mom asked from behind Marianna, her concerned voice accompanied by a strained edge that Marianna doubted had anything to do with her wellbeing. Both her parents looked annoyed. Her mom''s arms were crossed in a displeased manner.


    At her side, Dad’s jaw locked. He looked as if he wanted to drag her away from the door.


    Marianna wasn’t having any of that. “Mom, I don’t have time for your prejudice right now. My girlfriend’s in the hospital; I’m going to go see her. End of story.”


    “Marianna––” Dad said, taking an aborted step forward.


    Marianna shook her head and exited the house before either of her parents could say anything more. Blaze followed  at her heels.


    Outside, the street looked like a winter wonderland. Snowflakes were still falling from the sky, falling on the ground as they sparkled in the streetlight. Almost everything was covered in a soft blanket of white, making Marianna’s street appear almost colourless. Gone were the various colours of the cars parked on the street. The road here had not even been cleared of snow yet, as it wasn’t at the point where it would cause too many problems.


    There was a chill in the air, but not enough to worry about it. Marianna walked to Blaze’s small red car, snowflakes settling on her head and shoulders.


    As Marianna used her good arm to brush some snow off the passenger window, Sadie’s voice sounded from a little ways down the sidewalk. Blaze was already there, brushing away some snow and unlocking the car.


    “Do you want us to come with you?” Sadie asked, sounding breathless and worried as she and Hikari caught up to them. “We could––”


    “No,” Marianna rebuked, opening the passenger door. “There’s only so many visitors allowed at once, and you don’t know Alna all that well, so I doubt you’d be let in her room either way.” She forced back her impatience enough to give her friends a grateful look. “But thanks,” she added before stepping into the vehicle.


    “We’ll see you later,” Hikari called before Marianna slammed the door closed.


    The drive to the hospital was, understandably, not all that comfortable. Smalltalk seemed out of place in this situation, leaving Blaze and Marianna in silence until they stopped at a red light.


    Marianna’s jaw locked as she glared at nothing in particular. Stupid lights.


    “So, did something happen, then?” Blaze asked, startling Marianna. She tore her gaze from the darkened outdoors to focus on him. A nearby streetlight illuminated half his face, leaving the other half in shadow, almost making him look like those dark and mysterious characters people liked in movies.


    “What?”


    “You freaked everyone out back there, with how much you wanted to get out of there. Did something happen to Alna?” Blaze turned to meet Marianna’s eyes before refocusing on the task at hand once the light turned green. He turned on the wind wipers to remove a small gathering of snowflakes on the windshield.


    “Oh,” Marianna breathed out. She thought back to how she acted after the call and had to admit, her attitude might seem peculiar to some people. “No, nothing happened. Mrs. Holt was just calling to say I could see Alna. I didn’t want to wait.”


    “That’s…good, I guess,” Blaze offered with some hesitation. He cleared his throat before continuing. “At least nothing’s getting worse. I’ll let Sadie and Hikari know.”


    Marianna felt a flash of guilt for worrying her friends and told herself she’d apologize the next time she saw them.


    “Yeah,” she said faintly, returning her gaze to the window.


    Twenty minutes later found Marianna rushing through the hospital, likely startling a few people as she did so. It took everything in her to resist the temptation to break into a flat out sprint.


    “Hey,” Marianna said, chest heaving as she entered Alna’s hospital room. Her eyes lingered on Mrs. Holt before darting over Alna’s prone form, automatically checking for any changes. Even with the earlier assurance that nothing had changed, Marianna couldn’t help feeling disappointed when Alna''s state remained unchanged. Her eyelids seemed to be twitching a bit, though.


    “Hello.”


    Mrs. Holt straightened from her slumped position and gave Marianna a strained smile. Her brown hair was pulled back into a messy bun––and not the stylish type. Marianna got the impression that Mrs. Holt tossed her hair up in a bun as an afterthought.


    Marianna sat down, her eyes locked on Alna’s pale face. Her chest rose and fell in steady breaths, a white hospital gown with tacky purple flowers covering her. Marianna touched Alna’s hand with her fingertips, and then completely enveloped it.


    As a clock ticked somewhere, Marianna wondered if Alna had any awareness of her surroundings at all.


    She might have let the silence stretch out for a good few minutes if Mrs. Holt herself hadn’t spoken.


    “How have you been doing, Mary?” Mrs. Holt asked.


    Marianna continued to be surprised––not to mention a bit flustered––by the genuine concern Alna’s parents continued to show her.


    When Marianna looked at Mrs. Holt, she was once again struck by how exhausted the woman looked. The age lines on her face hadn’t multiplied, exactly, but she could have sworn there were more than there used to be. Mrs. Holt always seemed to be slumped over, her shoulders curving forward into a concave. Her rumpled clothing only added to the heartbreaking portrait she painted.


    “I’m okay,” Marianna lied. She paused and added, “My shoulder hurts sometimes.”


    “I wasn’t asking about your shoulder,” Mrs. Holt said, her gaze locked on Marianna. Suddenly, Marianna could see the resemblance between mother and daughter.


    She swallowed and tried to school her face into a believable expression. “I’m okay,” she evaded again. “Mostly.”


    Mrs. Holt didn’t appear to believe her, but after one more searching look let it go and instead redirected her gaze to a book in her lap.


    Marianna pressed Alna’s hand between both of hers.


    “You have to wake up, Alna,” she said. “We miss you.”