What Can Be Said?

~Tony~
We go back to see her. She has casts on and she looks dead.

"Thankfully we got her breathing on her own. Nevertheless, she refuses to wake up." I stand back from the bed as people arrive.

"I have to call her family." Matt gets up sniffling . He leaves after kissing her forehead. Benji has her right hand in his.

"Please wake up." It's barely audible. He looks so hurt and lost. I lean against the wall and sink to the floor. Matt comes back.

"They can't get here for a week." He looks like he's on the verge of tears. "I'll call in the morning and pull us from the last show." Dan and Derek nod. I can't do this. I get up and go to her bed. I just stand and stare. I love you Misery. With everything I have, I love you.

"Tony?" I look at Benji. "You can take the car."

"You know I can't leave." He nods and motions for me to take his seat. I sit down, hands in my lap, and stare at her. I fight back more tears.

~Joel~

I pull Benji into the hall. "Why does Tony look so hurt? He looks likes a lost child."

"He loves her. He always has. Just never wanted to admit it." He says all this while looking at Tony and Misery. I look back to them. I can tell he's holding back more tears.

"I guess he does." Benji nods and we go back into the room. We all stay the night. When it's time to leave for New York, it is announced the Mest and Alkaline Trio will miss the last show. We only continue because her family arrives. She is still sleeping when we leave.

~Tony~

Her family shows up the same day Warped leaves town. They enter the room crying.

"Most of the swelling has gone down." I say this in a whisper.

"Who are you?"

"A friend." Matt walks in. "Tony, go home and shower. You've been here for a week and showered twice."

A woman, whom I presuming to be her mother turns to me. "You've been here all week? She told us you hated her!"

"I thought I did. You can stay with me while you're here. I'm not that far away."

"Thank you Anthony." She smiles. "Now I suggest you go bathe." Once a mom, always a mom. I laugh a little as I get up, letting go of the hand I've held since our first night here. Her brother comes with me.

"I don't want to see her like that."

"I don't either." I try not to cry as we pull out of the parking lot.

"You're in Mest, right?"

"Yea."

"Cool. Your band is one of her favorites."

"Really? Can't tell the way she treats me. But I suppose that's my fault."

"What did she say to you?"

"Nothing. But she called me a pompous ass wart when my cousin mentioned me." He chuckles.

"That's Misery. Names Ferric. Ferric Bondage Morris. Most people call me Ric."

"Cool. Tony. Well Anthony, but Tony." We smile. I take a speedy shower. Then show Ric where everyone can stay.

"You want to go back don't you?" I nod and he chortles. "Does she know she has an admirer?"

"No."

"Well it will be a good surprise to wake up to." We both smile and head toward the car. We get back to the hospital and I try will the elevator to go faster. Hurry damn-it! Im bouncing on my heels. "Chill Tony. I'm sure she's fine."

"How are you so calm?"

"Faith in Jesus." He pats my shoulder as the elevator stops. I rush out and down the hall. I go back into her room and stand by her bed. Relieved, in a way, that nothing has changed.

"You were barely gone 30 minutes!" I bite my lip nervously.

"Well, mom, Tony has a crush. He barely even showered." She looks from Ferric to me. Then her dad looks at me.

"How long have you known Misery?"

"Month and a half." He nods.

"Does she know?" I shake my head. He grunts and looks back to his daughter. I go sit in the corner and stare at her. The only visible tattoo is her dragon on her wrist. Please don't leave me. I want to scream, yell, and cry, but I know I can't.

The tour ends, Benji and the guys come back with Seb in tow. Everyone uses my house as base. Misery's brother, father, and mother don't leave the hospital except to shower. Her mother makes me go home to bathe also. The four of us camp in her room. Everyday she gets better. After a month, her family is deciding whether to keep going or not. "What do you think Tony?"

"I...."

"What the fuck?" We all look to Misery's bed. She's sitting up; everyone runs to her. I go get the doctor. He comes in and shoos each person out so he can check her.

~Normal~

I hear voices. "What do you think Tony?" Why is he here? I sit up.

"I." I cut him off.

"What the fuck?" I realize I am in a hospital. Everyone runs to me. They all are talking at once, and all hug me. Then the doctor comes in and kicks everybody out. "How long have I been here?"

"One month."

"What?!"

"You were in a coma."

"Holy Bitch! When can I go home?"

"Well you can't leave the state yet, you need physical therapy and there are test we need to run. Post-trauma. But you can leave the hospital tomorrow."

"Cool." He leaves and people stat to filter into the room. "I'm getting out tomorrow!"

"So soon?"

"Yes, mother, although I'm stuck in Chi-town for a few weeks."

"Why?"

"Physical therapy. And they have tests they need to run." Tony walks in and stands by the wall. Why is he here? I thought he hated me. He looks nervous.

"Oh. Well then I assume you will be staying with Anthony."

"Huh?" Tony looks up when my mom says his name.

"Well.We stayed with you all month. Surely Misery will while in therapy."

"Sure." He looks likes there is more but he's holding back. I look to Ferric.

"Lets leave those two to talk. I'm sure Mis has questions for him." All exit my room except Tony.

"Why did my mother call you Anthony?"

"She just does. I can't convince her to call me Tony." He moves closer as he says this.

"Why are you here?" He shuffles his feet.

"Benji wanted some one to stay."

"Matt, Dan, and Derek are here." He bites his lip.

"My house is closer than any hotel and I've been giving people rides." I snort. "And because....I love you." The last part is barely a whisper.

"Yea right." He gets up and walks out of the room. Benji and Ferric come in.

"What's wrong with Tony?"

"Yea, he walked out crying."

"No idea."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"Misery." They say this together.

"Okay. He said he loves me and I said yea right. Then he got up and left. All I know is that it was a bold-fuck-faced lie. He's hated me since we met."

"He does." I raise an eyebrow toward Benji.

"Yea. When I and the rents first arrived he hadn't showered in two days. Mom made him go. We were only gone like 20 minutes. He hasn't left unless mom forced him to. He barely even ate."

"And Tony never stops eating." Benji laughs a little at his comment. "But anyway, it hit him hard when he first saw you in here. When you had to go into surgery for more internal bleeding he cried until the doctor came out and said they had stopped it and that you were fine."

I look down, my hair falling in my face. I do love him. Why and I such a bitch? Maybe cuz my fist boyfriend was an ass. Am I just trying to protect my self? A tear rolls down my cheek. "Do you think he'll come back?"

"I don't know."

"Dial his cell for me." Ferric rings him on the hospital line.

-Phone Conversation-

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"What do you want?"

"To apologize." Ferric and Benji leave the room.

"Okay, bye."

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Did you really stay with me? The whole time I was in a coma?"

Silence. Then, "Yes."

"I thought you hated me."

"I thought I did too. But I was honestly just scared you wouldn't like me."

"Well I do. So suck it up."

"You do?!"

"Yup. And you still haven't hugged me yet."

"I'll come back." I hang up the phone. The door to my rooms opens ten minutes later. I look up to see Tony standing there. I smile at him and he comes over and hugs me. He smells good. He pulls away.

"So."

"I can't wait to leave!" He laughs as Skiba comes in.

"I see you two are quite cozy." Tony is sitting on my bed, with his arm around my waist.

"Is it a crime?"

"No." He laughs. All my guests come back in.

"Awesome. When am I going to be and uncle?"

"BENJI!!" We all laugh.