We're Never Leaving This Place Alive

I woke up in a bed. It took me a while to realize it was the bed I shared with Grace. My right arm was throbbing and I noticed it was all bandaged up.

"How are you feeling?" I turned my gaze towards the door, to see Fun Ghoul leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, looking at me with a small smile. I returned it.

"Dandy." I tried sitting up with the help of my good arm but even the slightest movement made my wound ache. I finally gave up and laid still in the bed. "For how long have I been out?"

"About 45 minutes," Fun said standing straight. "I'm gonna go get Jet." I nodded but he had already left so he couldn't see it. In about two minutes Jet was entering the room.

"Hey," he said as he sat down on the bed. "How are you?"

"Alright. How are the others?"

"They're all fine," I gave him a small nod. I could see in his eyes worry and guilt. I discreetly smiled at that; it was the same expression he had on the day we met. I couldn't understand why he would feel guilty, though. It was absolutely not Jet's fault that I got hurt.

"It's pretty lame that I fainted, huh? I didn't even faint the day oy knocked me off my motorbike," Jet seemed to take a while to recall what I was talking about but, when he did, a smile grew on his face and he let out a small laugh.

"I remember that…this wound is kinda uglier, though," he said looking at the bandaged arm.

"It's going to leave an uglier scar, that's for sure…" I said with a sigh. A moment of silence passed during which I recalled something I had noticed before I blacked out. "Hey, Jet," his brown eyes met mine, "you took Sunny's ray gun didn't you?" he nodded with an awkward smile and took the ray gun out of the holster. In his hands he held a blue gun with white and red stripes across it.
I had only caught a glimpse of it before I fainted but I immediately recognized it as Sunny's. Sunny's was blue and Jet's was green; my mind had grown so accustomed to that idea that seeing Jet with another one was hard to ignore. He probably took it before he left our old house. I smiled. "She'd be so pissed." Jet nodded as he put the ray gun away.

Man, why the fuck did he take Sunny's goddamned ray gun. I started remembering her and I was getting all emotional and if it weren't because Party showed up I would've started weeping.

"Feeling fine?" he said walking towards the bed, standing next to Jet with his hands on his hips. I nodded with a small smile. "Good…" he seemed a bit uncomfortable, and wouldn't stop shuffling his feet for a while. "Jet, can you give us a minute?" Jet nodded and quickly got up and I watched him –with a confused look on my face– leave the room. Party then took Jet's seat on the bed. He frowned and his eyes didn't meet mine for a while. He let out a sigh and then took a breath. "I'm sorry, Joy," I looked at Party with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"I can't help feeling like it was my fault that you got hurt. I shouldn't have asked you to come," my eyes widened a bit in surprise and I shook my head.

"It was by no means your fault, Party. I agreed to go," he nodded while he fidgeted with his hands.

"It's just…I know Jet didn't appreciate that I invited you and, well, I felt rather guilty."

"Don–"

"Party!" I was cut off by Kobra's voice who quickly entered the room with Fun and Jet behind him. "Korse was spotted in Zone 5," Party shot up from the bed and his expression changed to one of determination. My gaze went from Party to Kobra to Jet and, finally, Fun.

"Dr. Death's report?" Kobra nodded. "Alright let's go."

"W-wait!" They all looked at me like they had forgotten I was there.

"I think you should stay here, Joy. Just this once." Jet said softly yet firmly.

"But…that's not fair! C'mon you have to let me go!" I quickly sat up on the bed; I had forgotten about my arm and winced when I flexed it to get up. "Ow…" So I wasn't in any to condition to go after Korse but still…"You can't expect me to just stay here with my arms crossed!" I couldn't even cross them.

"You can't even hold your ray gun, Joy," Party said pointing at my arm. Okay, so I couldn't do that either.

"I…" I didn't even know what to say anymore. It was true…I was just going to be a burden if I went with them but, dammit, did I want to get my hands on Korse. My eyes welled up with tears out of anger; for being so stupid and getting shot and not being able to go after Korse because it. Party reassuringly squeezed my shoulder and made his way out of the room, Kobra waiting for him under the doorframe.

"We'll be back soon." Jet said with a small smile as he followed Party out and I slowly nodded my head.

"Let's go, Fun," Party commanded.

"I'm staying with her." Everyone's attention snapped to Fun. He just shrugged. "Just in case," he said turning to look at me, giving me a wink. I arched an eyebrow as Jet gave a short nod and left with Party and Kobra –there was no time to waste. In just a matter of seconds we heared the TransAm's engine roar and drive off towards Zone 5.

For a while there was an awkward silence between Fun and me. He just stared at me while I nervously fidgeted with my thumbs. I could hear him walking towards the bed so I looked up at him and saw that he was smiling; I couldn't help but smile back before looking back down at my hands.

"Why did you stay? Did you think I was going to try running after Korse or something?" The black-hared man chuckled as he took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Sort of." I smiled and sighed as I laid back down on the bed.

"This fucking sucks…" I turned my head to look at Fun. "Don't you wanna go after Korse?"

"I do but…" he shrugged before turning his head to meet my gaze, "I thought you'd appreciate the company." That made a smile and a soft shade of pink appear on my face .

"Yeah, thanks." Another awkward silence took place after that during which I just stared at the ceiling, thinking about Sunny's ray gun, how my wound was still throbbing and if it would get better or worse and if they would have to amputate my arm and–

"What do you miss the most from the old days?"

"What?" I said with an arched eyebrow. Frank laughed.

"I was thinking that since we're going to be stuck together for a while we might as well get to know each other. So…what is it?" The question caught me off-guard so I was a bit dumbfounded at first. Then I actually started thinking about what to answer; there were just so many things I missed. Yet, out of all the things I could have said I finally told him that what I missed the most were…

"Roller coasters."