-Three-

About three hours later the nurse I had talked to earlier appeared before us with a neutral face. "Andy's in the process of waking up, the transfer went successfully on all sides, though we weren't able to pinpoint the exact location of Ildri's body before transfer, we were able to transfer her to the right body and are in the process of figuring out exactly where she is, and we'll let you know when we do."

"Thanks." Patty said like she'd expected that, and indeed, I'd heard that sometimes that was the case, though I never had asked why, probably because I knew the answer would be long, involved, and way over my head, especially since I didn't have those abilities or anything remotely related.

She nodded. "You can go see him whenever you like. I can even show you to his room if you desire."

"Please." I agreed, probably sounding a little too eager. I wanted the chance to talk to him right off the bat waking up, before he had the chance to suppress his emotions and clam up about everything that happened.

"Okay, follow me." She said as she slowly turned and walked off.

Patty got up and followed as I maneuvered my chair around.

"Do you want me to push you?" Patty asked.

"I'm okay." I admitted.

"Okay."

We walked in silence for a bit before the nurse turned a corner and stopped a couple doors in. She waited for us to catch up before she wordlessly opened the door and the three of us went into the room where Andy was lying, looking like he was still unconscious. "The induced coma has worn off, he should be waking up any time now." The nurse admitted. "Sometimes it takes a while for the brain to kick into full gear again after something like that, though. But don't worry, we're monitoring his progress, so once he's awake someone should be in to check on him and you both."

"Thanks." I said, trying to keep my voice out of that place where she'd assume I'd need some kind of help because I was in so much shock, even if that might be true. The last thing I needed was for them to take me somewhere before I could see or talk to either of them about any of this...

"No problem." She said with a slight smile as she quietly turned and left the room.

Patty closed the door as I maneuvered closer to Andy's bed. The nurse was right, he looked perfectly fine aside from the fact that he was asleep. Course, any damage would probably be on the inside anyway, since... but I didn't want to think about that.

The moment I pulled up to his bed he sat up, wide eyed and gasping, breathing hard. I didn't say anything, just let him adjust as he wildly looked around the room, then at me and Patty, then put his hands to his face and breathed in long and slowly. "It w-wasn't a d-dream, was it?"

"Sorry." I said with a slight grimace. "Tai's in surgery still."

"Oh g-god." He muttered and sunk his buried head to his knees.

"How much do you...?"

"R-rememb-b-ber?" He asked. "Every d-detail."

"Seriously?!" I asked, finally not able to keep my shock back.

He nodded slowly and looked at me, tears silently running down his face. "Is he--?" He looked away.

"They said his condition is stable, I don't really know more than that."

"Exc-c-cept that h-he'll p-p-probably be b-b-blind."

"They didn't say that."

"Th-they don't h-have my m-m-memories, either."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Will it m-make you feel b-b-better t-to know it?"

"Andy, if you need to talk about it, let it out, if you're not ready, then don't."

"Y-you d-didn't answer my question."

"Neither have you."

He didn't say anything for a moment, then sighed. "I-I t-talked to Mike, on the phone, and I-I c-could feel something weird t-take over even then, b-but, I-I-I thought I-I was dreaming. Then when I-I was w-w-walking upstairs I-I felt someth-thing hit my m-mind like a sledgehammer. It's almost l-like I blacked out f-for a second c-cause the next thing I-I know I-I see T-Tai, who's t-talking to m-me about Mike, and then another, s-subtler, t-tap on my m-mind and suddenly I-I'm not in c-c-control anymore. D-do y-y-you even know how f-freaky that is?"

"I'm sorry."

He sighed. "And as I-I w-was t-trying to figure out h-how to get my b-b-brain back, she was t-telling him all s-sorts of things ab-b-bout how she was g-going to c-curse him and then... st-tarts d-doing it, with m-my color! Mine! I-I d-don't even know h-how she even d-did it or what the f-f-fuck she even d-did! I've n-never seen anyth-thing like it, and I-I saw w-what she d-did from the f-f-freaking inside! All I-I know is that once she was done..." He closed his eyes. "One eye, the f-first one, c-clouded over in d-d-darkness. The second... I-I knew what s-she was trying t-to d-do this t-time and managed to h-hold her b-b-back, but she st-t-till... got t-to him. She let another b-b-blast out, this time so much st-tronger c-cause I-I was holding her b-back and..." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I-I watched in horror as his eye... exp-ploded."

"And that's when he screamed." I paled.

He shook his head. "That's when she h-hid in the b-back c-corner of my m-mind, giving me instant and c-c-complete access t-to my m-mind again, and I-I sc-c-creamed. He w-was already unc-conscious, b-before it even c-completed...." He put his hands to his head. "If only I-I..."

"Andy..."

He didn't say anything for a bit, until at one point I realized he was silently sobbing, so I pulled forward and put my hand on his knee which was all I could reach, which just made him start to sob all the harder. Patty came forward and walked to the other side of his bed and hugged him fiercely. He hugged her back, white knuckled, and sobbed incessantly into her shoulder.

I never moved my hand.