NOTE: There's no content warnings for this chapter, but this is the best spot to switch over to Robbie's perspective before we dive into what we have planned next.
We hope you enjoy this chapter! Comment any and all thoughts and we'd be happy to read them.
I drifted in and out of consciousness on our way home. Emma was thankfully quiet, but one asshole couldn't keep his mouth shut.
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Even Esmer would be disappointed in you with how you reacted to getting off without punishment.
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Tarmon's big blob of a body settled in between Emma and myself.
'I'm so proud of you.'
See? She's proud of me.
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And now you're putting words into her mouth.
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Yes I am, and what are you going to do about it? Insult me? Try something new.
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I shouldn't be surprised you'd be numb after that. That's fine. Give it enough time and my words will get to you again.
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So until then, don't waste your time.
He seeped out of the car door and onto the road until he was all gone.
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You don't need to tell me. I'm tired, anyway.
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Finally, some goddamn peace and quiet as we pulled up to our house. But let out a groan when I realized I'd need to walk.
I don't wanna stand up anymore.
…
Guess he's really gone. Sweet.
I opened the car door and Emma helped me out. She put my arm around her neck and carried me down the driveway and up the steps, and when we walked through the door? Mom practically tackled me and I had to fight just to stay standing. "Can you give me some space please."
She backed off, "Sorry, but you have no idea how worried about you we were." She lowered her eyes to meet mine. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I said just to get her off my back.
"Where do you want me to set you down?" Emma asked.
"On the floor next to the fridge." She looked at me like I said something silly, but I was one hundred percent serious. "I mean it. Set me down by the fridge. I don't want to wait to eat."
Getting a small laugh out of her, she walked me towards the kitchen table. "I'll put you at a seat and get you a plate real quick."
"That's fine too I guess."
She sat me down and Mom came around to sit down in front of me. "What happened?"
"Emma," I said as I stared at her getting food out. Just smelling whatever it was made my stomach growl as I had to keep myself from drooling.
"I'll tell you when Kendall goes to bed," Emma said as she took out a container of leftover spaghetti and ground meat, "It's been a long day."
"Do you need me to take you to the hospital?" Mom asked out of nowhere.
"I'm alright, Ma'am. Just hungry." My eyes stayed glued to the food as Emma put it in the microwave as it counted down. That repeated beeping was one of the best god damn sounds I could have heard this entire night.
She took it out and put it in front of me with a fork. "Here you go."
"Thank you."
What followed was me turning into an absolute animal as I scoffed down every last noodle, and when I was done? I forced myself up so I could walk over to the fridge, open it up and grab the first already cooked food I saw. Some hamburgers. Taking them out of their plastic bag, I ate a couple right there on the spot. Two bites each at the fucking maximum because holy fuck this was amazing.
Closing the fridge, I turned around to see Mom and Emma trying to hide their laughs. "You don't need to eat like that," Emma said as I walked by and grabbed an apple from the counter to eat on the way to my room.
Opening up the door to my room, "I told you I was hungry." I walked inside, locked myself in and fell face first onto my bed.
So…is anyone there?
…
Not even Tarmon. Huh. Actually kinda lonely now.
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I'll be here to keep insulting you tomorrow. For now, shut up and let us rest.
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That's fine by me.
At least I knew Esmer was going to be fine after a bit of rest. At least, I hoped she would. After all that, I wouldn't be surprised if she was going to be out of it for a while. But I made a promise back at the hospital to help her with this stuff, so when I don't feel like death, then that's exactly what I planned to do.
But for now, I closed my eyes and passed out on the spot.
###
Opening my eyes, I could tell it was the middle of the night without even lifting my head.
I can't get a full night's sleep even when I'm like this…
No, but it's much needed rest all the same.
I turned my head, and there was Esmer! Sitting on the ground near the wall. And she had her body back! Kinda, at least. Her legs were missing, but she had her upper half.
Esmerrrr! I missed youuuu.
We missed us as well.
She pulled herself over next to my bed.
We see a lot's happened since the alleyway.
We're happy to see us safe.
And we're sorry about telling Robbie, but we felt we had to.
You don't need to be sorry. I'm just happy you're back.
She pulled herself up to my side and hugged me the best she could.
And don't pay Tarmon any mind.
We're proud of us.
Even if Robbie hates us, we're sure he's thankful for us covering for him back there for everything he did.
For the first time in god knows how long, I smiled as I hugged her back, but even that hurt like hell.
Thank you. I missed having someone actually support me. I don't think I can get up though.
Then stay in bed for today.
We can talk Emma into letting us stay home.
Sounds good.
Esmer and I laid there as I tried to get some shut eye, but the best I got was fading in and out of sleep until it started to get bright out. I went to look at my phone, but it was still dead from last night. Letting out a groan, I let the phone fall to my side.
Can you plug my phone in for me?
Esmer reached over to grab it, but it didn't move an inch.
Nope.
With a sigh, I closed my eyes again and ignored it for now, but a knock at the door kept me from fading off.
"You awake?" Emma asked.
"I guess."
"It's getting late, and you got school."
Taking a deep breath in.
Okay then, time to show her how fucked my body is.
I rolled over, and before even getting my foot on the floor, my bed tipped over, sending me crashing onto the ground.
"What was that noise?" Emma asked.
Straining my neck up so I could get to her hear me, "I fell off my bed and can't move."
"Can I come in?" she asked.
"Yeah."
She opened the door and found me lying there with my blanket half on me, and a knocked over bed.
"Do you need help getting up?" she asked like nothing new was going on, which it really wasn't.
I planted my hands on the ground to lift myself up, and my entire body just stayed limp before my arms fell down again. "No way am I moving from this spot unless you carry me to school."
Emma was out of sight, but she flipped my bed back over. "Then let me at least put you back on your bed."
She went to pick me up, but I waved my hand in her general direction. "No. I'm actually really comfy right now."
"I'll never understand how you can find the floor more comfortable than a cot."
"And I don't understand why I don't just sleep on the floor and get rid of the cot," I mumbled into the floor as I stretched out the best my body could do. "But I seriously can't move. Can I please stay home today?"
"And you're not just playing this up so you don't need to go to school, right?"
"Would I really do something like that?" I asked, putting on my best puppy dog face. Even if she couldn't see it.
"You've done it before."
"...Okay well I'm serious this time. You know what happened yesterday. I had an episode after working out and got kicked around." My stomach growled in the middle of me talking. "And I'm also starving."
"Alright alright. You can stay home from school, but Mom and I got work, so you're going to be alone. You okay with that?"
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You're not safe here alone. Anyone could bust in and you wouldn't be able to do anything to stop them.
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I don't have a choice. No way am I going to be able to stand. Let alone go to school.
True, but ask Emma to put our phone on the charger so we can call for help if we need to.
"I'm fine with that, but-" I grabbed my phone and slid it over to Emma. "Can you please plug my phone in?"
She bent down to grab it, "Yeah." She went over to my charger next to my bed and plugged it in. "There. We should also have leftover food still in the fridge. You're going to have to get up and get food yourself when were gone though."
"I guess I could crawl over to the kitchen if I'm hungry enough."
"You cleaning the floor?" Emma gave me a little tap with her foot. "That'd be the first."
It's nice that she's trying to lighten the mood, but we're still way too tired.
Yeah, but I miss messing around with her, sooo.
"Yeah well, you…Nope. Too tired. Thanks though."
A small laugh came from Emma as she walked towards the door. "That's fine. Just get some rest. I'll check on you again before I leave in case you need anything else."
I lazily waved my arm in the air, and she accepted that as she closed the door.
We should tell her to leave the door open so it's easier to get out when she comes back.
I'll tell her.
So we laid there. Esmer and her half body laid next to me as I slowly turned around to stare up at nothing, and we just laid there in silence for the rest of the morning as we enjoyed each other's company. That was until Tarmon's blob of a body dropped down from the ceiling and formed in front of us.
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I've decided it's a good time to go through another memory.
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Fuck that. This is the first piece and quiet I got where I didn't feel like I was going to get screwed over by something in god knows how long. And besides, you said later this week.
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We should move it up since you didn't get any real punishment.
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Going through memories now when we're this tired won't do us any good.
You need to wait until we can actually deal with the fall out.
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You have no room to talk about what would do her good. And how did you even get part of your body back? With everything combined I should have been able to keep you as just a head for a good while more.
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Robbie and Sophie are the first people we told that we were not forced to tell.
Even if saying all of that was horrible, it let us get a lot off of our chest.
Our body came back shortly afterwards.
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Well good for you, but none of that actually did anything to unload my side.
I'm getting impatient.
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Then stop being impatient.
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Easy for you to say when you're not the one constantly in pain because of it.
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We can't help that.
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Except you can.
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Then we won't help that.
At least not right now.
For the tenth time, once Kendall recovers, then we can work through more.
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You'd probably be pushing for it right now if you were going through what I am.
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And we're happy we aren't going through it.
They bickered back and forth like that constantly, and something about it made me smile without realizing it. It was a super small one, but this was a lot nicer than I expected. They went on until Emma knocked and opened the door.
"Hey, I called the school and told them you wouldn't be in today. And we're going to go now. Do you need anything before we leave?"
"Can you just leave my door open?"
"Sure."
Mom poked her head in behind Emma. "Are you doing okay, Sweetie?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
Emma stepped away from the door and disappeared behind the wall.
"Maybe when you get better, we can go somewhere? Just the two of us?"
Seriously? Why the hell is she even trying anymore?
Because she's our mother.
Tarmon snickered, but I ignored him. "Alright, Ma'am."
"Then I'll talk to you when I get back. Love you…"
"Love you too, Ma'am."
They both left and soon I heard the front door open and close.
How shall we spend this time?
Enjoy not having to be around everyone. And maybe give some time for everyone to cool down at school. But for now I'm going to lay here and enjoy this as best as I can.
Sounds good.
