Author's Note

This chapter is written in First Person through Angelo's eyes.

Angelo's Recovery

As I begin waking up, I feel bandages wrapped tightly around my head and notice I am wearing blue medical scrubs. This tells me that I'm in the hospital. My left arm is in a sling, I have a c-collar around my neck and my lower right leg is covered by an orthopedic boot. Mom is sitting next to me in a chair with her eyes shut. I reach over weakly and grab her hand softly, which alerts her that I am awake.

"Hi Mom.", I say hoarsely.

"Good morning sunshine.", she replies.

Just then, I see several familiar faces walk into my room. They are my dad, Lizzie, Taylor, Uncle Michael, and Aunt Callie.

"Glad to see you're awake.", says Lizzie.

"I'm just glad to be alive, Sis. That pilot knew how to chase me really well.", I reply.

"You can thank our allies from Equus for being able to help us rescue you.", says Taylor.

Just then, I see another familiar face walk in. One that can only belong to Takara.

"How's he doing?", she asks Mom.

"I'll live.", I reply.

"Glad to hear it, Angelo.", she says as she comes to give me a hug.

Later on, after everyone except Mom has gone home, the doctor comes in to tell me the layout for my recovery. I will stay two more days and then go home. However, I will not be able to walk normally for around two months, due to my leg injury. To compensate, I will be on a knee scooter until my leg heals. Flurry Heart and her crew come to visit a few hours later.

Flurry tells me that she gave the nurse a special accelerated healing serum to use for my arm and to speed up my leg recovery. That's why I only need to stay at the hospital for three days, and why my leg will only take two months to heal. Without the serum, it would take six months for my leg to heal. After they tell me that the Salmonlings did not get all of the information on the SI-9’s structure, which is somewhat relieving, the nurse comes in to remove my c-collar and my head bandages.

As I am eating my breakfast the next day, I get word of someone special coming to see me. I have a feeling that I know who it is. My thoughts are confirmed when my girlfriend, Elizabeth, walks in. Upon seeing me, she immediately breaks down in tears.

"I'm so sorry that this happened to you, Angelo.", she chokes out.

"I'm going to be alright, baby-doll. I'll be back on both of my feet in two months.", I tell her softly.

"That's good.", she replies after I give her a kiss.

On my last day in the hospital, the doctor checks my arm and says it is normal again before having me sign my discharge paperwork. Dad brings me out to his car in a wheelchair to go home a few hours later. He has been supplied by the doctor with a scooter for me to use during my healing process. The scooter takes a bit to get used to, but I am quickly able to use it successfully. After the two months, which seem to fly right on by for me, Dad takes me back to the doctor to be checked. An x-ray confirms that my leg is back to normal and I am able to walk normally again.

The Captain welcomes me back to base and tells me that the Agents were spying on the Salmonlings during my recovery. They are almost done building prototypes to match the SI-9’s design, and they may be coming to strike at some point soon. I begin to gear up alongside everyone else in order to get ready before we contact Equus for assistance in our battle which is hoped to be the last.