“I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out, but we’re happy to have you home nonetheless. We freshened your bedroom up while you were away.”
“I’m not staying at the house.”
“Where—”
“I don’t mean to be rude, but I really want to see Daisy and Nori.”
“Oh, of course. We can talk later. They’re in Room Two.”
“Thanks. I’ll be back soon.”
I rapped my knuckles against the door twice before easing it open and poking my head in. Nori was hovering over Daisy, constantly checking the vital signs machine.
“Thank God you’re here. Get her out of here,” Daisy croaked. My jaw slackened, and I wondered if Daisy had a death wish. “Don’t worry. She can’t hear me. She lost her hearing aids in the attack.”
Nori glanced up and smiled at me briefly before pulling Daisy’s oxygen mask down.
“How are you feeling?” I asked Nori, signing and circling the foot of the bed.
“I feel like I nearly lost the love of my life, and I got my shit kicked in. How the fuck do you think I feel?” she asked loudly.
“Right. It was a dumb question,” I said, signing a quick apology. Daisy slid the mask off her face to join the conversation, tapping Nori on the hand. Daisy signed slowly.
“Lose the attitude or get out. I didn’t fight that hard to survive to hear you yelling.”
“Yeah? Well, maybe you should’ve let that bullet hit me instead! Dumbass!”
My jaw slackened from Nori’s outburst, and I stumbled slightly when she shoulder-checked me with her good shoulder on the way out of the hospital room.
Daisy flashed me a crooked smile when we were left alone. “She loves me,” she said, sighing wistfully. I snorted and sat on the edge of the bed.
“What gave you that crazy idea?”
“She’s a little testy—upset that I jumped in front of that bullet for her. But she’s the fucking dumbass if she thought I wouldn’t put my life on the line to save her.”
“You’re always coming to her rescue; she might want to wear the cape every once in a while.”
“Hm,” she replied noncommittally.
“Will you bite my head off if I ask how you’re feeling?”
“That really is a stupid question. You should work on your bedside manner.” We laughed until Daisy groaned and patted the bed for me to lie down. It took a few minutes of maneuvering around wires and tubes, but soon enough, our heads were butted together—just like old times when Daisy used to sneak into my bedroom during a thunderstorm. “This reminds me of back in the day.”
“I was thinking the same.”
“I was never afraid of thunderstorms,” Daisy confessed.
“What?” I asked incredulously, scanning her face for any signs of deception.
“I wasn’t afraid of the storms. I just wanted to sleep in your cool race car bed.”
“Daisy,” I said in our mother’s tone when she was in disbelief at something we’d done.
“It’s your fault.”
“My fault?”
“You wouldn’t let me get in your bed, and anytime I tried, you’d run off and tellMr. Jonathan. Daisy, stop jumping in my bed! Daisy, I’m gonna count to three, and if you’re not down, then I’m telling.”